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Strawberry Charlotte Cake (Charlotte aux Fraises)

Assembled Strawberry Charlotte cake tied with a red ribbon, a vase and berries in the background.
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Strawberry Charlotte cake, or Charlotte aux fraises, is a classic French dessert made with homemade sponge fingers, a delicious strawberry mousse, and fresh strawberries. 

Ingredients

Scale

For ladyfinger biscuits:

  • 4 large egg whites
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons (100 g) caster sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons (100 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons icing sugar

For the strawberry Bavarian mousse:

  • 17.6 oz. (500 g) fresh strawberries
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons (90 g) granulated sugar
  • 4 gelatin sheets 200 bloom (see note #1)
  • 2/3 cup + 4 1/2 tablespoons (225 g) cold heavy cream, 30% fat

For decoration: 

  • 12.4 oz. (350 g) fresh strawberries
  • 1 tablespoon icing sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Prepare two parchment sheets. Draw one circle of 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter with a pencil. On the second sheet of parchment paper, draw two strips 2.4 inches (6 cm) wide. Turn both sheets upside down and place them on two baking trays.
  2. Pour egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Gradually add the caster sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Add egg yolks all at once and whisk until incorporated. Sift all-purpose flour over the bowl, then gently mix with a spatula, working from the bottom to the top.
  3. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large smooth tip of 10-12 mm in diameter (Ateco plain pastry tip 806) and pipe a spiral sponge starting from the center of the drawn circle. Then pipe two long strips (aka bandoliers) about 13 inches (32 cm) diagonally, sticking piped cookies together. Sprinkle the cake disk and strips generously with icing sugar.
  4. Bake cake and sponge cookies in the middle of the oven (one sheet at a time) until slightly golden brown for 15 minutes. Let them cool down well.
  5. To be ready to pour the Bavarian cream once it is made and hasn't set, it is imperative to prepare the assembled cake ring in advance. Place an 8-inch (20 cm) cake ring 2 inches (5 cm) high on the serving plate. There is no need to line it with an acetate collar.
  6. Cut the strips at the base and the top so the cookies are 2 inches (5 cm) high. For a neat appearance, make a fresh cut of the sponge strips' ends. Line up the cake ring with the strips (powdered side facing the ring), adjusting the edges to fit perfectly tight into the mounting circle.
  7. Cut a spoon biscuit layer about 7 inches (18 cm) in diameter (check if this size perfectly fits the bottom of the assembled ring) and place it down in the center of the circle, powdered side facing up.
  8. To make the strawberry Bavarian mousse, soak the gelatin leaves in a large bowl with very cold water. Puree strawberries using a potato masher or a food processor. Then pass the puree through a fine-mesh sieve: you should get 12.4 oz. (350 g) seedless puree.
  9. Pour the strawberry puree with sugar into a heavy-bottomed small saucepan and bring to a medium heat. With the first bubble, remove the pot from the heat, add well-drained gelatin (be careful not to crush it), and mix well. Pour the hot puree into a shallow dish and let it cool to room temperature, ideally to 73-86°F (23-30°C).
  10. Meanwhile, pour cold heavy cream into the chilled bowl of a stand mixer and whip until soft peaks form. It must remain very flexible. Gently add the cooled strawberry puree to the whipped cream in a few additions, mixing with a spatula or hand whisk.
  11. To assemble the Charlotte cake, pour the strawberry Bavarian mousse into the lined cake ring. Sponge cookie strips will be elevated slightly above the Charlotte filling. Smooth the top of the cream with a small offset spatula and refrigerate the charlotte for 6-8 hours. Decorate the top of the cake with halved strawberries.
  12. Optionally, brush strawberries with a clear glaze to preserve fruit and bring a shiny appearance. Alternatively, dust the strawberries and Charlotte's edges with icing sugar (sucre glace) before serving.

Notes

  1. 4 gelatin sheets (200 bloom) equal to 8 g (almost 3 teaspoons) of gelatin powder. Read the package instructions on how to bloom powdered gelatin.
  2. Adjust a sponge biscuit disk, ensuring it perfectly fits inside the cake ring with the baked sponge strips. It must sit very tightly to prevent the mousse from escaping.
  3. Beat heavy cream until soft peaks form; avoid overwhisking until firm peaks form. Read to learn how to make whipped cream at the soft peak stage.
  4. Make-ahead option: Bake the sponge cookies and disks in the evening and let them cool to room temperature. Prepare the Bavarian cream and assemble the cake the next day.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/strawberry-charlotte-cake-charlotte-aux-fraise/