VERY MANGO CUPCAKE

Its mango season!  I always love mango and I consider it as one of my favorite tropical fruit. Its always been part of my family's meal and I have grown eating mango from raw to ripe. 

Mangoes are generally sweet and it is widely used in cuisines specially in southeast Asia. In Philippines, unripe mango may be eaten with fish sauce (bagoong) or with a dash of salt. Dried strips of sweet, ripe mango are also popular and it is being exported internationally. Mangoes may be used to make juices, mango nectar, and as a flavoring and major ingredient in ice cream.

So to make the most of it, I have decided to bake a cupcake made up of mangoes. I used a regular cupcake recipe and I added mango as a main flavoring which is perfectly turned out moist and divine. The aroma of sweet mango can certainly smell even after it was baked. Its softness, fluffiness and distinct mango taste can make you even crave for more.

The thought of baking another mango dish comes up next.

Makes: 20-24 cupcakes

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 18-20 minutes

You will need:

• 1 1/2 cups butter
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 6 medium eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3 cups cake flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 large mangoes (pureed)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 C. Line 2 (12-cup) standard size muffin pans with chocolate liners. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla extract, making sure to scrape bottom of the bowl with spatula.
4. Combine cake flour and baking powder in another  bowl. Gradually add half of dry ingredients to the batter.
5. Add milk making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the rest of the flour mixture.
6. Puree the mango, makes up to 2 cups. Add  1 cup of the puree in the batter and mix until combined. Reserve the rest of the puree for the filling.
7. Fill the cupcake 2/3 full and pip the filling at the center of each cupcake. Bake in the preheated oven for  20 to 22 minutes or until a cake tester inserted at the center comes out clean.
8. Cook cupcakes completely on wire racks before frosting.

Tip: You can put a small slice of mango at the center of cupcake before baking and skip the frosting.