Strawberry, Vanilla & Chocolate Charlotte
06 May 2025
Difficulty:
On April 17th we celebrated my daughter's 3rd birthday, and for the occasion she asked me for a charlotte cake (just like her 😉) with vanilla, chocolate, and strawberries! So I ventured into preparing this fresh and indulgent cake, even though I chose to make it without fresh strawberries (except for the decoration) to be able to freeze it. If you're preparing it at the last minute, you can of course add some strawberries in addition to the confit. And so, to meet the requirements, in addition to the strawberries, a well-vanilla mousse and a well-chocolaty creamy and it was done!
Ingredients:
I used Norohy vanilla & Caraïbes chocolate from Valrhona: code ILETAITUNGATEAU for 20% off the entire site (affiliate).
Equipment:
Perforated tray
Piping bags
Saint Honoré tip
22cm ring
Preparation time: 1h20 + baking & resting
For a 22cm charlotte / 8 to 10 people:
Ladyfinger biscuit:
120g egg whites (about 4 whites)
100g granulated sugar
80g egg yolks (about 5 yolks)
100g T55 flour
As needed of icing sugar
Start by preparing a French meringue: beat the egg whites, then stabilize them by adding the sugar in three times while gradually increasing the speed of the machine. The meringue is ready when it is smooth, shiny, and forms soft peaks.
Then add the egg yolks and whisk again for a few seconds, just long enough to incorporate them.
Finish by gently incorporating the sifted flour with a spatula.
Place the batter into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle of 10 to 12mm in diameter.
Pipe (on a tray lined with parchment paper) a strip (in two times to have enough biscuit to surround your ring) and two 22cm diameter biscuit circles (depending on the size of the ring you will use for assembly).
Dust once with icing sugar, wait two minutes and dust them a second time.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 10 minutes (the biscuit should spring back when lightly pressed, but it should still be very soft). When it comes out of the oven, place the biscuit on a wire rack and let it cool.
When it is cold, place the strip around the ring and a biscuit at the bottom.
Strawberry confit:
250g strawberries
2 tablespoons of sugar
A splash of lemon juice
Hull and cut the strawberries, add the sugar and lemon and cook over low heat.
When cooked, blend for a smooth result and store in the refrigerator.
Dark chocolate creamy:
120g whole milk
120g heavy cream
50g egg yolks
20g granulated sugar
100g Caraïbes dark chocolate or chocolate with 65/70% cocoa
Heat the milk and cream. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, then pour the hot liquid over them, mixing well.
Pour back into the saucepan and cook until it coats the back of a spoon, stirring constantly, up to 83°C. Then pour the resulting cream over the chocolate and blend with a hand mixer for a good emulsion. Cover the creamy with plastic wrap and refrigerate until assembly.
Vanilla mousse:
3g gelatin
100g whole milk
1 vanilla bean
30g granulated sugar
30g egg yolks
300g heavy cream (35% fat)
Start by preparing the custard: put the gelatin in a bowl of very cold water.
Bring the milk to the boil with the vanilla seeds.
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. Pour over half of the boiling milk, whisking well, then pour everything back into the saucepan.
Cook over low heat until reaching 85°C. Add the rehydrated and drained gelatin.
Let the cream cool.
When it is around 35°C, whip the very cold cream into soft peaks.
When the custard is about 30°C, add a small part of the whipped cream into it and incorporate it by mixing vigorously. Then gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream, taking care not to deflate the mixture to obtain the mousse.
Proceed immediately to the assembly.
Assembly:
Spread about 1/3 of the strawberry confit on the biscuit.
Then add half of the mousse, then dots of chocolate creamy inside.
Add the second biscuit, and again 1/3 of the strawberry confit.
Pour the rest of the vanilla mousse, then again dots of chocolate creamy in the mousse.
Smooth the surface then refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours minimum.
