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Charlotte Royale Cake

Sliced Charlotte Royale on a dessert plate.
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5 from 11 reviews

Charlotte Royale cake is an elegant French dessert lined with slices of raspberry Swiss roll and filled with smooth vanilla Bavarian cream and fresh raspberries. Rich, sweet, and delicious, it is perfect for any special occasion.

Ingredients

Scale

For rolled biscuit:

  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup + 1/2 tablespoon (120 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup + 7 teaspoons (60 g) all-purpose flour
  • 6 tablespoons (60 g) potato starch
  • 13 oz (370 g) raspberry jam

For Bavarian cream:

  • 1 1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons (300 ml) whole milk
  • 3 gelatine sheets 
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup + 5 1/2 teaspoons (100 g) granulated sugar 
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 2/3 cup (150 g) whipping cream
  • 14 oz (400 g) fresh raspberries

For finishing (optional):

  • clear glaze or neutral topping

*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. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Sift flour and potato starch in a large bowl and set aside.
  2. Rolled biscuit batter: Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks with an egg separator. Beat the whites at medium speed, gradually adding sugar. Once the meringue is glossy, decrease the mixer speed and add the whisked egg yolks. Beat the mixture for another 15 seconds, until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Add the sifted dry ingredients and gently mix with a spatula.
  3. Divide the batter into two parts. Spread the first part of the batter on a 12 x 16-inch (30 x 40 cm) baking sheet covered with parchment paper to a thickness of 1/5 inch (5 mm) and smooth with a bent spatula. Alternatively, use a non-spill baking sheet (no need to grease it).
  4. Bake for 10 minutes. Once the biscuit is ready, remove it from the oven and cover it with a clean tea towel. Flip it over the cloth and carefully remove the parchment or silicone sheet: gently lift the corners, then lift the mat or paper off the entire surface. Cover the biscuit with another parchment sheet and roll it from the long side to let it cool and retain moisture. Repeat the same with the second part of the cake batter.
  5. Unwrap the cooled cake. Spread a thin layer of raspberry jam, then roll it into a tight spiral using parchment paper. Wrap the rolled biscuit in plastic film and refrigerate for about three to four hours to make it easier to cut.
  6. Cream Anglaise: Place gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water and let them soak for 10 minutes. Bring whole milk with the scraped vanilla seeds to a boil. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, then slowly pour in the hot milk while continually stirring. Return the yolk mixture to the saucepan, cook over low heat, and continue whisking. Once the custard coats the back of the spoon and reaches 179°F (82°C), as measured with a sugar thermometer, remove the pot from the heat. Add the drained gelatin. Transfer the custard to another bowl, cover it with plastic wrap in contact with the custard, and let it cool to room temperature.
  7. Bavarian cream: Pour heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (or use an electric mixer) and whisk until soft peaks form. Add the whipped cream to the cooled custard, gently mixing with a wooden spoon or spatula. Let it rest until it thickens slightly, stirring occasionally.
  8. Assemble Charlotte: Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch (20 cm) diameter bowl with plastic wrap. Cut the edges of the sponges with a sharp knife, then cut the rolled biscuit into thin slices, 5 mm (1/5 inch) thick. Arrange them in the bottom and along the sides of the lined bowl, pressing them against each other and the dish.
  9. Fill with Bavarian cream: Pour a third of the Bavarian cream in the center and distribute half of the fresh raspberries. Pour in another third of the cream, then repeat the raspberry layer. Finish with the cream. Cover the bottom of the bowl with the remaining rolled biscuit slices, then place a sheet of plastic wrap on top.
  10. Finish cake assembly: Place a cardboard base over the bowl to pack everything. Refrigerate the Charlotte cake for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, remove the cardboard and plastic, flip the cake onto a serving plate, lift the bowl off, and serve immediately.
  11. Brush the cake with a thin layer of clear glaze (optional) and refrigerate until serving.

Notes

  1. Make two sponge rolls out of the biscuit ingredients provided in the recipe to get enough slices. Use 1.5 rolls to choose the beautifully looking cake slices.
  2. Spread a THIN layer of the raspberry jam over the biscuit to get neat slices when cutting.
  3. Roll the biscuit from either end: if you roll from the short end, the slices will be larger.
  4. Press the cake slices against the bowl to prevent Bavarian cream from overflowing afterward.
  5. Start making Bavarian cream once you are ready to assemble the cake; otherwise, it will thicken before you slice up the cake roll.
  6. Wait for the Bavarian cream to thicken slightly; otherwise, it will leak between the cake slices and the bowl. In this case, you will end up with the cake covered by Bavarian cream on top of the slices.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/cake-royal-charlotte-mercotte/