The strawberry charlotte is a dessert to present at the table for special occasions. It requires some time but can be made by everyone. To simplify some steps, you can replace the charlotte biscuit with ladyfingers, using them as a base as well. The charlotte is a typical French dessert made with a Bavarian cream, the charlotte biscuit, and a flavor of choice that gives the cake its name, like strawberries in this case. 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 less than 0.01% lactose or plant-based)
- 0.33 cup whole milk (lactose-free with less than 0.01% lactose or plant-based)
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2.1 tbsp sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 7 oz whipping cream, 35% fat (lactose-free with less than 0.01% lactose or plant-based)
- 0.14 oz gelatin sheets (gluten-free)
- 11.3 oz crème anglaise
- 7 oz strawberries
- 5 large egg whites
- 0.6 cup sugar
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (or rice flour for gluten-free)
- 8.8 oz strawberries
- 2.1 tbsp sugar
- 0.14 oz gelatin sheets (gluten-free)
- 0.63 cup whipping cream, 35% fat (lactose-free with less than 0.01% lactose or plant-based)
- 1.4 tbsp powdered sugar (gluten-free)
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- as needed 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. Let it cool to 95°F-100°F and fold in the semi-whipped cream. Wash the strawberries, remove the hull, and cut them into cubes. Add the strawberries to the Bavarian cream and pour into a 20 cm springform pan. Freeze for at least 2 hours.
Whip the egg whites with the sugar in a stand mixer or with an electric mixer.
When the mixture is fluffy and foamy, add the egg yolks and mix with a spatula. Blend the mixture well and add the flour in three portions, always mixing with a spatula from bottom to top.
Place the mixture in a piping bag with a plain tip and form a 20 cm disc on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 6-7 minutes at 392°F in a preheated static oven. With the remaining mixture, 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 hull, and place them in a container. Blend with an immersion blender. Take 3 tablespoons of strawberry juice and put it 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 jelly over the Bavarian cream and freeze immediately for 1 hour.
Whip the cold cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla seeds using electric whisks.
Mix water and limoncello.
Place the charlotte biscuit base on a serving platter. Soak 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 tip and pipe rosettes all over the cake. Wash and dry the strawberries, remove the hull, and carve them with a sharp knife, open them slightly, and decorate the cake.
Place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours before serving.
Prepare a base of ladyfingers inside the springform pan. Soak them with the limoncello syrup and pour the Bavarian cream. Freeze for 2 hours. Pour the strawberry jelly and freeze again for an hour. Unmold the cake and place it on a serving platter. Decorate the perimeter of the Bavarian cream with ladyfingers, tie a ribbon around it, and pipe cream rosettes all over the Bavarian cream. Decorate with strawberries.
WARNING: consult the Italian Celiac Association handbook and read the ingredients carefully to ensure they do not contain gluten contamination
Tips
It is possible to make this cake gluten-free and lactose-free by using certified ingredients.
For gluten-free ladyfingers here is the recipe
For gluten-free ladyfingers here is the recipe
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