Description
This Strawberry Charlotte cake is a delicate and elegant dessert featuring layers of ladyfingers soaked in a homemade strawberry coulis, filled with a rich yet fluffy strawberry mousseline cream made from pastry cream and butter. The cake is assembled in a mousse ring, chilled until set, and beautifully decorated with fresh strawberries, mint, and edible flowers for a stunning presentation perfect for special occasions.
Ingredients
Ladyfingers
- 27 pieces Ladyfingers (220g / 8oz store-bought or homemade)
- 4 Eggs (white and yolk separated)
- 100 g Granulated sugar
- 60 g Pastry flour (sifted)
- 50 g Corn starch (sifted)
- Pinch of salt
Strawberry Coulis
- 200 g Strawberry puree (fresh or frozen)
- 60 g Granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
Pastry Cream
- 375 g Whole milk
- 75 g Granulated sugar
- 60 g Egg yolk (approx. yolks of 3-4 eggs)
- 20 g Corn starch
- 20 g All-purpose flour
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla bean paste
- 75 g Unsalted butter (soft, to mix in after cooking)
Mousseline Cream
- 75 g Unsalted butter (soft, to whip into pastry cream)
Decoration and Filling
- 150 g Fresh strawberries (cut into pieces)
- Fresh strawberries (for decoration)
- Mint leaves (for decoration)
- Edible flowers (for decoration)
Instructions
- Prepare the Pastry Cream: In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and egg yolks for 1-2 minutes until slightly fluffy. Mix in corn starch, flour, and vanilla bean paste to form a smooth paste. Heat the milk in a saucepan just until it begins to simmer, then slowly pour it into the egg mixture while whisking vigorously. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until it thickens and reaches a smooth, glossy texture, approximately 1 minute after it starts to boil. Strain if necessary to remove lumps. Mix in the soft butter in three stages using a rubber spatula until fully incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the cream and cool.
- Make Homemade Ladyfingers (Optional): Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F). Beat the egg yolks with half the sugar (50g) until pale and fluffy, preferably with a stand mixer. In another bowl, whip egg whites with the remaining sugar in small increments until stiff and shiny peaks form. Sift flour and corn starch into the yolk mixture and fold gently. Loosen the batter by mixing in a quarter of the meringue, then fold in the remainder carefully. Pipe 28 finger shapes onto a baking sheet with a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M tip, spacing them apart. Bake for 10 minutes, then cool on a rack.
- Make Strawberry Coulis: In a saucepan, cook strawberry puree, sugar, and lemon juice for a few minutes until slightly thickened. Allow to cool to room temperature before use.
- Prepare Mousseline Cream: Ensure the pastry cream and butter are at room temperature. Whip the butter for 1-2 minutes until smooth, then gradually beat in the pastry cream in four stages until a stable, fluffy cream forms. Avoid over-whipping to prevent the mixture from becoming runny.
- Assemble the Cake: Set an adjustable mousse cake ring to 18cm (7 inches) and place an acetate cake collar inside for a smooth finish. Arrange ladyfingers tightly around the inside of the ring for the sides, and trim as needed. Place ladyfingers on the base, trimming if required for a close fit. Lightly drizzle the ladyfingers with the strawberry coulis, avoiding excessive soaking. Pipe half of the mousseline cream over the base layer, then scatter chopped fresh strawberries. Add another layer of ladyfingers, drizzle with coulis, and pipe the remaining mousseline cream on top. Smooth the surface with an offset spatula.
- Chill and Decorate: Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 4 hours or overnight to set. Carefully remove the mousse ring and acetate collar. Decorate the top with fresh strawberries, mint leaves, and edible flowers. Store the cake in the refrigerator until served.
Notes
- Use fresh or frozen strawberries for the puree; thaw frozen strawberries fully before pureeing.
- Ladyfingers can be store-bought for convenience or homemade using the recipe steps.
- When cooking pastry cream, it may become lumpy initially; continuous whisking will smooth it out.
- Ensure butter and pastry cream are at room temperature when making mousseline cream to avoid curdling.
- Be gentle when folding meringue into the batter to preserve its light texture.
- Do not over-soak the ladyfingers with coulis to prevent sogginess.
- The cake needs to chill for several hours to set properly for clean slicing.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
