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Fresh Fruit Charlotte Cake

A slice of the charlotte with the remaining cake on a white platter.
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5 from 12 reviews

This fresh fruit Charlotte is one of the prettiest cakes that combines a sponge cake, Bavarian cheese mousse, and fresh red fruits. It is a fancy-ish cake for any celebration.

Ingredients

Scale

For the sponge cake:

  • 1/3 cup + 7 teaspoons (60 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup (60 g) potato starch
  • 5 eggs
  • 1/2 cup + 2 1/2 teaspoons (125 g) granulated sugar
  • red food color (as needed)

For the red fruit confit:

  • 2 gelatin sheets 200 bloom
  • 7.2 oz. (205 g) mixed berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)
  • 1/3 cup + 1 teaspoon (80 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon (5 g) potato starch

For the farmer's cheese mousse:

  • 3 gelatin sheets 200 bloom
  • 1 1/4 cups + 2 1/2 teaspoons (300 g) heavy cream
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup + 1 teaspoon (80 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30 g) water
  • 8.8 oz. (250 g) farmer's cheese

For the decoration:

  • 7 oz. (200 g) fresh red fruits
  • 1 teaspoon powdered (icing) sugar

*Don't you have the correct baking pan on hand right now? Try this simple Cake Pan Converter!

** If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.

Instructions

  1. To make the red fruit confit, cover a 6-inch (15 cm) round stainless steel cutter with doubled plastic film to form a plastic bottom, then set aside. Soak gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes. 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 from time to time. Add the remaining sugar mixed with potato starch, stirring constantly, and let boil for 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the drained gelatin. Pour the confit into the ring and freeze for 3 hours.
  2. To make the sponge cake, preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Using a flour sifter, sift flour and potato starch. Separate the egg whites from the yolks with an egg separator, then reserve the whites. In a bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer, then gradually add the remaining sugar until glossy. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks with half of the sugar until whitish. Then add the beaten egg whites to the egg yolks/sugar mixture. Add the dry-sifted mixture (flour and starch) several times, then mix with a rubber spatula. Add red food color as much as you wish and gently mix. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the batter to about 1/5 inch (5 mm) thick with a bent spatula. Bake for about 10 minutes and let it cool.
  3. Invert the baked sponge onto a sheet of parchment paper and remove the parchment paper from the bottom. Cut a biscuit disk of 6.7 inches/17 cm in diameter (use a cake ring or a plate) and strips of 2 inches/5 cm wide. Line a mousse cake mold, adjusted to 7 1/2 inches/19 cm in diameter, with an acetate cake collar and place it on parchment. Cover the inside edges of the mold with strips, then place the sponge disk at the bottom of the cake mold (it must fit inside the lined mold perfectly). 
  4. To make the cheese mousse, soak gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes. Whip the cream until soft peaks form and refrigerate. In a saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks with an electric mixer. Add the hot sugar syrup to the yolks, whisking constantly. Then add the drained gelatin while the mixture is hot, and continue beating until the preparation completely cools. Add farm cottage cheese and mix with a rubber spatula. Finish by adding the whipped cream and whisk with a hand whisk. Transfer the mousse to a pastry bag fitted with Ateco plain pastry tip 806.
  5. To assemble Charlotte, spread a single spiral of the cottage cheese mousse (about 1/2 inch/1 cm thick). Place a frozen red fruit confit disk in the center and fill the remaining space to the edges with the mousse. Add another layer of cheese mousse (about 1/2 inch/1 cm thick), which equals two spirals pushed from the pastry bag. Finish the Charlotte by making waves or a spiral on top with the bent spatula. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours; overnight is best.
  6. To serve, remove the mousse cake mold by lifting it up. 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.

     

Notes

  1. To make the fruit confit, replace fresh red fruits with frozen ones. As for the decoration, it's too watery; try a different approach.
  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 the mousse's thick layer as directed in the recipe. 
  4. Pass the farm cottage cheese through a fine-mesh sieve if you prefer to obtain a more homogeneous mousse.
  5. Once the mousse is ready, assemble the charlotte quickly, as it will begin to set as it sits due to the included gelatin.
  6. Do not worry about the top of the cake: as long as it is even, it is enough to decorate it 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.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/cake-charlotte-red-fruits-laduree/