The strawberry charlotte is a dessert to serve on the table for special occasions. It requires a bit of time but can be made by everyone. If we want to simplify some steps, we can replace the charlotte biscuit with ladyfingers and use them as a base. The charlotte is a typical French dessert made with a Bavarian cream, the charlotte biscuit, and a flavor of your choice that will name the cake, like in this case strawberries. This cake can also be made gluten-free and lactose-free. If you like strawberries, don’t miss the Fraisier-Strawberry Cake, another classic of French pastry, or the Strawberry Macarons.
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
Ingredients
- 5.6 oz whipping cream, 35% fat (lactose-free with lactose less than 0.01% or vegetable-based)
- 1/3 cup whole milk (lactose-free with lactose less than 0.01% or vegetable-based)
- 3 pcs egg yolks
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 7 oz whipping cream, 35% fat (lactose-free with lactose less than 0.01% or vegetable-based)
- 1.4 tsp gelatin sheets (gluten-free)
- 11.3 oz crème anglaise
- 7 oz strawberries
- 5 pcs egg whites
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 pcs egg yolks
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (or rice flour for gluten-free)
- 9 oz strawberries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1.4 tsp gelatin sheets (gluten-free)
- 2/3 cup whipping cream, 35% fat (lactose-free with lactose less than 0.01% or vegetable-based)
- 2.5 tbsp powdered sugar (gluten-free)
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- to taste strawberries
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 5 Bowls
- 1 Mixer
- 1 Mold
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 1 Piping Bag
Steps
Heat the milk with the cream and vanilla bean. Meanwhile, lightly beat the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla seeds without whipping. Remove the vanilla pod and pour the milk into the egg yolk and sugar mixture. Return to the heat and cook until it reaches 183°F. Remove from heat.
Soak the gelatin, then squeeze it and add it to the still warm crème anglaise. Cool to 95°F-100°F and fold in the semi-whipped cream. Wash the strawberries, remove the stems, and cut into cubes. Add the strawberries to the Bavarian cream and pour into a 20 cm springform pan. Freeze for at least 2 hours.
Beat the egg whites with the sugar using a stand mixer or electric mixer.
When the mixture is light and fluffy, add the yolks and mix with a spatula. Combine the mixture well and add the flour in three parts, always mixing with a spatula from bottom to top.
Place the batter in a piping bag with a plain nozzle and form a 20 cm disk on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 6-7 minutes at 392°F in a preheated static oven. With the remaining batter, form the biscuits and bake in the same way. Unmold and let cool completely.
Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water. Wash the strawberries, remove the stems, and place them in a container. Blend with an immersion blender. Take 3 tablespoons of strawberry juice and place in a bowl with the sugar. Heat to 113°F and add the squeezed gelatin. Pour into the remaining juice and mix well. Pour the strawberry gelatin over the Bavarian and freeze immediately for 1 hour.
Whip the well-chilled cream with powdered sugar and vanilla seeds using an electric mixer.
Mix water and limoncello.
Place the charlotte biscuit base on a serving plate. Moisten the base with the limoncello syrup. Unmold the Bavarian cream and place it on the biscuit base. Arrange the biscuits around the cake.
Decorate with a ribbon tied around the cake. Place the chantilly cream in a piping bag with a star nozzle and make rosettes all over the cake. Wash, dry the strawberries, remove the stems, and carve them with a sharp knife, open them slightly, and decorate the cake.
Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.
Prepare a base of ladyfingers inside the springform pan. Moisten with the limoncello syrup and pour the Bavarian cream. Freeze for 2 hours. Pour the strawberry gelatin and freeze again for an hour. Unmold the cake and place it on a serving plate. Decorate the Bavarian cream’s edge with ladyfingers, tie a ribbon around, and make whipped cream rosettes all over the surface. Decorate with strawberries.
WARNING: consult the Italian Celiac Association guide and read the ingredients carefully to ensure they are gluten-free.
Advice
It’s possible to make this cake gluten-free and lactose-free using certified ingredients.
For gluten-free ladyfingers, find the recipe here
For gluten-free ladyfingers, find the recipe here
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