Cedric Grolet sculpts desserts at 16°C because cocoa butter crystallizes perfectly at this temperature, creating his signature mango illusions.
Cedric Grolet Inspired Mango Dessert
Dive into the delightful world of mangoes with this irresistible dessert inspired by the genius of Cedric Grolet! With just fresh, juicy mangoes, creamy coconut milk, and a splash of lime, you'll create a stunning treat that looks as good as it tastes. Grab your mixing bowl and whisk—let's whip up something spectacular!
Prep
120
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This architectural dessert wizardry springs from Cedric Grolet's revolutionary 2016 trompe-l'oeil technique at Le Meurice Paris, where the French pastry rebel decided traditional desserts were too bloody obvious—so he engineered fruit that looks like fruit but tastes like heaven, inspiring pastry chefs from Tokyo to New York to abandon boring rectangular cakes for edible optical illusions.
Regional Twist
In Karachi's upscale Clifton district, they swap Pakistani mangoes for local Sindhri varieties and replace white chocolate with kulfi-spiced cream infused with cardamom and pistachios.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 300 ml heavy cream
- 4 pieces mangoes
- 250 grams mascarpone
- 2 pieces passion fruit
- as needed red food coloring
- 200 grams white chocolate
- as needed yellow food coloring
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- 100 grams cocoa butter
- 100 grams sugar
- vanilla extract (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Dice some mangoes and blend the rest to make a puree.
- 2
Heat the mango puree with passion fruit and sugar for about 10 minutes.
- 3
Stir in the diced mango and let it cool.
- 4
Pour the mixture into a container or mold and freeze until solid.
- 5
For the white chocolate mousse, heat cream with vanilla and pour it over chopped white chocolate, then mix well.
- 6
Chill the mousse in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- 7
Whip the mousse until thick, then fold in mascarpone until it resembles stiff whipped cream.
- 8
If using a mango mold, fill both sides with the cream, place the frozen mango filling in the center, and align the sides.
- 9
Wrap in cling film and freeze overnight.
- 10
Alternatively, shape with cling film by adding cream, mango filling, and more cream, then wrap and freeze overnight.
- 11
For the crunchy coating, melt equal parts cocoa butter and white chocolate, then add oil-based food coloring.
- 12
Wait until the coating cools slightly (around 39 to 40 degrees Celsius) before dipping the mango cream.
- 13
Smooth the edges of the mango cream and dip it into the coating.
- 14
Use a tissue with a little food coloring to add natural mango blushes and fade it out.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Heat your mango puree to exactly 185°F (85°C) to activate pectin naturally present in mangoes, which will create a firmer gel structure that won't weep when frozen and thawed.technique185°F
- ✓Use a 3:1 ratio of white chocolate to cream for the ganache base because this creates the optimal fat content (35-40%) for stable mousse formation without breaking when whipped.ingredient3:1 ratio, 35-40% fat
- ✓Temper your cocoa butter to 88-90°F before mixing with food coloring for the mango shell coating - this ensures proper crystallization and prevents bloom or dull finish.technique88-90°F
- ✓Chill your mousse base to 50-55°F before whipping because this temperature allows lecithin in chocolate to create stable foam while preventing over-whipping and grain formation.timing50-55°F
- ✓Add mascarpone when mousse reaches soft peak stage (holds shape for 2-3 seconds) because the mascarpone's lower fat content will stabilize without deflating the aerated structure.technique2-3 seconds hold time
Share this recipe
Prep
120
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Cedric Grolet sculpts desserts at 16°C because cocoa butter crystallizes perfectly at this temperature, creating his signature mango illusions.
Cedric Grolet Inspired Mango Dessert
Dive into the delightful world of mangoes with this irresistible dessert inspired by the genius of Cedric Grolet! With just fresh, juicy mangoes, creamy coconut milk, and a splash of lime, you'll create a stunning treat that looks as good as it tastes. Grab your mixing bowl and whisk—let's whip up something spectacular!
The Story
This architectural dessert wizardry springs from Cedric Grolet's revolutionary 2016 trompe-l'oeil technique at Le Meurice Paris, where the French pastry rebel decided traditional desserts were too bloody obvious—so he engineered fruit that looks like fruit but tastes like heaven, inspiring pastry chefs from Tokyo to New York to abandon boring rectangular cakes for edible optical illusions.
Regional Twist
In Karachi's upscale Clifton district, they swap Pakistani mangoes for local Sindhri varieties and replace white chocolate with kulfi-spiced cream infused with cardamom and pistachios.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 300 ml heavy cream
- 4 pieces mangoes
- 250 grams mascarpone
- 2 pieces passion fruit
- as needed red food coloring
- 200 grams white chocolate
- as needed yellow food coloring
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- 100 grams cocoa butter
- 100 grams sugar
- vanilla extract (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Dice some mangoes and blend the rest to make a puree.
- 2
Heat the mango puree with passion fruit and sugar for about 10 minutes.
- 3
Stir in the diced mango and let it cool.
- 4
Pour the mixture into a container or mold and freeze until solid.
- 5
For the white chocolate mousse, heat cream with vanilla and pour it over chopped white chocolate, then mix well.
- 6
Chill the mousse in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- 7
Whip the mousse until thick, then fold in mascarpone until it resembles stiff whipped cream.
- 8
If using a mango mold, fill both sides with the cream, place the frozen mango filling in the center, and align the sides.
- 9
Wrap in cling film and freeze overnight.
- 10
Alternatively, shape with cling film by adding cream, mango filling, and more cream, then wrap and freeze overnight.
- 11
For the crunchy coating, melt equal parts cocoa butter and white chocolate, then add oil-based food coloring.
- 12
Wait until the coating cools slightly (around 39 to 40 degrees Celsius) before dipping the mango cream.
- 13
Smooth the edges of the mango cream and dip it into the coating.
- 14
Use a tissue with a little food coloring to add natural mango blushes and fade it out.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Heat your mango puree to exactly 185°F (85°C) to activate pectin naturally present in mangoes, which will create a firmer gel structure that won't weep when frozen and thawed.technique185°F
- ✓Use a 3:1 ratio of white chocolate to cream for the ganache base because this creates the optimal fat content (35-40%) for stable mousse formation without breaking when whipped.ingredient3:1 ratio, 35-40% fat
- ✓Temper your cocoa butter to 88-90°F before mixing with food coloring for the mango shell coating - this ensures proper crystallization and prevents bloom or dull finish.technique88-90°F
- ✓Chill your mousse base to 50-55°F before whipping because this temperature allows lecithin in chocolate to create stable foam while preventing over-whipping and grain formation.timing50-55°F
- ✓Add mascarpone when mousse reaches soft peak stage (holds shape for 2-3 seconds) because the mascarpone's lower fat content will stabilize without deflating the aerated structure.technique2-3 seconds hold time