Mango Mousse Cake and Tiramisu

We bought a mango mousse cake for grandma's birthday. She likes it a lot, so we make it for her often now. The tiramisu recipe below follows this online recipe closely, with slightly less sugar, a substitute for the mascarpone cheese, the use of Cool Whip, some alternative liquors, and a 2-day waiting period before serving.  The online recipe is picked because it uses a simple and straightforward method to make custard, as opposed to the more traditional French water-bath method.

I. Mango Mousse Cake

1. Preparing a 6" Springform Pan (mandatory), and Making the Base (optional)- First prepare a 6" springform pan (see Note below).  Mix 1/2 cup of Graham cracker crumbs with 1.5 Tbsp of Brown Sugar and 2 Tbsp of melted butter. Spread and press the mixture firmly down into the 6" springform pan (with a spoon).  Leave it in freezer for 15 mins.  Note- Line the bottom of the 6" springform pan with aluminum foil, if it is one with flat bottom (e.g., a Nordic Ware pan), as opposed to one with a recessed bottom (e.g., a Wilton pan).  Line the side with parchment paper, as high as the side of the pan (i.e., 2 & 3/4" or 3" high).  For a springform pan with recessed bottom, replace the bottom with a 6" bake circle wrapped in two layers of aluminum foil (a bake circle made of cardboard and wrapped in aluminum foil is leak proof and suitable for the use here).  Note- It seems that the only way to make parchment paper stick to the side of the pan is to grease the side with a bit of butter or shortening. 
2. Making the Mango Mousse Layer- (1) In a 1-cup glass measuring cup, add 1/4 cup of cold water, sprinkle 1 Tbsp of gelatin (i.e., 1 pack of unflavored Knox Gelatin) into the cup, then add 1/4 cup of water to immerse the gelatin; sprinkle 1 Tbsp of gelatin again,  and add 1/4 cup water on top (total- 2 Tbsp gelatin, 3/4 cup water).  Now let the mixture stand for 1 min.  Heat the measuring cup in microwave for 20 seconds, stir gently, heat in microwave for 20 seconds again, and stir for 2 minutes until the gelatin is fully dissolved.  (2) In a 4-cup measuring cup, pour in 2 cups of Mango Puree' (see Note below), then add the gelatin mixture into the cup, mix evenly.  (3) Now, pour ~3/4 cup of puree-gelatin mix back into the 1-cup measuring cup, so as to keep ~2 cups of puree' in the 4-cup measuring cup for making mango mousse.  (4) In a medium-size mixing bowl, pour in 2 cups of puree'-gelatin mix, and gently fold in 8 oz of Cool Whip (either Original or Lite), until evenly mixed.  (5) Pour the mixture into the 6" springform pan prepared in Step 1 (with or without the Graham cracker base). Take care to scoop off uneven parts of the top surface with a spoon, and leave ~1/2" open on top, for the next layer (pour surplus mousse into glass ramekins and place in fridge).  (6) Now leave the springform pan in freezer for 15 minutes maximum (take it out after 15 minutes and continue to the next step).  Note- Mango puree' can be purchased in any Indian Market. If using Cool Whip Free (the fat free version of Cool Whip),  instead of Cool Whip Original or Lite, add 1 Tbsp of gelatin at the beginning of this step, because Cool Whip Free is a lot thinner than Cool Whip Original.  Note- See picture above for the product image of Mango Pulps (available from Indian grocery stores), as a substitute for Mango Puree'. Use 2.5 cups of Mango Puree' for a thicker layer of Mango Jelly in next step (but pour ~1-1/4 cups out, vs ~3/4 cup out, in Sub-step (3) above, and leave ~1" open, vs ~1/2" open, on top in Sub-step (5) above)..
3. Making the Top Layer, Mango Jelly- Stir the 3/4 cup of mango-gelatin mix (or, 1-1/4 cups, that was set aside in Step 2) for a minute until the mix is smooth (part of the mixture might have jelled in the past 15 minutes), then pour the mixture into the springform pan. Let sit in freezer for 15 minutes maximum, and then refrigerate (not freeze) in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours.  When ready to serve, release the spring-lock mechanism of the springform pan, push the bottom of the cake upward carefully, to get the cake out of the springform pan. [Important! To Preserve the Form of the Cake!] Use a thin knife to circle along the top edge of the cake in-between the parchment paper and the side of the cake, then remove the parchment paper slowly and carefully.  Now, cut and serve (clean and reuse the bake circle, if possible).  Here is a picture of the finished product (without Graham Cracker base).
   

II. Tiramisu

1. Making the Egg Custard- In a small-sized pot (preferably a non-stick pot, e.g., a 3-Qt hard-anodized soup pot), whisk together 6 egg yolks (yolks only) and 1/3 cup of sugar until well blended (use 1/2 cup of sugar if you like it sweeter).  Place the pot over low heat, stir constantly, gradually whisk in 2/3 cups of milk, until the mixture thickens (but NOT boiling yet).  The mixture feels like nectar (or honey) by now. Take the pot OFF Heat right away, and whisk for another 10-15 seconds (i.e., to cook with residual heat, off heat). Allow the pot to cool. Cover the pot and let chill in fridge for 1 hour. Note- This is the most important, and most difficult, step (err on the undercooking side, overcooking causes the egg yolks to coagulate). Might be worthwhile to compare this method with the more traditional (and slightly more time consuming) double-boiler approach to make egg custard, as suggested in this excellent online recipe. 
2. Making the Cheese Custard- After an hour in the fridge, whisk 1-lb of mascarpone cheese into the yolk-milk mixture until smooth (need a strong whisk, a whisk with two layers of wires, for this task).  Note- Mascarpone cheese can be purchased from an Italian Market, e.g., Clario's Italian Market in Southern California.  As a substitute for macarpone, whisk 1 lb of Philadelphia Cream Cheese into the mixture until smooth, then gently fold in 6-8 Tbsp-full (2 spatula-full) of Cool Whip, from an 8-oz tub of Cool Whip, until evenly mixed.  Leave the rest of the Cool Whip for Step 6 below. 
3. In a measuring cup, mix 1/2 cup of strong black coffee with 1/4 cup of Rum.  Note- Use 2/3 cup of black coffee and 1/3 cup of Rum for stronger flavor.  Rum can be replaced by brandy, or coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua, orTia Maria.  Will try espresso powder dissolved in room temperature water next time.
4. Line up ladyfingers side by side at the bottom of a 7" x 11" glass baking dish (at least 1.5" deep), until the bottom of the dish is covered with ladyfingers. Drizzle about half of the coffee-rum mixture over the ladyfingers in the glass baking pan (using a large spoon).  Note- Will try soaking (i.e., dunking/dipping both sides of) ladyfingers in coffee-rum mixture next time, Ladyfingers can be purchased from an Italian Market, or use Italian Sponge Cake as substitute. 
5. Spread half of the mascarpone (or cream cheese) mixture prepared in Step 2 evenly over the ladyfingers.  Note- this is the cheese custard layer.
6. Spread half of the remaining Cool Whip (in the 8-oz product package) evenly on top of the cheese custard layer. Note- this is the whipped cream layer.
7. Repeat Step 4 to 6.  Cover the glass baking pan with plastic wrap, and let sit in the fridge for 2 days. Yes! Two Days!   
8. When ready to serve, sift cocoa powder on top.  Cut into 2" x 2" or any size of your choice, and serve.  Here is a picture of the finished product.