This fluffy pillowy soft Hong Kong mango pancake is the perfect fruity treat to enjoy this summer. Fresh ripe mangos are tucked between soft and airy vanilla whipped creme and wrapped in a delicately delicate and springy crepe.
Peel and cut the mangos. Peel the mango and cut the two thickest sides of the mango lengthwise. Then trim the edges for a thick rectangular pieces. Place them in the freezer to firm up.
Crepe
Whisk the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted unsalted butter, milk and vanilla until combined.
Sift the dry ingredients. Next, sift together the cake flour, powdered sugar, and salt into the wet ingredients and gently mix the ingredients until just combined. (Optional) Thoroughly mix in the food coloring if using.
Sift the batter. Using a fine mesh sieve, gently sift the batter into a large mixing bowl to remove any clumps of batter.
Cook the crepe. Lightly grease a medium sized pan with a paper towel and heat the pan on medium low heat. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter in the pan and swirl the pan until the mixture is thin and evenly distributed. Cover and cook the crepe on low heat for 1-2 minutes or until the crepe begins to form air pockets and cooked. Place the crepe on a plate to cool. Repeat for the remaining batter. Separate each crepe with parchment paper or paper towels. Let the crepes cool completely before wrapping.
Whipped Cream
Whip the heavy cream. In a chilled large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer whip the heavy cream and vanilla on high speed until it begins to froth. Then add the powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks. Be careful to not over whip the cream or it will curdle.
Assemble
Assemble. Lay the crepe on a clean dry work surface with the clean smooth side down and the pan fried side up. Then spoon a dollop of whipped cream in the center and place the mango chunk on top. Add the same amount of whipped cream over the mango, smoothing it out to cover the mango. Fold the sides of the crepe inward and gently roll the pancake.
Chill and slice. Chill the crepe for 1 hour in the refrigerator or 25 minutes in the freezer before slicing open to enjoy.
Notes
Use ripened sweet mangos. Mangos are the star of this dessert. What will make this dish shine is how delicious the mangos are. You will know if your mangos are ripe if they are soft to the touch and have a sweet fragrance.
Use cold heavy whipping cream. In order for the heavy cream to whip up quickly and efficiently, make sure the heavy cream is cold. For additional support, you can also place your mixing bowl in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill the bowl as well.
Let the crepes cool before wrapping. A hot crepe will instantly deflate and melt your whipped cream. So make sure the crepe is completely cool to the touch before assembling.
Be gentle when wrapping. When wrapping the pancake, the crepe is very thin so be gentle and use very minimal pressure.
Chill the mango pancake before slicing. If you want a perfect cut down the middle, lightly freeze the pancake for 25 minutes or chill them in the refrigerator for 1 hour, and then use a warmed sharp knife for a sharp cut. If you freeze the pancake completely, the whipped cream will turn into ice cream for a refreshing dessert!