Mango Coconut Icebox Cake

Looking for a no-bake summer dessert? This mango coconut icebox cake is a tropical twist on the classic, with a bright mango lime curd, creamy coconut pastry cream, and crisp Biscoff cookies that soften into the perfect bite.

Recipe

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Mango Coconut Icebox Cake

Total Time3 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake

Servings: 12

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Mango lime curd

• 1 cup mango puree (255 grams)
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
• 4 large egg yolks
• ¼ cup cold butter, cut into chunks (56 grams)
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Coconut pastry cream

• 13.5 ounces can full-fat coconut milk
• ⅓ cup whole milk
• ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (20 grams)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks (28 grams)

Remaining ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream (250 ml)
• ¼ cup powdered sugar (36 grams)
• 8.8 ounces package Biscoff cookies
• ½ cup whipped cream (optional)
• 2 ripe Ataulfo mangoes, thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

• Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a few inches of overhang on all sides.
• Make the mango lime curd. In a medium heat-safe bowl set over a pot of simmering water, whisk together the mango puree, lime juice, lime zest, sugar, egg yolks, and salt. Cook over the double boiler, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the cold butter one cube at a time until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface and refrigerate until completely cool.
• Make the coconut pastry cream. In a medium saucepot, warm the coconut milk and whole milk over medium-low heat until steaming. In a separate heat-safe bowl, whisk together sugar, egg, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly stream the warm coconut milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until well combined. Pour back into the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Continue heating until the pastry cream thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the cold butter until fully incorporated. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely cool.
• In a large bowl, whip heavy cream with the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold half of the whipped cream into the cooled coconut pastry cream until fully combined. Fold the remaining whipped cream into the mango lime curd until fully combined.
• Spread about 3-4 tablespoons of coconut cream in the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Place Biscoff cookies on top, breaking them as needed to fit and cover the surface. Spread ⅓ of the coconut cream (about 1 cup) evenly over the cookies, then carefully spread ⅓ (about 1 cup) of the mango cream on top. Add another layer of Biscoff cookies, followed by ⅓ of the coconut cream and ⅓ of the mango cream. Finish with a final layer of cookies, followed by the remaining mango filling and lastly, the coconut cream.
• Cover with plastic wrap and transfer icebox cake to the refrigerator and chill overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
• Lift the cake out of the pan and top with whipped cream and thinly sliced fresh mango, if desired. Slice and serve.

Video

Notes

For the best mango flavor, use Ataulfo (sometimes labeled Champagne or honey mango) when in season. They are sweeter, less fibrous, and have a smoother puree than Tommy Atkins.

To make the mango puree, blend about 2 Ataulfo mangoes until smooth.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Prepare mango curd

Let's start with the mango lime curd, the star of the show. Mango brings the sweet, tropical flavor, while lime brings the brightness this dessert needs to keep it from feeling heavy.

Before we can make the curd, we need to choose the right mangoes. Ataulfo mangoes, sometimes labeled Champagne or honey mangoes, are the way to go. They're smaller, golden-yellow when ripe, and have a smooth, buttery texture without the fibrous strings you often find in Tommy Atkins.

To check for ripeness, give the mango a gentle squeeze. It should yield slightly, similar to a ripe avocado. Skip any that feel rock-hard or have wrinkled, leathery skin.

To make 1 cup of mango puree, you'll need about 2 ripe Ataulfo mangoes blended until smooth.

Combine that mango puree with lime juice, lime zest, granulated sugar, egg yolks, and salt. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk constantly. The mixture will thicken slowly over about 8 to 10 minutes, eventually coating the back of a spoon.

I prefer the double-boiler method here because mango is high in both sugar and acid, both of which scorch quickly in a saucepot. The gentle heat from a water bath keeps things steady and forgiving.

Once thickened, remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in cold butter, one cube at a time, until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface, and refrigerate until completely cool. The curd will thicken further as it chills.

Step 2: Make coconut cream

The coconut pastry cream is the only other component that requires any cooking. In a medium saucepot, warm one can of full-fat coconut milk with whole milk over medium-low heat until steaming.

In a separate heat-safe bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, egg, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly stream the warm coconut milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. This step is called tempering, and it's how you avoid scrambled eggs in your pastry cream. Go slow, especially with the first few pours.

Pour the mixture back into the pot and bring it to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. After 4 to 5 minutes, the pastry cream will thicken into a glossy, pudding-like consistency.

Off the heat, whisk in cold butter until fully incorporated. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface, and refrigerate until completely cool.

Step 3: Finish fillings

Once both fillings are completely cool, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. To get the lightest whipped cream, make sure your cream, bowl, and whisk are all cold before you start.

Then, divide the whipped cream in half. Fold one half into the cooled coconut pastry cream and the other half into the cooled mango lime curd.

Fold gently to keep the airy texture, and try not to overmix. You should end up with two distinct creams, one coconut and one mango, both light and pillowy.

A quick warning here: if either filling is still warm when you fold in the whipped cream, the cream will deflate, and you'll lose all that lightness you just worked for. Make sure they are both chilled before adding the cream.

Step 4: Assemble cake

Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a few inches of overhang on all sides. The overhang makes it easy to lift the cake out cleanly later.

Spread 3 to 4 tablespoons of coconut cream in the bottom of the pan. This thin layer acts as glue and keeps the first row of Biscoff cookies from sliding around. Place Biscoff cookies on top, breaking them as needed to cover the surface.

Spread ⅓ of the coconut cream over the cookies, followed by ⅓ of the mango cream. Add another layer of cookies, then ⅓ coconut and ⅓ mango again. Top with a final layer of cookies, followed by the remaining mango cream, and finish with the remaining coconut cream on top.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill the icebox cake overnight, or for at least 4 hours. When you're ready to serve, lift the cake out using the plastic overhang. If you want to take an extra step, you can top the cake with whipped cream and thinly sliced fresh mango.

One bite of this mango coconut icebox cake and you'll understand why I wanted mango to be the star ingredient. The mango lime curd is bright and slightly tart, while the coconut cream is silky and gently sweet. Together, they balance each other beautifully while the cookies add a caramel-like flavor.

Now this is the dessert I want at the end of a hot summer day!

Make-ahead and storage tips

• Make-ahead: The mango lime curd and coconut pastry cream can both be made up to 3 days in advance. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Store: For a soft, banana pudding-style texture, store the assembled cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. For a firmer, ice cream cake-style texture, store in the freezer for up to 3 months. If serving straight from the freezer, let the cake come to room temperature for 15 minutes before slicing.

More summer dessert recipes

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