Step 1

Pre-heat your oven to 325F and line 2 8" cake pans with parchment paper on the bottom. Do not add oil, butter or spray

Step 2

Separate the egg whites and yolks in separate, clean bowls

Step 3

Whisk the egg whites on medium speed, and once they become frothy, start adding the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time gradually (you will use ¼ cup sugar here in total). Keep whisking until a shiny, glossy and stiff meringue forms which holds shape ("peaks"); this can take several minutes. Do not whisk more after this point

Step 4

To the egg yolks, add the remaining sugar, milk, oil, and vanilla, and whisk to combine. Then sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt, and gently whisk until just combined and no lumps remain

Step 5

Add a third of the meringue to the egg yolk mixture, and very gently fold it in. Do not apply pressure and take it slow so you don't knock out the air from the meringue. When done, pour this mixture into the remaining meringue and fold together until just combined. I use a rubber spatula and a "J" folding motion. Between folds, lift the batter from the bottom of the bowl to fold that in too (otherwise, the denser egg yolk mixture can sink and remain unmixed). Do not overmix; you should have a light and fluffy cake batter

Step 6

Divide the batter evenly between the 2 cake pans, pouring it gently. Place the pans in a larger sheet pan, and pour about ½" of boiling water into the sheet pan so the cake pans are in a water bath

Step 7

Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 23-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with a few light crumbs (the cakes will not brown)

Step 8

Let the cakes cool down inside the pans for just 3-5 minutes. Then very carefully turn them out (use a knife to separate the edges if needed) and remove the parchment paper from the bottom. This will help ensure the cakes maintain their shape as they cool down and don't deflate too much. Let them fully cool down

Step 9

Mix the water, sugar and mango pulp in a saucepan. Heat and stir until the sugar is just dissolved; no need to cook any further. Remove from heat and let cool down

Step 10

Remove the flesh from the mango and blend it until a smooth pulp forms. If using a hairier mango variety, pass it through a sieve

Step 11

Add the chilled heavy cream, sugar and vanilla to a large bowl

Step 12

Whisk on medium high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks. In the middle, I recommend using a spatula to scrape the bowl so that the cream whisks evenly. It should be a pipeable consistency that holds shape. Do not overmix so the cream does not split or become grainy. Keep refrigerated

Step 13

Once all components are ready and chilled, it's time to assemble

Step 14

Divide each cake into 2 layers using a large serrated knife

Step 15

Place the first layer on a turntable or serving stand. Use a pastry brush to brush the layer with the mango simple syrup, making sure each spot it brushed once. Spread on a thick layer of the whipped cream. Transfer some cream to a piping bag, and pipe a thick border along the edge of the cake to create a "well" or "dam". Add ~3 tbsp of mango pulp inside this dam and spread it out. The piped cream will keep the pulp in place

Step 16

Repeat until all layers are done. For the last layer, brush the cut side with syrup before flipping it onto the cake

Step 17

Slather the cake in the remaining frosting (you should still have plenty) and refrigerate

Step 18

When ready to serve, slice the mangoes into thin slices and arrange them in a floral / petal pattern on top of the cake. I like to start from the outer edge, placing each mango slice flat side down and overlapping them like petals. Then I work inwards from there

Step 19

Serve & enjoy!