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Strawberry Charlotte Cake Recipe

Learn how to make a beautiful strawberry charlotte cake step by step in pictures and also in video with eggless strawberry mousse and homemade ladyfingers.
cooking time20 minutes
Courses: Cakes, Dessert
Cuisine: French
Keword: spoon cookies, strawberries, strawberry charlotte
Serving: 10

Matériel :

Ingredients :

  • For a 22 cm x 7 cm (8.5 in x 3 in) Charlotte cake

The ladyfingers

  • 160 g (5.6 oz) egg whites approx. white of 4 large or 5 medium eggs
  • 80 g (2.8 oz) egg yolk approx. yolk of 4 large or 5 medium eggs yolks
  • 120 g (4.2 oz) granulated sugar
  • 120 g (1 cup) flour
  • 50 g (1/2 cup ) icing sugar for dusting

Simple syrup for soaking

  • 95 g (3.3 oz) granulated sugar
  • 75 ml (1/3 cup) water
  • 1 vanilla sugar bag (or 0.32oz)

Strawberry mousse

  • 300 ml (10.5 oz ) strawberry or strawberry/raspberry coulis for a redder mousse
  • 80 g (2.8 oz) granulated sugar
  • 2 tps lemon juice
  • 350 ml (12.3 oz ) heavy cream
  • 10 g (0.35 oz) icing sugar
  • 3 and 1/2 sheets gelatin 200 blooms 7 g ( 0.25 oz)
  • 250 g (8.8 oz) whole raspberries for the inside, or strawberries if in season optional

For the raspberry mirror (optional)

  • I used it for two charlotte cakes this one and the Bavarian vanilla and raspberry charlotte cake one.
  • Divide by two for a 1 charlotte.
  • 125 ml (4.4 oz) seedless raspberry coulis
  • 30 g (1.1 oz ) granulated sugar
  • 1 and 1/4 sheet of gelatin 2,5 g
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

For the decor

  • 300 g (10.5 oz) fresh strawberries

Instructions :

The ladyfingers

  • You can see the recipe with more pictures and the video on the article : ladyfingers
  • Make 2 strips of glued lady fingers “cartouchières”for the side each 35 cm by 8 cm (14 in by 3,2 in) and 2 circles of 18 cm (7 in) in diameter for the bottom (You can make them day before).
  • Draw 2 strips measuring 35 cm (14 in ) by 8 cm ( 3,2 in ). Turn the sheet over onto the buttered baking sheet, with the design against the sheet.
  • Place egg whites in bowl of the stand mixer and whisk at medium speed.
  • When frothy, add 1/3 of the sugar without stopping the stand mixer.
  • Increase speed slightly.
  • Add half the remaining sugar when they have risen but are not yet very firm.
  • When they are almost firm, add the remaining sugar to tighten them and increase the speed to maximum.
  • Stop as soon as they are firm and smooth. They have to make a bird's beak on top the whisk.
  • Add the egg yolks and mix gently with a spatula to prevent the meringue from collapsing.
  • Add the sifted flour all at once.
  • Gently fold in the mixture, lifting and turning the bowl. Scrape the bottom to blend everything together.
  • Do not mix or whisk vigorously. The batter must remain frothy, do not try to smooth it.
  • Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip of 10 or 12 mm
  • Preheat oven to 180°C ( 350° F ) fan-assisted or 200° C ( 400° F ) static heat.
  • Arrange sticks, side by side. Leave a slight gap between them. they should be almost touching.
  • You can space them about 2 mm apart, will stick together as they swell.
  • Make 2 circles of 18 cm in diameter.
  • Sprinkle 2 times, at 5 minutes intervals, with a thin veil of powdered sugar.
  • You can leave them unsprinkled if you want them smooth and not pearly ( a crunchy, pearly layer on top).
  • Bake 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Open the oven halfway through cooking to allow steam to escape and close immediately. This prevents the cookies from falling and cracking.
  • They should be lightly browned to keep them soft. Below, they're a little more golden than they need to be.
  • Carefully remove from parchment paper as soon as they hold together a little, to avoid breaking them.
  • The cookies are nicely pearlescent and super soft. Leave to cool.

Simple syrup for soaking

  • Combine water, sugar and vanilla sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat.
  • Remove from the heat as soon as the sugar has completely dissolved, without boiling to avoid evaporation.
  • Allow to cool

Making the strawberry mousse

  • Rehydrate gelatin sheets in very cold water for 10 min.
  • Mix the strawberry and raspberry coulis with the sugar and lemon juice.
  • Heat without boiling.
  • Remove from heat and add the well-drained gelatin.
  • Mix well and filter through a sieve.
  • Leave to cool, thicken slightly but do not allow the coulis to gel.
  • You can speed up the cooling process by placing the bowl of coulis in an ice water bath.
  • Whip the well-chilled heavy cream to soft peaks gradually add in the powdered sugar.
  • Continue whisking until you obtain a firm, but not too stiff whipped cream.
  • Add the cold coulis in 3 or 4 additions, mixing gently with a spatula.
  • The colder the coulis (not jellied) and the firmer the whipped cream, the firmer the mousse will be.
  • I make my mousse fairly frothy, not too firm.
  • Move on to assembly

Assembly :

  • I place a strip of rhodoid (acetate sheet ) in the adjustable cake ring, but it's optional.
  • Adjust the bottom glued ladyfingers strips, place them in the mold, and trim off the excess on the side.
  • Adjust the discs to fit inside the mold once the rectangular strips are placed in the mold.
  • Soak the sponge-cookie disc in the cold syrup (you can use store-bought strawberry syrup).
  • Pour in half the strawberry mousse.
  • Insert raspberries or strawberries (if in season) generously garnish.
  • Punch the second sponge cake disk and place on top of the mousse.
  • Press down lightly and pour in the remaining strawberry and raspberry mousse.
  • Place in the freezer until the day of tasting, or just until the mousse sets.
  • Just leave to set in the fridge for at least 3 h, or preferably overnight.

The Raspberry mirror (for a nice red color)

  • To prepare once the charlotte is ready
  • Rehydrate the gelatin in a volume of cold water for 10 min (the water should cover the gelatin well).
  • Heat the raspberry coulis with the sugar and a few drops of lemon, without boiling.
  • All you need to do is dissolve the sugar and get it hot enough to melt the gelatin.
  • Off the heat, Add the gelatin and mix well.
  • Filter through a sieve
  • Allow to cool, but do nt allow to set.
  • Remove charlotte from fridge or freezer
  • Unmold and coat the top with the coulis
  • If you're not going to cover the top with strawberries, don't use a spoon to spread the coulis.
  • Pour it in and move the charlotte cake to spread it over the entire surface. This way, it will be perfect.
  • Decorate with strawberry pieces to taste.
  • Decorate with a ribbon and defrost in the fridge if frozen.
Have you tried this recipe?Tag @gateau_et_cuisine_rachida on instagram so I can see your work