Vanilla whipped cream & decoration:
120g cream (35% fat)
10g icing sugar
A small amount of vanilla extract or powder
A few strawberries
The leftovers of strawberry confit and chocolate creamy
Whip the cream with icing sugar and vanilla. Pipe it on top of the charlotte (I used a Saint Honoré tip) and decorate with the leftovers of strawberry confit, chocolate creamy, and a few fresh strawberries before you enjoy!
Ingredients:
I used Norohy vanilla & Caraïbes chocolate from Valrhona: code ILETAITUNGATEAU for 20% off the entire site (affiliate).
Equipment:
Perforated tray
Piping bags
Saint Honoré tip
22cm ring
Preparation time: 1h20 + baking & resting
For a 22cm charlotte / 8 to 10 people:
Ladyfinger biscuit:
120g egg whites (about 4 whites)
100g granulated sugar
80g egg yolks (about 5 yolks)
100g T55 flour
As needed of icing sugar
Start by preparing a French meringue: beat the egg whites, then stabilize them by adding the sugar in three times while gradually increasing the speed of the machine. The meringue is ready when it is smooth, shiny, and forms soft peaks.
Then add the egg yolks and whisk again for a few seconds, just long enough to incorporate them.
Finish by gently incorporating the sifted flour with a spatula.
Place the batter into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle of 10 to 12mm in diameter.
Pipe (on a tray lined with parchment paper) a strip (in two times to have enough biscuit to surround your ring) and two 22cm diameter biscuit circles (depending on the size of the ring you will use for assembly).
Dust once with icing sugar, wait two minutes and dust them a second time.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 10 minutes (the biscuit should spring back when lightly pressed, but it should still be very soft). When it comes out of the oven, place the biscuit on a wire rack and let it cool.
When it is cold, place the strip around the ring and a biscuit at the bottom.
Strawberry confit:
250g strawberries
2 tablespoons of sugar
A splash of lemon juice
Hull and cut the strawberries, add the sugar and lemon and cook over low heat.
When cooked, blend for a smooth result and store in the refrigerator.
Dark chocolate creamy:
120g whole milk
120g heavy cream
50g egg yolks
20g granulated sugar
100g Caraïbes dark chocolate or chocolate with 65/70% cocoa
Heat the milk and cream. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, then pour the hot liquid over them, mixing well.
Pour back into the saucepan and cook until it coats the back of a spoon, stirring constantly, up to 83°C. Then pour the resulting cream over the chocolate and blend with a hand mixer for a good emulsion. Cover the creamy with plastic wrap and refrigerate until assembly.
Vanilla mousse:
3g gelatin
100g whole milk
1 vanilla bean
30g granulated sugar
30g egg yolks
300g heavy cream (35% fat)
Start by preparing the custard: put the gelatin in a bowl of very cold water.
Bring the milk to the boil with the vanilla seeds.
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. Pour over half of the boiling milk, whisking well, then pour everything back into the saucepan.
Cook over low heat until reaching 85°C. Add the rehydrated and drained gelatin.
Let the cream cool.
When it is around 35°C, whip the very cold cream into soft peaks.
When the custard is about 30°C, add a small part of the whipped cream into it and incorporate it by mixing vigorously. Then gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream, taking care not to deflate the mixture to obtain the mousse.
Proceed immediately to the assembly.
Assembly:
Spread about 1/3 of the strawberry confit on the biscuit.
Then add half of the mousse, then dots of chocolate creamy inside.
Add the second biscuit, and again 1/3 of the strawberry confit.
Pour the rest of the vanilla mousse, then again dots of chocolate creamy in the mousse.
Smooth the surface then refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours minimum.
Vanilla whipped cream & decoration:
120g cream (35% fat)
10g icing sugar
A small amount of vanilla extract or powder
A few strawberries
The leftovers of strawberry confit and chocolate creamy
Whip the cream with icing sugar and vanilla. Pipe it on top of the charlotte (I used a Saint Honoré tip) and decorate with the leftovers of strawberry confit, chocolate creamy, and a few fresh strawberries before you enjoy!
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