I did not make this cake with the intent of posting it up as a recipe on my blog so those who have nothing better to do for a good 6+ hours of a day and want to make some chestnut mango mousse can do so while enjoying the following step by step pictures. (I made it to satisfy my cake-making withdrawal symptoms. You know, shaky hands, inclination towards the kitchenaid mixer...)

Of course nothing will work out as planned - like how I've always wanted to blog about my pork ribs (yeah, I call them my pork ribs because they're pretty yummy), taking pictures all throughout the process, but always forgetting to take a picture of the final completed dish. So that never made it out (yet).

For this cake I took pictures of the process and what seems to be like 100+ pictures of the final product. "So the recipe will be posted, right?" Nope, because I have no clue what recipe I used (just poured and weighed stuff at the top of my head)

But later decided I could do an impromptu pouring/weighing of ingredients here as well. And so that is how the recipe for mousse ensues:

***

Ingredients

A

1/4 cold water

1.5 tbsp gelatin

(x 2)

B

4 yolks

1/2 cup sugar

C

3 cups milk

1 tbsp rum

2 tsp vanilla extract

D

400g chestnut puree (unsweetened), room temperature

1/4 cup sugar, to taste

E

4 ripe ataulfo mangoes, pureed, room temperature

sugar, to taste

F

400 ml whipping cream, whipped

G

Sponge cake layer (as base of mousse)

***

Method

Before:

Trim cake to be slightly smaller than cake ring (cake pan with no bottom) so cake doesn't show on the outside

Room temperature chestnut and mango so the gelatin doesn't firm up immediately

I

In two small bowls of 1/4 c cold water each, sprinkle the 1.5 tbsp gelatin over top

II

Beat B

Heat C on stovetop until steaming, pour slowly into B, mixing well

Return to heat, stirring on medium-low until thick (runny pudding consistency)

Remove from heat

III

Combine D

Add half of II to D, mix

Microwave 1 bowl from I, mix into III

V

Fold half of F into III, pour on top of sponge cake base

Chill ~30 minutes in fridge (slightly set)

VI

Add blobs of chestnut puree on top of slightly set chestnut mousse

VII

Repeat III with mango and remaining bowl of gelatin

Add remaining F, fold

Pour on top of VI

Chill minimum 3 hours in fridge

IIX

Use hair dryer or torch to slightly warm sides of cake ring so the metal ring can slide off easily

IX

Decorate, serve

P/S

Dear readers, next post is pizza!