Strawberry Charlotte Cake Recipe
Learn how to make a beautiful strawberry charlotte cake step by step with photos and also a video with homemade eggless strawberry mousse and ladyfingers.
SERVING:10
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EQUIPEMENTS
- Spatula
INGREDIENTS
- For a 22 cm x 7 cm 8.5 in x 3 in charlotte
Ladyfinger
- 160 g (5.6 oz )egg whites 4 large or 5 medium egg whites
- 80 g (2.8 oz )egg yolk 4 large or 5 medium egg yolks
- 120 g (4.2 oz )granulated sugar
- 120 g (1 cup )flour
- 50 g (1/2 cup ) icing sugar for dusting
Syrup for soaking
- 95 g (3.3 oz) granulated sugar
- 75 ml (1/3 cup) water
- 1 vanilla sugar bag (0,35oz)
Strawberry mousse
- 300 ml (10 oz )strawberry or strawberry/raspberry coulis for a redder mousse
- 80 g (2.8 oz )granulated sugar
- 2 tps lemon juice
- 350 ml (1 1/2 )cup heavy cream
- 10 g (0.35 oz ) icing sugar
- 3 and 1/2 sheets gelatin 200 blooms 7 g (0.25 oz total)
- 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 charlottes this one and the Bavarian vanilla and raspberry one.
- Halve for a single charlotte.
- 125 ml (4.2 oz) seedless raspberry coulis
- 30 g (1/4 cup) of granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/4 sheet of gelatin 2,5 g (0.88 oz)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
For the decor
- 300 g (10.5 oz )strawberries
PREPARATION
The ladyfingers
- You can see the recipe with more pictures and the video on the article : ladyfingers
- Make 2 cartouches of 35 cm (14 in) by 8 cm (3.2 in) each and 2 discs of 18 cm (7 in) (You can make it the 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 the egg whites in the bowl of the food processor and beat at medium speed.
- When frothy, add 1/3 of the sugar without stopping the food processor.
- 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 be stiff peak.
- 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 device must remain frothy, do not try to smooth it.
- Using a 10 or 12 mm (0.3 or 0.4 in) plain tip, pipe into a pastry bag.
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees (350 degrees Fahrenheit) fan-assisted or 200 (400 degrees Fahrenheit) degrees fan-assisted.
- Arrange ladyfingers of varying sizes, one next to the other. Space them slightly apart, so they almost touch.
- You can space them 2 mm (0.07 in) apart, as they will stick together as they swell.
- Make 2 discs of 18 cm (7 in).
- Sprinkle 2 times, 5 minutes apart, with a thin veil of powdered sugar.
- You can leave them unsprinkled if you want them smooth and not pearly (crunchy, pearly layer on top).
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Open the oven halfway through cooking to let off steam, then close immediately. This prevents the ladyfingers from falling and cracking.
- They should be lightly browned to keep them moist. 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 ladyfingers are nicely pearlescent and super soft. Leave to cool.
Syrup for soaking
- Combine the 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
How to make strawberry mousse?
- Rehydrate the 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 the heat and add the gelatine, wrung out well.
- Stir 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 cold cream until stiff, then fold in the powdered sugar.
- Continue whisking until you obtain a firm, but not too stiff, crème montée.
- 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 in the removable mould, but this is not compulsory.
- Trim the bottom of the spoon-cartridge cookie strips, place in the mould and trim off any excess.
- Adjust the discs to fit inside the mold once the cartridge case has been placed in the mold.
- Soak the sponge cake disc in the cold syrup (you can use store-bought strawberry syrup).
- Pour half of the mousse
- Insert raspberries or strawberries (if in season) and be generous with the fruit.
- Punch the second cookie disk and place it on the mousse.
- Press down lightly and pour in the remaining strawberry and raspberry mousse.
- Place in the freezer until ready to eat, or just long enough for the mousse to set.
- Just leave to set in the fridge for at least 3 h, or preferably overnight.
Raspberry mirror (for a deep 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 gelatine.
- Add the gelatine and mix well.
- Filter through a sieve
- Leave to cool without freezing
- Remove charlotte from refrigerator or freezer
- Uncover and 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 to spread it over the entire surface. This way, it will be perfect.
- Decorate with strawberry pieces to taste.
- Decorate with a ribbon and thaw in the fridge if frozen.
Tried this recipe? Don't forget to tag me on @gateau_et_cuisine_rachida or #gateauetcuisinerachida!