I Got In Trouble

Mango con Crema Cake with Lime Caramel

I have some out-of-control tendencies with squeezing lime, lemon, or any type of acid over things I eat. I used to get in trouble as a kid because I’d add lime juice to refried beans, cheese, and all the foods that supposedly curdle if you add acid (never saw my beans go bad, so it’s probably a lie) but as the black sheep in my family, no warning ever deterred me.

When I was around 8 years old, I knew I had taken my lime addiction too far after eating mango poolside and squeezing tons of lime juice all over. I woke up the next day with blisters and discoloration all over my hands to what I know now is called

phytophotodermatitis or as the gringos call it “margarita burn.” Whatever you do, don’t google it, but when lime juice comes into contact with the skin and is exposed to sunlight, you can get a red, itchy, blistering rash.

“I told you to stop squeezing lime all over everything,” my parents said to me.

I’m not as reckless anymore and I’ve grown up to be an adult who adores neutral flavors (sometimes). But I do love hitting eggplant with Zhengjiang vinegar (Chinese black vinegar) or adding a dash of rice vinegar to ceviche, which of course already has tons of lime juice but playing with different types of acid adds layers of complex brightness, like the malt-sweetness acid in Zhengjiang vinegar, the nutty and subtle acid of rice vinegar, or the fruity sharp brightness in apple cider vinegar. Balsamic, red wine, ume vinegar, I love all the acids.

For this cake recipe, I take a more restrained approach and add buttermilk (which is also an acid!) to bring brightness to the sweetness of mango. I love a bundt. It is quite possibly the easiest way to achieve such an elegant look with the minimal effort of a quick bread. But some things don’t change and I had to bring lime juice to this mango cake party. I did so in the form of a creamy caramel sauce that drips onto the ridges and edges of the bundt.

It’s like eating mango con limón poolside, but it’s a cake.

On this week’s mixtape, tropical sounds for this mango cake and you and only you!

Mango con Crema Cake with Lime Caramel

Makes 12-14 Servings

Special equipment

10-cup Bundt pan

Mango con Crema Cake Ingredients

2 ½ cups, plus 2 tablespoons (361 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing bundt pan
1 ¾ cups (343 grams) granulated sugar
3 eggs
¾ cup buttermilk
1 pound fresh or thawed-out mango chunks, roughly chopped

Lime Caramel Sauce Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lime zest, plus more for garnish
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½  teaspoon fine sea salt

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-cup bundt pan with 1 tablespoon butter.

Step 2
Whisk 2 ½ cups flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using a handheld or stand mixer, cream 1 cup butter, and sugar in a separate large bowl on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and stir in flour mixture in three additions alternating with buttermilk, beating on medium-low until well combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition with a rubber spatula. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the batter is thick.

Step 3
Toss mango with the remaining 2 tablespoons flour and fold into the batter. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Place pan on a baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake until the top of the cake is firm and golden, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 more minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and run an offset spatula around the inside edges of the pan to gently loosen the cake. Cool the cake in its pan over the wire rack for 30 minutes.

Step 4
Meanwhile, make the lime caramel sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, sugar, and zest, bring to a boil over medium-high. Whisk in heavy cream and return to a boil, cook until the mixture reduces slightly, 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, vanilla, and salt. Transfer the sauce to a medium bowl to cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve, or chill for at least 1 hour.

Step 5
Turn the cake into a serving plate. Slice into thick slices and pour lime caramel sauce over the cake. Garnish with more lime zest.

Cooking Notes
Caramel sauce can be made 3 days ahead, chill in the refrigerator, and cover the top with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming; stir before serving. Cake can be made 1 day ahead, just store tightly wrapped with plastic at room temperature.