How To Make a Charlotte Cake
This classic French dessert has all of the elements that we usually love in pastry projects. All it takes is a couple of staple ingredients, a bit of time and effort and the end result is a delicious, beautiful cake. Although there may be many different variations of this cake, the traditional version usually involves ladyfingers lining a cake mold that are then alternately filled and layered with a rich custard. You can also throw fresh fruit or jams in between the layers to give it even more depth. Whatever sparks your fancy, the Charlotte cake is an amazing and succulent cake that will leave everyone who takes a bite “oohing and aahing”.
Make your own charlotte cake alongside our baking expert in this complimentary online pastry class! You won’t believe how easy it is to make!
Bavarian Cream
Ingredients:
4 eggs
4 oz sugar
18 fl oz cream
6 gelatin leaves
18 fl oz milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Separate the eggs and set the whites adie. Cream the yolks with the sugar.
Whip the cream.
3. Soak the gelatin leaves in water.
4. Heat the milk and vanilla in a pot. Add the egg yolk mixture slowly, whisking constantly. Pour back into the pot and return to a slow heat. Stir until it thickens and coast the back of a spoon.
5. Squeeze the water out of the gelatin and add to the milk/egg mixture. Combine well and let mixture cool in an ice bath.
6. Add the cream just prior to the mixture setting.
Genoise Sponge
Ingredients:
4 eggs
4.5 oz fine sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
.8 oz butter
2.3 oz bakers flour
2.3 cornstarch
Directions:
1. Mix eggs, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl and warm it in a bain-marie up to 130F while whisking slightly. The mixture will give off steam and will have developed a slightly creamy texture and color.
2. Clamp the bowl into a mixer and whip the mixture until it has cooled down to room temperature and has developed a very thick sabayon texture.
3. Melt the butter. Place some of the sabayon mixture into a separate mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and combine. Add this mixture back into the sabayon.
4. Sift the flours onto parchment paper and combine them well. Add the flours to the egg mixture and fold through gently. D not overwork as this will result in a flat and firm end product.
5. Divide the mixture and place into greased and dusted sponge tins (use an 8 inch sponge tin per serve). Bake at 390F for 20 minutes until the sponge is set and bouncy. Test for doneness. Once cooled, turn over onto a cooling rack.
Ladyfingers
Ingredients:
5 oz bread flour
4 oz cornstarch
7 oz egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
12 oz egg whites
7.5 oz sugar
Powdered sugar as needed
Directions:
1. Sift the flour and cornstarch together.
2. Whip the egg yolks and vanilla until the mixture is creamy and thick. Whip the egg whited and sugar until a soft peak.
3. Fold the two mixtures together until there is just a sight amount of streaking and then very carefully fold in the flour mixture until incorporated.
4. Line a pan with parchment and pipe the cookies with a medium size plain tub about 4 inches long.
5. Sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar and wait a few minutes until it dissolves and repeat. Bake at 400 degrees for 9-11 minutes until the cookies bounce back we pressed.
Charlotte Cake
Ingredients:
Lady fingers ( about 2 dozen are needed for a 9” cake
Sponge Cake
Bavarian Cream or Mousse
Fresh Berries
Whip cream for decoration
Directions:
1. Line a spring form pan with plastic.
2. Place lady fingers around the side, being sure they are close together.
3. Layer the cake alternating with cake, Bavarian Cream or Mousse and fruit.
4. Leave the cake set for 4-6 hours until firm.
5. Decorate the top with fresh fruit and whip cream and very carefully unmold the cake and serve chilled.
