Fresh Fruit Charlotte Cake (Red Fruit Charlotte)

Quick Summary: Fresh fruit Charlotte cake, also called red fruit Charlotte, is a French molded cake made with a red sponge, a fruity red berry confit center, and a light farmer's cheese mousse. You bake a thin sponge, freeze a berry confit disk, line a mold, then layer everything and chill until set. It is an elegant, make-ahead dessert for birthdays, the Fourth of July, or afternoon tea.

What is a Charlotte cake?

Charlotte cake is a classic French molded dessert, lined with ladyfingers or sponge cake and filled with fruit puree, custard, mousse, or Bavarian cream.

To make Charlotte, the mold is lined with stale bread slices dipped in butter and filled with, for example, sautéed apples, and then baked.

The dessert has a long history. The original Charlotte was named after Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, and used bread slices around a warm apple compote. In the 19th century, French chef Marie-Antoine Carême reworked it with ladyfingers and Bavarian cream, creating the elegant molded Charlotte we know today.

Why you'll love this recipe

Here is why you will love this fresh fruit Charlotte cake:

• Showstopper looks: the red sponge and bright berry center make it one of the prettiest cakes on the table.
• Light and fruity: the farmer's cheese mousse is airy and less sweet than buttercream, balanced by a fresh red fruit confit.
• Make-ahead friendly: you can prepare the confit and sponge in advance and assemble the next day.
• Flexible fruit: use raspberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries, or blackcurrants, whatever is in season.
• Perfect for celebrations: it fits birthdays, the Fourth of July, or an afternoon tea just as well.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour.

• Sugar: Use granulated or caster sugar.

• Potato starch: Use potato starch rather than cornstarch. Although both options can be substituted in most recipes, this recipe calls for a clear, vivid fruit layer, making it an exception. Using cornstarch instead may result in an imperfectly translucent fruit layer.

• Eggs: Use large whole eggs at room temperature.

• Red food color: Use as much as needed to achieve the sponge's red color (this recipe uses 100 drops of McCormick's red food color).

• Gelatin: Use gelatin sheets (gold) with a strength of 200 bloom. To substitute sheet gelatin for powdered gelatin, use 3 ½ sheets of sheet gelatin for 1 envelope of powdered gelatin. Use ¼ cup (60ml) of cold water per envelope.

• Fresh fruits: Use any three seasonal fruits, such as raspberries, cherries, blackcurrants, blueberries, or blackberries.

• Cream: Use cold heavy or heavy whipping cream with at least 30% fat content for proper whipping.

• Fresh farmer's cottage cheese: Opt for dry-curd cottage cheese (not the regular curd cottage cheese that is salty).

Equipment

Here are the tools you need to make a fresh fruit Charlotte cake:

• 6-inch (15 cm) round stainless steel cutter (for the fruit confit)
• 7 ½-inch (19 cm) mousse cake mold or adjustable ring
• Acetate cake collar
• Stand or electric mixer
• Fine-mesh sieve and flour sifter
• Piping bag with Ateco plain pastry tip 806
• Long bent (offset) spatula
• Baking sheet and parchment paper

How to make fruit Charlotte cake

Making fruit Charlotte cake involves a few steps: preparing red fruit confit, making a sponge cake and cheese mousse, and assembling the cake.

Step 1. To make fruit confit, cover a 6-inch (15 cm) round stainless steel cutter with doubled plastic film, form a plastic bottom, and set aside. Soak gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes.

Step 2. In a saucepan, place the whole berries and half of the sugar. Heat the mixture over low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 3. Add the remaining sugar mixed with potato starch, stirring constantly, and let boil for 1 minute.

Step 4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the drained gelatin (photo 1). Pour the confit into the ring and freeze for 3 hours (photo 2).

Step 5. To make sponge cake, preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Using a flour sifter, sift all-purpose flour and potato starch.

Step 6. Separate the egg whites from the yolks with an egg separator, then reserve the whites.

Step 7. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites in a bowl, gradually adding the remaining sugar until you obtain a glossy meringue (photo 3).

Step 8. In a separate bowl, whisk the yolks with half of the sugar until whitish (photo 4).

Step 9. Add the beaten egg whites to the egg yolks and sugar mixture (photo 5).

Step 10. Add the dry-sifted mixture (flour and starch) several times, then gently mix it with a rubber spatula (photo 6). Try not to deflate the batter; keep as much air in it as possible.

Step 11. Add as much red food coloring as you wish, then gently mix (photo 7).

Step 12. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the batter to about ⅕ inch (5 mm) thick with a long, bent spatula (photo 8). Bake for about 10 minutes and let it cool.

Step 13. Invert the baked sponge on a clean sheet of parchment paper and remove the parchment paper from the bottom. Let the sponge cool down.

Step 14. Cut a sponge disk of 6.7 inches (17 cm) in diameter (use a cake ring or a plate) and strips of 2 inches (5 cm) wide.

Step 15. Line a mousse cake mold, adjusted to 7 ½ inches (19 cm) in diameter, with an acetate cake collar, then place it on parchment.

Step 16. Cover the inside edges of the mold with sponge strips, and place the sponge disk at the bottom of the cake mold; it must fit inside the lined mold perfectly (photo 9). 

Step 17. To make cheese mousse, soak gelatin sheets in cold water for 10 minutes. Whisk heavy cream to get the whipped cream (at soft peaks), cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate (photo 10).

Pro tip: Consult sugar-free whipped cream recipe for step-by-step photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.

Step 18. In a saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks with an electric hand whisk. Add the hot sugar syrup to the yolks, whisking constantly. 

