Looking for a chilled dessert that instantly evokes ripe mango and the tang of passion fruit? This one is built around three distinct layers: a crunchy biscuit base, a thick, silky mango-passion fruit cream, and a vegan meringue added at the very end. Each spoonful starts with fruity sweetness, followed by the bright, tangy lift of passion fruit. Everything is assembled cold, so you can make it calmly, in stages. You’ll find this recipe among my gluten-free pastries.
What is mango and passion fruit cake?
It’s a gluten-free, vegan entremets built like a tall tart: a graham-style or digestive biscuit crust, a mango-passion fruit cream set with agar-agar and starch, topped with an egg-free meringue. The cream is cooked just enough to thicken, then enriched with vegan butter and vegan cream cheese for a curd-like texture, without any dairy. On top, the meringue adds a lighter, airier contrast, and you can brown it with a kitchen torch if you want a more dramatic finish.
The main ingredients
Mango gives the cake its body: use 100% mango pulp or purée, or very ripe fresh mangoes blended until smooth. Passion fruit brings a sharper, more acidic counterpoint; use nectar or pure juice with no added sugar, otherwise the balance will be off.
The base is made with gluten-free, lactose-free graham-style or digestive biscuits, crushed into crumbs and bound with melted vegan butter. For the dairy-free element, use a vegan cream cheese, making sure it is also gluten-free, along with a gluten-free vegan butter.
For the meringue, use any vegan meringue recipe you like. If the ingredients are hard to find, vegan meringue powder works too. In that case, simply follow the packet instructions.
Key techniques and pitfalls to avoid
The recipe is written by weight (metric) for consistency. If you need to convert it, do so carefully before you start, because everything depends on the balance of starch, agar, and sugar.
Biscuit base: fine crumbs and easy unmolding
To make sure the base holds together, pulse the biscuits into fine crumbs in a food processor. If you don’t have one, a freezer bag and rolling pin work just as well, but take the time to crush everything evenly.
Then mix in the melted vegan butter until the texture is even, with no pockets of dry crumbs. Press it firmly with a spoon into a 20 cm springform pan or a ring mold, ideally lined with a strip of acetate or baking paper for sharp edges and easy unmolding. Refrigerate while you prepare the cream; the base should firm up before you add the rest.
Mango-passion fruit cream: brief cooking and fats added at the right time
Before turning on the heat, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, agar-agar, passion fruit purée, and mango purée in a bowl. The goal is a perfectly smooth mixture, with no lumps, before it goes into the saucepan.
Cook over low to medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. As soon as the cream has enough body, remove it from the heat so it doesn’t cook any longer than necessary, then let it cool for about 10 minutes.
Whisk in the vegan butter while the cream is still warm; it emulsifies more easily and blends in completely. Then add the vegan cream cheese and mix until smooth. If you want an even silkier texture, give it a quick pass with an immersion blender to fully smooth out the butter and cream cheese.
Transfer it to a container, cover it directly on the surface to protect it while chilling, then refrigerate for 1 hour: the cream must be cold before assembly.
Assembly: cold, even, and neatly finished
Spread only the cold mango-passion fruit cream over the biscuit base. Smooth it with a spoon or spatula for an even surface; that will also make the meringue easier to add later. Keep the cake in the refrigerator while you prepare the meringue so it stays firm.
Remember to set aside 50–90 g of mango-passion fruit cream for the final decoration, otherwise you won’t have enough left for a neat finish. You can also place the cake in the freezer while you make the meringue: unmolding is easier, and the ring comes off more cleanly when the cake is frozen.
Once unmolded, transfer it to a cake board or plate before piping so you won’t have to handle it afterward. Pipe on the meringue with a round tip, then pipe the reserved mango-passion fruit cream over the top.
If you want a lightly golden finish, pass a kitchen torch over the surface just long enough to add color. It lightly caramelizes the meringue and gives it a cleaner, more polished look without actually cooking it. Then return it to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes so the whole cake slices neatly, and finish with diced fresh mango just before serving.
Storage
The mango-passion fruit cream can chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before assembly, covered to prevent a skin from forming. Once the cake is assembled, it needs at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator to firm up before serving. While you prepare the meringue, keep it chilled, or even in the freezer if you want to make unmolding easier.
You’ll find more vegan recipes in the same category.
Recipe developed by chef Rommel Reyes. Find his work on Instagram, his Substack newsletter, and his YouTube channel.
Ingredients
- 150 g gluten-free, lactose-free graham crackers finely crushed
- 50 g gluten-free, lactose-free butter melted
- 170 g mango purée or pulp
- 170 g passion fruit purée or nectar
- 200 g sugar
- 50 g cornstarch
- 4 g agar-agar powder
- 150 g gluten-free vegan cream cheese
- 100 g gluten-free vegan butter
- 10 g potato protein
- 150 g cold water
- 0.3 g xanthan gum
- 120 g sugar
- 1 pinch xanthan gum added before whipping
Instructions
Crumb Crust
- Blitz the gluten-free graham crackers into fine crumbs in a food processor, or place them in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Combine the crumbs and melted lactose-free butter in a bowl until evenly mixed.
- Press the crumb mixture into the base of a 20 cm round springform pan or cake ring lined with a strip of acetate or baking paper. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
Mango-Passion Fruit Cream
- Whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, agar powder, passion fruit purée, and mango purée in a bowl.
- Cook in a saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. Remove from the heat and let the cream cool for about 10 minutes.
- Whisk in the vegan butter while the cream is still warm until fully incorporated. Add the vegan cream cheese and mix until smooth and homogeneous. For an even silkier texture, blend with an immersion blender.
- Transfer to a container or bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Vegan Meringue
- Prepare the vegan meringue: whisk together the potato protein, xanthan gum, and cold water until the powders are fully dissolved (an immersion blender speeds this up), then refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Pour the chilled mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the pinch of xanthan gum, and whip until soft peaks form. Add the sugar one spoonful at a time, whipping on high speed, until the meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks (6 to 10 minutes). Use immediately.
Assembly
- Spread the chilled mango-passion fruit cream over the prepared crust. Smooth the surface evenly with a spoon or spatula. Refrigerate while you make the vegan meringue. Reserve 50-90 g of the mango cream for piping on top.
- You can also freeze the cake while you make the meringue. If the cake is frozen, the cake ring will be easier to remove.
- Remove the cake ring and transfer the cake to a cake board or serving plate. Pipe the meringue over the top of the cake using a round tip. Pipe the remaining mango-passion fruit cream over the meringue.
- Lightly torch the meringue with a kitchen blowtorch for an appetizing caramelized finish.
- Return the assembled cake to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set. Decorate with diced fresh mango just before serving.
