Mango float is one of the most easiest and popular Filipino deserts! It’s incredibly fresh from the slices of mangoes all in between layers of graham crackers and sweet whipped cream. This will for sure be a hit at every dessert table.

What is a mango float?

Mango floats are essentially ice box cakes, made of layers of graham crackers, sweet cream, and mango chunks in between.

It’s perfectly refreshing for the hot summer season and can satisfy any sweet tooth!

The best part is that it’s incredibly easy to make with just FIVE ingredients.

I remember always being so excited to help my mom out as a kid because layering the slices of mango and crackers while she poured the cream was super satisfying.

This cake in particular carries a lot of childhood memories for me (amongst other Filipino foods) since it was one of the very first desserts I ever learned how to make!

LOVE mangoes? Here’s a couple more from our mango series!:

Ingredients

3 cups heavy cream
~3/4 cup condensed milk (depending on your sweetness preference)
1/8 tsp salt
3-4 mangoes, sliced and cubed
Graham crackers

The ingredients for this cake are incredibly simple. That being said, if you really want to go for an authentic-tasting mango float (as you would taste in the Philippines), pay special attention to these specific ingredients:

Cream

Back home in the Philippines, the most common one you’ll find being used for mango float is all-purpose cream. It’s essentially an all-around versatile cream that’s more accessible and affordable for the everyday Filipino cook. The most popular brands for this are Nestle, Magnolia, or Alaska, which you can most commonly find in any Filipino or Asian grocery.

In the West, both heavy cream and all-purpose cream are just as common, though most groceries will most likely only carry heavy cream. This is another option you can use if you cannot find an all-purpose cream.

Which to use?

Both are equally as successful, with only very slight differences!

Heavy cream: When whipped to stiff peaks, the resulting cake becomes light and somewhat airy. It’s the perfect texture to be sliced into without worrying about it hardening into a frozen mass!
All-purpose cream: Go for this one if you’re looking for that authentic Filipino mango float taste and texture. The resulting cake is much creamier, denser, and soft, similar to a very soft icing.

Mangoes

For this mango float, go for yellow mangoes such as Autolfo, Champagne, Philippine, Carabao, or Indian mangoes.

These mangoes are already naturally sweet and tangy, with a very silky and soft texture that will compliment our mango float perfectly.

*Try to stay away from red or green-colored mangoes for this recipe, which are typically more firm in texture and leaning more towards the tangy/sour side in taste (unless you’d much rather prefer that flavor profile, which, by all means, you can definitely use those types of mangoes!)

Graham crackers

I’m not entirely picky about graham crackers, though the common crackers typically used for this dessert are honey graham crackers.

They’re slightly sweeter than regular graham crackers, making them have a more distinct, sharp flavor.

Instructions for mango float

Prepare your mangoes by slicing around 2 mangoes into thin strips (for the topping), and dicing the other mangoes into cubes (for the filling). Set aside.

Prepare the cream mixture by whipping the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold in the condensed milk with the salt until well combined.

To begin layering, spread a layer of the whipped cream mixture on the bottom of your glass dish (anything around a 6×6″ or 8×8″ dish should be okay).

Then place a layer of graham crackers on top, followed by whipped cream, then diced mangoes.

*Continue repeating this layer of graham crackers, cream, and diced mangoes, respectively, until your desired height is reached (I like going for around 3-4 layers).

For the final layer, spread the remaining cream mixture on top. Then place the sliced mangoes on top of the cream in any design/pattern you prefer. Finish with a light sprinkle of crushed graham crackers all over.

Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours to allow the graham crackers to soften up and to let the flavors set. Enjoy!

Can I freeze the mango float?

Freezing the mango float can help if you want a firmer cut/consistency to your cake, as well as if you’re saving the cake to be served in a couple hours.

*Fair warning: Whipped cream does have a tendency to separate when thawed. This means that after freezing, the mango float should be consumed within around 2-3 hours of thawing. Anything longer, and the cake can turn into a watery mess, which is definitely not what we want.