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Pear Charlotte Cake (Charlotte aux Poires)

Assembled pear Charlotte cake on a cake stand.
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Pear Charlotte cake, or Charlotte aux poires, is a delicious French dessert filled with rich vanilla Bavarian cream and juicy pears. Perfect for any occasion or just a sweet treat after dinner, it is worth every bite.

Ingredients

Scale
For ladyfinger sponge:
  • 2 large egg whites 
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons (50 g) caster sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks 
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (50 g) all-purpose flour 
  • 1 tablespoon icing sugar

For vanilla Bavarian cream

  • 5 large egg yolks (100 g) 
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons (250 g) whole milk
  • 1 vanilla bean 
  • 2 1/2 gelatin sheets 200 bloom
  • 1 cup + 2 1/2 tablespoons (250 g) cold heavy cream, 30% fat

For  soaking: 

  • canned pear syrup

For garnish:

  • 2 lb 9 oz. (700 g) canned pear halves in syrup

*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. Step 1: To make the sponge, preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Place the egg whites (at room temperature) in a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric mixer. Gradually add the caster sugar, beating until the meringue is stiff. Add egg yolks and whisk until incorporated.
  2. Step 2: Sift all-purpose flour over the bowl, then gently mix using a rubber spatula, working from the bottom of the bowl. Pour the batter mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use an angled spatula to spread it to a thickness of 0.4 inches (1 cm). Sprinkle generously with icing sugar. Bake the sponge in the middle of the oven until slightly golden brown for 15-20 minutes.
  3. Step 3: Place an 8-inch (20 cm) cake ring 2 inches (5 cm) high on the serving platter. There is no need to line it with an acetate collar. Cut ladyfinger cookies at the base to be 2.2 inches (5.5 cm) high using a serrated knife. Then place the cookies inside the ring, with the sugared side facing the circle.
  4. Step 4: Cut out a disc of the sponge about 7 inches (17 cm) in diameter (check if it fits at the bottom of the cake ring surrounded with cookies) and place it, powdered side facing up, inside the ring. Pro tip: Make sure the sponge disk is tightly in place; otherwise, Bavarian cream will escape. You may need to press the sponge against the ladyfingers with your hands.
  5. Step 5: To make the Bavarian cream, first, make a vanilla custard. Soak gelatine sheets in a large bowl with very cold water. In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg yolks and icing sugar with a hand whisk. Pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, and add scraped vanilla seeds. Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat.
  6. Step 6: Pour the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture gradually, stirring constantly. Then return the eggs and milk mixture back to the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a hand whisk or a wooden spoon.
  7. Step 7: The custard is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and reaches 180°F (82°C). Don't exceed 185°F (85°C); otherwise, the eggs will coagulate, making the custard lumpy.
  8. Step 8: Remove the pot from the heat, add the well-drained gelatin to the hot custard, and mix until well combined. Transfer it to a clean bowl and cover it with plastic wrap in contact with the custard to prevent skin from forming on the surface. Let the custard cool at room temperature until 73-86°F (23-30°C). Place the custard in the refrigerator to speed cooling, but check its temperature regularly. Otherwise, the custard will set, making it impossible to finish Bavarian cream.
  9. Step 9: Pour cold heavy cream into the cold bowl of a stand mixer and whip the cream until soft peaks. Gently add the whipped cream to the custard in a few additions, stirring with a spatula.
  10. Step 10: To assemble the cake, drain canned pears on a paper towel; reserve the syrup. Cut pears into thin slices. Make sure there will be enough to decorate the top of the cake. Cut the remaining pears into 1 by 1 cm cubes.
  11. Step 11: With a pastry or silicone brush, soak the sponge cake base with pear syrup, then arrange the pear cubes to a thickness of 0.4 inches (1 cm). Pour Bavarian cream over the pear filling, ensuring it doesn't leak through the ladyfingers. Pro tip: Refrain from pouring cream over the flattened cylinders' juncture into rounded edges to avoid cream leakage. Ladyfingers should be elevated slightly above the Charlotte filling, as it is a traditional culinary custom.
  12. Step 12: Smooth the cream's surface and refrigerate Charlotte for 4-6 hours. Decorate the top of the cake with pear slices. To preserve the fruit and give it a shiny appearance, brush pears with a clear glaze.

Notes

  1. Cut a sponge disk that perfectly fits inside the cake ring with the ladyfinger cookies. It must sit "airtight" to prevent the Bavarian cake from escaping.
  2. Pass the custard through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps.
  3. Beat heavy cream until soft peaks; avoid overwhisking until firm peaks form.
  4. Make-ahead option: Bake the sponge and line the cake ring with cookies and a sponge disk the previous day. The following day, prepare the Bavarian cream and assemble the cake.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/caramel-charlotte-chef-philippe/