Some recipes are born of perfection. Others, like this one, are born of sunshine, spontaneity, and a slightly overripe mango.
Originally created for Pere ja Kodu’s Pereköök column in June 2020, this cake has gone on to live its own happy, meringue-filled life — passed from friend to friend, reshared at dinner parties, and quietly making its way back to my table more than once. Which, if you ask me, is the highest compliment a recipe can receive.
The first time it reappeared was during a casual evening with girlfriends. When we started planning the menu, one of them suggested “that mango-strawberry cloud thing”. Turns out, she’d been making it more often than I had. I couldn’t have been more delighted.
Flavour-wise, it sits somewhere between a trifle and a pavlova — creamy, fruity, and light-as-air, with just the right amount of crunch. You can scoop it into elegant dessert bowls or spoon it onto a platter in all its gloriously unstructured beauty. Either way, it’s divine.
And why share the recipe now? Because summer is officially here. Midsummer’s Eve is around the corner. And this little beauty is made for barefoot evenings, salty hair, spontaneous gatherings, and indulgent spoonfuls under the stars.
Udupea Cake a.k.a. Mango-Strawberry Mess
Ingredients
Preparation
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Peel and chop the mango, then slice the strawberries into segments. Melt the white chocolate gently over a bain-marie.
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In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the cottage cheese, agave syrup, vanilla sugar, and grated lemon zest.
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Add the chopped fruit to the cream mixture, then crumble in the digestive biscuits and the meringue base. Stir everything together — not too neatly — and spoon onto a serving platter in a generous heap.
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Top with a few extra pieces of fruit or biscuit, drizzle with the melted white chocolate, and finish with a scattering of lemon balm leaves. Serve immediately.
