I am planning on trying to make a homemade mango filling for my Dad's Father's day cake. The recipe is fresh mango, powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice & water. Do I need to refrigerate my cake or will the mango filling be alright since it will have the sugar to preserve it? Thanks for the help!

I can't comment on the shelf life outside of the fridge of your mango filling.

There seems to be something missing from the recipe: some cornstarch or gelatin? Because this might be too runny to put between the layers of cake.

Here is a recipe for mango curd, from Smitten Kitchen. I've made it twice before, and it is really delicious. It uses egg yolks, like a custard, so definitely refrigerate. Hint: make sure and press through the sieve; it removes all the pulp from the mango.

Mango Curd

Makes 1 to 1.5 cups

1 15-ounce ripe mango, peeled, pitted, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar (or reduce to 1/3 cup, if you like the curd more tart)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Puree mango, sugar, lime juice and salt in processor, scraping down sides of work bowl occasionally. Add yolks; puree 15 seconds longer. Strain through sieve set over large metal bowl, pressing on solids with back of spatula to release as much puree as possible. Discard solids in sieve.

Set metal bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water); whisk puree until thickened and thermometer registers 170°F., about 10 minutes. Remove from over water. Whisk in butter 1 piece at a time. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Here's a link to the recipe, if you are a visual learner (like me):
http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/06/project-wedding-cake-mango-curd/

Hope this helps!

PS...Once I had leftovers, and my kids slathered it on their pancakes the next morning. Yum.

This is the recipe I found online:
MANGO FILLING AND GLAZE
1 large, very ripe Mango
1 cup Water
1 1/2 cups Confectioners Sugar
1 Lemon, for juice

Peel the ripe mango and cut into pieces, placing them, (and the juices!) into a saucepan. Add 1 cup of water, and 1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Cook until mango pulp becomes dissolved, and incorporated into the liquid. Add lemon juice. Simmer until somewhat thick and glazy. Remove from heat, pour into a bowl, and allow to cool.

What if I mixed this filling with my buttercream? Would that help it thicken more but still taste like mango?

Thank you very much for the responses!

I did a google search & found the website your recipe came from. Her cake looks lovely. I can see why you want to try it. But, I still wonder about the consistency of the filling without some sort of thickening agent (like egg yolks, cornstarch, etc). The recipe i submitted above is a nice, thick, not to sweet curd. But, i know everyone likes their own recipes, & i dont want to step on anyones toes in the kitchen.

Another thought: that is a lot of sugar in your recipe. INMHO, the sweetness might overpower the mango. Maybe if you really like this method, try starting with a little less sugar, & add to taste. You may want to add some cornstarch dissolved in a little cold water to the hot mixture, to thicken it, as well.

Good luck!

Here is a link about mango food safety. She compares it to mayonnaise. She advocates only out of the refrigerator. But it sounds like she means outside in warm weather. She gives a food safety link on the site also.

Cut strawberries can only be out for ywo hours and mangos sound like another fruit that needs special attention once cut.

Than u for sharing.....sounds awesome.

I ended up using the recipe that I posted & it was DELICIOUS!!! I did add a couple of teaspoons of corn starch to thicken it a little bit. Next time I will add more filling to my cake. I made a good BC dam, but I was still afraid it would start oozing out the sides since it wasn't a thick filling. Thanks for all of the tips!

A

AHi Prima,

Did you try this recipe as filling on the cake with dam method (buttercream)? I always use SMBC. I'd like to try this but am afraid that it will ooz. Does it thicken when you refrigerate it? Thanks!

Hi, sorry, I know this is a late reply, but yes I used it as a filling with the dam method & SMBC.  It thickens nicely in the fridge.  Just make sure your dam is slightly higher than the filling, so nothing oozes out when you stack & crumb coat.  Also, just a reminder, since the filling has egg yolks in it, it is perishable.  Be sure to refrigerate the cake until shortly before serving time.