Mango Float

Mango Float (Mango Graham Float)

A no-bake Filipino icebox cake of graham crackers, whipped cream and ripe mango, chilled until the layers meld into a soft, sliceable cake. It's a staple at Filipino celebrations and requires no oven.

Prep

25 min

Total

25 min

Serves

12 squares

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) graham crackers, about 1 sleeve; whole sheets for layering
• •60 g (2 oz) graham crackers, crushed, for topping
• •4 whole ripe mangoes, Philippine carabao or Ataulfo preferred; firm-ripe, not mushy
• •500 ml (2 cups + 2 tbsp) all-purpose cream, chilled; Nestlé-style thick cream, or substitute whipping cream
• •300 g (10½ oz (one 300 g can)) sweetened condensed milk, one standard can
• •1 tbsp white sugar, optional, only if cream mixture tastes flat

Steps

1. 1 Chill the all-purpose cream and the mixing bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or 15 minutes in the freezer) so the cream whips properly.
2. 2 Peel the mangoes and slice the cheeks off the flat seed. Cut each cheek into thin slices about 3–5 mm (⅛–¼ inch) thick. Set aside.
3. 3 Pour the chilled cream into the chilled bowl. Whip with an electric mixer on medium-high until it thickens and holds soft peaks, about 3–4 minutes. Do not over-whip to butter.
4. 4 Pour in the condensed milk and the optional sugar. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined and smooth. Taste; add sugar only if needed. Return to the fridge while you assemble.
5. 5 Arrange a single, tightly packed layer of whole graham crackers on the base of a 23 × 33 cm (9 × 13 inch) rectangular dish, breaking crackers as needed to fill gaps.
6. 6 Spread one-third of the cream mixture evenly over the crackers with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
7. 7 Arrange one-third of the mango slices over the cream in a single layer.
8. 8 Repeat with a second layer: crackers, one-third of the cream, one-third of the mango.
9. 9 Finish with a third layer: crackers, the remaining cream, and the remaining mango slices on top.
10. 10 Scatter the crushed graham evenly over the top.
11. 11 Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, so the crackers soften into a cake-like texture. Do not freeze unless you intend to serve it frozen.
12. 12 To serve, lift out with a spatula and cut into squares with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts.