Strawberry Mango Shortcake with Coconut Whipped Cream
Welcome to month #2 in my Summer of Strawberry Cake series. Since summer had just begun, last month I shared my recipe for Maple Balsamic Roasted Strawberry Cake but because the weather is heating up, I figured I’d give you a little taste of the tropics for June. Strawberry Mango Shortcake anyone?
Strawberry shortcake is one of my all-time favorite cakes. The crumbly shortcake, the juicy strawberries, the fluffy whipped cream, indescribably good. And I don’t even usually like whipped cream!
Like I mentioned last month, my family only eats strawberry shortcake every few years for my father’s birthday or Father’s Day because he doesn’t like chocolate. Occasionally we’d have fake strawberry shortcake at fundraisers or restaurants— otherwise known strawberries and canned whipped cream on angel food cake or any other kind of vanilla cake.
Strawberries and whipped cream on cake does not a strawberry shortcake make. A proper shortcake is made with a shortened dough resulting in a crumbly, biscuit-like cake. Calling a plain vanilla cake with strawberries a strawberry shortcake is like calling a waffle cone full of ice cream a Belgian waffle à la mode.
But never fear, when I say shortcake, I mean shortcake. And this shortcake happens to be made with puréed mangos for a tropical spin on a classic dessert.
Plus it’s even a little healthier than the original. With 25% less butter and mango purée as a substitute for most of the milk, it’s a little less guilty pleasure and a little more pure pleasure.
And for even more island flair, I topped this Strawberry Mango Shortcake with a coconut milk whipped cream. However if you are allergic to coconut, normal whipped cream will work just as well.
For those of you who simply aren’t fans of coconut, the coconut flavor isn’t very noticeable. However that may depend on the brand you use.
I use the cheap stuff— Stop ‘n Shop brand coconut milk. Some people report having problems with separation in different brands but I’ve never had that problem. I once left the can in the freezer too long and I was able to see a distinct line between the frozen watery milk and the frozen cream!
So for those of you soon to embark on some fantastic tropical vacation, bon voyage! And for those of us stuck at home, continue dreaming of parrots and palmettos and make yourself a Strawberry Mango Shortcake. You deserve it.

STRAWBERRY MANGO SHORTCAKE WITH COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM

Author: Allspice & Ally
Recipe Type: Dessert
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Serves 8
Elevate classic strawberry shortcake into a tropical delight. Puréed mango in the batter yields a lower fat shortcake with little to no textural differences. Topped with sweet fruit and an airy coconut whipped cream, it’s like going on vacation without leaving your kitchen.
Shortcake Ingredients
2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoon butter, cubed
1 egg
3/4 cup frozen mango, mashed
whole milk
Fruit Topping Ingredients
2 pints strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup frozen mango, mashed
Coconut Whipped Cream Ingredients
1 14 oz. can coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Shortcake Instructions
- Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
- Cut in butter with a fork and/or clean hands until crumbly.
- Beat egg with enough mashed mango to fill slightly under a cup. Add enough whole milk to reach 11/4 cups.
- Make a well the dough and mix in the wet ingredients.
- Pour into a greased 8 X 11/2 inch round pan.
- Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes.
- Set aside and let cool.
- Once the cake has cooled, wrap it in plastic and freeze for about an hour. This is so you can cut the cake in half more easily. You want the cake to be firm but not hard.
- Slice the cake in half horizontally (as if you were slicing a bagel) and set the bottom layer on your serving dish.
Assembly Instructions
- Slice one pint of strawberries and mix with 1/4 cup sugar.
- Crush one pint of strawberries and mix with 1/4 cup sugar.
- Remove coconut milk from refrigerator. Without shaking the can, open the lid.
- Scoop the top layer of solidified coconut cream into a chilled glass bowl. The remaining liquid can be saved for future use. (Many people use it for smoothies.)
- Beat on high speed with chilled beaters for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- In single tablespoon increments, sift in powdered sugar.
- Add vanilla extract and continue beating on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until desired consistency is reached.
- On the bottom layer of the shortcake, spread 1/2 cup of mashed mango.
- Add half of the crushed strawberries and half of the sliced strawberries. Top with a third of the coconut whipped cream and the top layer of cake.
- Add the remaining strawberries. Place a mound of coconut whipped cream in the center and garnish with fruit.
- This Strawberry Mango Shortcake can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days without the cream melting but is best served fresh.
Pairs Well With
Hints
* Make sure to use regular coconut milk, the light version will not hold very well.
* Forgot to leave your coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight? Put it in the freezer for two to three hours. You want the cream and water to separate, not freeze. (If you leave it in too long and the coconut milk does freeze, don’t worry— the frozen coconut cream will be harder to remove from the can and will take longer to beat but it will work.)
* If strawberries are out of season, save money by replacing half the fresh berries with frozen fruit. Frozen strawberries are easier to crush anyway. Just use the microwave to defrost them and mash away!
* I use a ceramic knife to slice the cake in half. Although the average steel blade will work, I find the ceramic knife gives the cake a cleaner slice.
* Love the island flavors? Increase the amount of mango on the cake to one cup and replace the vanilla extract in the cream for coconut extract. Garnish the cake with toasted coconut shavings. Take it even further by sprinkling the sliced strawberries with lime juice or adding some candied lime zest.
* To recreate the cake photographed above, top with chunks of mango and whole strawberries.
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