Step 19. Add the drained gelatin while the mixture is hot, and continue beating until the preparation completely cools (photo 11). Add farm cottage cheese and mix with a rubber spatula (photo 12).

Step 20. Finish by adding the whipped cream and gently whisk with a hand whisk (photo 13). Transfer the mousse to a piping bag fitted with Ateco plain pastry tip 806.

Step 21. To assemble the fruit Charlotte, spread a single spiral (about ½ inch or 1 cm thick) of the cottage cheese mousse.

Step 22. Place a frozen red fruit confit disk in the center and fill the remaining space to the edges with the mousse (photo 14).

Step 23. Add another layer of cheese mousse (about 1 inch (2 cm) thick), which equals two spirals pushed from the pastry bag.

Step 24. Finish the Charlotte by making waves in a circular pattern on top using a short offset spatula or the back of a spoon (photo 15). Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours; overnight is best.

To serve, lift the mousse cake out of the mold. Peel the acetate cake film and discard it.

Decorate the top of the cake with whole red berries and fresh mint leaves (photo 16) and sprinkle with powdered (icing) sugar or cover with a clear glaze.

Wrap the Charlotte cake with a pretty ribbon for a final touch if desired.

Pro tip: Alternatively, mix fresh red fruit with raspberry jam or preserves and arrange the fruit mixture on top of the Charlotte.

Expert Tips

1. To make the fruit confit, replace fresh red fruits with frozen ones. As for the decoration, if it has excess moisture, choose another method.
2. To freeze the confit, adjust a mousse cake mold to the required diameter if you do not have the correct-sized round stainless steel cutter. 
3. If you don't have time to freeze the fruit confit disk, let it cool. While pushing the mousse spiral, lift the mousse around, and set it aside (better in the fridge) for 10 minutes. Then place the cooled confit in the center of the cheese mousse. Refrigerate for 10 minutes again. Finish with a thick layer of mousse as directed in the recipe. 
4. Pass the farm cottage cheese through a fine sieve for a more homogeneous mousse.
5. Once the mousse is ready, assemble the charlotte quickly, as it will begin to set as it sits because of the gelatin.
6. Do not worry about the top of the cake: as long as it is even, it is enough to decorate with fresh fruits later.
7. Make-ahead option: make the red fruit confit and freeze it the day before. Make and assemble the cake the next day.
8. For a glossy finish, brush the top of the fruit with warmed neutral glaze or thinned apricot jam with a little hot water. It adds shine and keeps the berries fresh-looking longer.
9. Do not overload the top with fruit. A thin, neat arrangement in circles looks best and keeps the slices from tipping over when you cut the cake.
10. For a grown-up version, brush the sponge with a light orange and rum syrup or a splash of raspberry framboise before assembling.

Storing and freezing

Store the fruit Charlotte cake under a cake dome in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I don't recommend freezing this cake.

Recipe FAQ

What is a fruit Charlotte cake?
A fruit Charlotte is a French molded cake lined with sponge or ladyfingers and filled with fruit, mousse, or Bavarian cream. This fresh fruit version uses a red sponge, a red berry confit, and a light farmer's cheese mousse.

Can you make fruit Charlotte in advance?
You can prepare the red fruit confit and freeze it in a ring or cutter for up to one week. Bake the sponge the day before and keep it well wrapped at room temperature. The next day, make the cheese mousse and assemble. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, preferably overnight.

What fruit can I use for red fruit Charlotte?
Use any three seasonal red fruits, such as raspberries, cherries, blackcurrants, blackberries, or strawberries. For the confit, you can also use frozen berries, but decorate the top with fresh fruit only.

Can I make a blueberry Charlotte cake?
Yes. Swap the mixed red berries for blueberries in the confit and decorate the top with fresh blueberries. Keep the sponge and mousse the same, and adjust the food color if you want a different sponge shade.

Why use potato starch instead of cornstarch?
Potato starch gives the fruit confit a clearer, more vivid layer. Cornstarch works in a pinch but can leave the fruit layer slightly cloudy.

Can you freeze fresh fruit Charlotte?
Freezing is not recommended once the cake is assembled, because the fresh fruit and mousse do not thaw well. Only the fruit confit disk freezes well before assembly.

How long does fruit Charlotte keep?
Store it under a cake dome in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep any leftover slices in an airtight container in the fridge.

What is the difference between a Charlotte and a Charlotte Russe?
A Charlotte is the broad name for a molded cake lined with sponge or ladyfingers. A Charlotte Russe is the cold version filled with Bavarian cream, made popular by chef Carême. This fresh fruit Charlotte is a Russe-style cake with a fruit confit center.

How do I make a traditional or old-fashioned fruit Charlotte?
Traditional versions line the mold with ladyfingers and fill it with Bavarian cream and fruit. This recipe uses a thin red sponge instead of ladyfingers for a cleaner look, but you can line the mold with ladyfingers if you prefer the classic style.

Can I use powdered gelatin instead of gelatin sheets?
Yes. Use about 3 ½ sheets of gelatin per one envelope of powdered gelatin, and bloom the powder in ¼ cup (60 ml) of cold water before heating. Work quickly once the gelatin is added, since the mousse begins to set as it cools.

Love Charlotte cakes? Try these next!

• Pear Charlotte Cake
• Charlotte aus Fraises
• Chocolate Charlotte
• Browse all the Cake Recipes

Want more delicious and beautiful recipes? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for my latest updates. If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below!

Print

Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was adapted from C'est pa de la tarte. It was originally published on October 24, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All the posted pictures are mine.