Mango Quick Cake Squares

Classic 1980s family recipe right here. These buttery, thin, quick cake squares were one of the desserts of my childhood. And my high school graduation party too, back in the day… 10 years ago. Yikes. On that note, we need a recipe like this to celebrate the first day of summer. And Mango Quick Cake Squares are just the thing! Soft and fruity cake that couldn’t be simpler to make.

This easy cake, like Monday’s Thai Tofu Ramen, has gotten a bit more sophisticated over the past ten years. Me too? One can only hope. The original Quick Cakes Squares starred classic ingredients like store-bought cherry pie filling and margarine, but when I needed a quick dessert to take to dinner at some friends’, I had to improvise. Use what I had. Remix the recipe, if you will. By using butter and mangoes. Because who store-bought cherry pie filling in their pantry? Though it is delicious….

These quick cake squares are a taste of the tropics in yellow cake form. Though I’ve never had a mango pie, I think I need to make one now because my mango ‘pie’ filling is super addicting, and incredibly simple. Just mangoes, coconut milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. That’s it! Seriously good. And easy too! Just the way I like it, haha.

Anyways, these Mango Quick Cake Squares have minimal ingredients, take little effort, and are made in a jelly roll pan so they are great for a barbecue or a crowd. The cake batter might not look like enough to spread in the pan, but just work at it [and don’t lick the spoon prematurely] and it should spread out enough. Also, be sure to dot the pie filling on before baking. I like to use a rubber spatula to section off the batter in the pan to dot in the filling, but you can also eyeball it. I hope you’ll try these yummy cake squares–whether you choose to use mangos or cherries, you can’t go wrong! Enjoy! 🙂

Mango Quick Cake Squares [from Mom]
click to print

Ingredients:

for mango filling

• 2 tablespoons coconut milk [could sub regular milk or water]
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 mangoes, peeled and diced

for cake

• 1 cup butter, softened [or margarine]
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla, then stir in mangoes. Set aside.

With a hand or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Next add eggs, beating well, and mix in flour and lemon juice. Spread in a jelly roll pan [12.5×17.5×1 inch].

Section off into 24 squares gently with a rubber spatula, then dot each square with a small spoonful of mango filling. Bake for 28-30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely in the pan before cutting. Enjoy!

Time: 40 minutes.

Yield: 24 servings.

Notes: Also awesome with other prepared pie filling, storebought or not, like cherry. A classic taste of my childhood.

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.