Charlotte Cake Recipe

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This raspberry Charlotte Cake was my baby girls first birthday cake. She loved every part of it, the cake, the lady fingers and especially the raspberry mousse! This cake is as yummy as it is beautiful.

Of course this is our version of the classic French Charlotte Russe cake. Everyone seems to take their own spin on it. I love how the sweet/tart mouse and raspberry preserves complements the soft cake and lady fingers. European cakes are my favorite because they typically aren’t overly sweet but rather enjoyable. P.S. I was very detailed with my photos and instructions so you would succeed but this recipe really is not overly complicated. I hope you love this fantastic Charlotte dessert!

Ingredients for the Sponge Cake:

4 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup cake flour (make your own with 2 ingredients!) *measured correctly
1/4 tsp baking powder
(7 oz pkg) Lady Fingers
3-4 Tbsp raspberry preserves or jam

Ingredients for Raspberry Mousse:

10 oz (2 1/2 cups) frozen raspberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Juice from 1 medium lemon (2 Tbsp for mousse + 1 Tbsp for simple syrup below)
1 Tbsp Knox unflavored Gelatin (from 1 1/4 packets)
3 cups heavy whipping cream
6 Tbsp confectioners (powdered) sugar

For the Simple Syrup, stir together:

1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp sugar

Topping/ Cake Decor for Charlotte Cake:

1 cup fresh raspberries and mint leaves for garnish

How To Make Charlotte Cake:

If you never made a European Sponge Cake, watch the video before you get started:

Make the raspberry syrup first:

1. In medium sauce pan, combine: 10 oz frozen raspberries and 1/2 cup sugar. Cook stirring occasionally until jam consistency. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve, pressing on the fruit with a spoon to extract as much raspberry juice as possible (you should get 2/3 cup syrup).

2. Into the raspberry syrup, stir in 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 Tbsp gelatin. Pour syrup back into sauce pan and place back over medium heat, whisk until gelatin is dissolved. Do not boil. Remove from heat and cool to room temp.

Make the Sponge Cake:

1. Line a 9″ springform pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350˚F. In the bowl of your mixer with the whisk attachment on high speed, beat 4 eggs for 1 minute. Gradually add 2/3 cup sugar and continue beating on high 7 min until thick and 3 to 4 times in volume.

Tip: European sponge cakes really rely on the volume of the eggs to rise properly. Make sure to beat it long enough and don’t over mix after adding flour!

2. Stir together cake flour and baking powder then sift flour into whipped eggs in 2 additions, folding to incorporate between each addition. Scrape from the bottom to catch any hidden pockets of flour and fold just until incorporated – don’t overmix. Bake at 350˚F for 23-25 minutes or until top is golden and springs back when poked lightly.

3. Once it’s out of the oven, remove cake from pan by sliding a thin edged spatula around the edges. Transfer to wire rack, peel back parchment and cool to room temp. Then slice cake layers in half horizontally.

Assembling the Charlotte Cake:

Tip: If you want to serve it on something besides the bottom of the springform, place a 9″ cake circle on the bottom of your springform pan for easier transferring. 

1. Cover springform walls with plastic wrap. Trim off 1/2″ all around the edges of both cake layers (I used kitchen scissors) and place the first layer into the bottom of your springform pan. Trim about 1/2″ off one end of all lady fingers. Place lady fingers in a tight ring, cut-side-down, around the cake base then brush cake with 1/3 of the simple syrup. Brush backs of lady fingers with 1/3 of syrup as well. Spread 1 1/2 Tbsp raspberry preserves over cake. Set aside.

2. With the whisk attachment, beat 3 cups heavy cream with 6 Tbsp powdered sugar on high speed until thick and spreadable. Remove 1 1/2 cups of whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a star attachment and refrigerate to use as topping later.

3. Once raspberry syrup is completely at room temp (don’t wait way too long or it will thicken and become difficult to blend), fold it into remaining big batch of whipped cream adding 1/4 syrup at a time and folding between each addition. This is your mousse.

