top of page

Charlotte Russe

Serves: 8

Prep time: 5 1/2 hours

Cook time: 25 minutes

This is hands-down my favorite dessert! Although it takes a bit of time to assemble, the end result and the sheer scrumptiousness of it makes it all worth it!

 

The mousse is not too sweet, in my opinion. And the Victoria sponge cake brings the right texture to complement the mousse and other components.

Ingredients:

  • lady fingers

  • strawberries, raspberries, blackberries 

  • mint for garnish
     

Victoria Sponge Cake

  • 1 cup flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 2 sticks or 1 cup of butter

  • 1 cup powdered sugar

  • 2 eggs at room temperature

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/2 cup mily at room temperature

 

Strawberry Mousse

  • 1 packet of unflavored gelatin

  • 1 tablespoon of cold water

  • 1/4 cup milk at room temperature

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  • 5 egg whites

  • 1/2 cup strawberries

 

Strawberry Puree

  • 2/3 cup strawberries

  • 1/4 cup sugar

Mousse and Assembly of Cake
 

  1. Soften the gelatin in a bowl with the water. Pour in the milk and completely dissolve the gelatin. Let it sit while you prepare rest of filling, stirring it every now and again to keep gelatin from separating and settling to bottom.
     

  2. Sweeten 2 cups of the cream with 1 cup of the sugar and beat it with a handheld electric mixer until it is fairly stiff. Add vanilla and fold it in. Stir in dissolved gelatin and gently but thoroughly fold it into whipped cream and set it aside.
     

  3. Cut cake into ladyfinger-sized pieces, about 1/2-inch thick by 1-inch wide and as long as your mold is deep. Line bottom and sides of a 3-quart mold or bowl with cake, being sure that there are no gaps in it. Hold back enough cake to cover top of mold or bowl. Sprinkle cake with sherry and spread it with a thin layer of jam or fruit preserves, if using.
     

  4. Beat egg whites to stiff but not dry peaks with a handheld electric mixer, then fold thoroughly into whipped cream and gelatin filling. Spoon filling into cake-lined mold, making sure there are no gaps or air pockets between filling and cake. Press reserved cake on top of filling.
     

  5. Chill until cream is set, 4 to 6 hours. When you are ready to serve, gently run a knife around edges of mold to make sure that the Charlotte has not stuck to it, then invert onto plate. Carefully lift off mold.
     

  6. Arrange and garnish mixed berries and mint leaves on cake.

 

Victoria Sponge Cake
 

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch springform pan.
     

  2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a medium bowl and set aside.
     

  3. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in vanilla. Pour in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing until just incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.
     

  4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
     

  5. This cake can be served as is, just dusted with confectioners' sugar. Alternately, cut the cake in half horizontally and sandwich the layers together with jam or custard.
     

bottom of page