4. Spread 1/2 of the mousse over cake layer inside the springform. Top with second cake layer, brush with remaining simple syrup and spread with 1 1/2 Tbsp raspberry preserves. Add remaining mousse. Pipe whipped cream and top with fresh raspberries and mint leaves if using. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set (3 hours or overnight). To serve, remove springform walls and plastic wrap.

Charlotte Cake Recipe with Raspberries

4.94 from 86 votes

Author: Natasha Kravchuk

This is our version of the classic French Charlotte cake. Everyone seems to take their own spin on it. I love how the sweet/tart mouse and raspberry preserves complements the soft cake and lady fingers.

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Prep Time: 2 hours hrs

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Ingredients 

Servings: 12 slices

For the Raspberry Mousse:

• 10 oz 2 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• Juice from 1 medium lemon, 2 Tbsp for mousse + 1 Tbsp for simple syrup below
• 1 Tbsp Knox unflavored Gelatin, from 1 1/4 packets
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 6 Tbsp confectioners, powdered sugar

For the Sponge Cake:

• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup cake flour, make your own with 2 ingredients!
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 7 oz pkg Lady Fingers
• 3-4 Tbsp raspberry preserves or jam

For the Simple Syrup, stir together:

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp sugar

Topping/ Cake Decor for Charlotte Cake:

• 1 cup fresh raspberries and mint leaves for garnish

Instructions

Make the raspberry syrup first:

• In medium sauce pan, combine: 10 oz frozen raspberries and 1/2 cup sugar. Cook stirring occasionally until jam consistency. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve, pressing on the fruit with a spoon to extract as much raspberry juice as possible (you should get 2/3 cup syrup).
• Into the raspberry syrup, stir in 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 Tbsp gelatin. Pour syrup back into sauce pan and place back over medium heat, whisk until gelatin is dissolved. Do not boil. Remove from heat and cool to room temp.

Make the Sponge Cake:

• Line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350˚F. In the bowl of your mixer with the whisk attachment on high speed, beat 4 eggs for 1 minute. Gradually add 2/3 cup sugar and continue beating on high 7 min until thick and 3 to 4 times in volume.
• Stir together cake flour and baking powder then sift flour into whipped eggs in 2 additions, folding to incorporate between each addition. Scrape from the bottom to catch any hidden pockets of flour and fold just until incorporated - don't overmix. Bake at 350˚F for 23-25 minutes or until top is golden and springs back when poked lightly.
• Once it's out of the oven, remove cake from pan by sliding a thin edged spatula around the edges. Transfer to wire rack, peel back parchment and cool to room temp. Then slice cake layers in half horizontally.

Assembling the Charlotte Cake:

• Cover springform walls with plastic wrap. Trim off 1/2" all around the edges of both cake layers (I used kitchen scissors) and place the first layer into the bottom of your springform pan. Trim about 1/2" off one end of all lady fingers. Place lady fingers in a tight ring, cut-side-down, around the cake base then brush cake with 1/3 of the simple syrup. Brush backs of lady fingers with 1/3 of syrup as well. Spread 1 1/2 Tbsp raspberry preserves over cake. Set aside.
• With the whisk attachment, beat 3 cups heavy cream with 6 Tbsp powdered sugar on high speed until thick and spreadable. Remove 1 1/2 cups of whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a star attachment and refrigerate to use as topping later.
• Once raspberry syrup is completely at room temp (don't wait way too long or it will thicken and become difficult to blend), fold it into remaining big batch of whipped cream adding 1/4 syrup at a time and folding between each addition. This is your mousse.
• Spread 1/2 of the mousse over cake layer inside the springform. Top with second cake layer, brush with remaining simple syrup and spread with 1 1/2 Tbsp raspberry preserves. Add remaining mousse. Pipe whipped cream and top with fresh raspberries and mint leaves if using. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set (3 hours or overnight). To serve, remove springform walls and plastic wrap.

• Full Nutrition Label
• Nutrition Disclosure

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: Charlotte Cake

Skill Level: Medium

Cost to Make: $$

Seriously delicious! Enjoy this my friends 🙂