Double Chocolate Charlotte

With a bit (a lot) of delay, I'm finally posting the recipe made for my daughter's 2nd birthday, a "socolate" cake, of course. I chose to make a charlotte because it's a cake that's relatively quick to make and easy for children to eat! So, it's a double chocolate charlotte to which I added a praline base (you can replace the simple praline with a crunchy one) and a whipped cream decoration 😊

Ingredients:
I used Jivara & Guanaja chocolates from Valrhona: code ILETAITUNGATEAU for 20% off the entire site (affiliate).

Equipment:
Thermometer
Mini offset spatula
Perforated baking sheet
Pastry bags
10mm nozzle
18cm ring



Preparation time: 1 hour preparation + 10 minutes cooking + rest in the refrigerator
For an 18 to 20cm diameter charlotte:

 

Ladyfinger Biscuit:

 120g egg whites (about 4 whites)
 100g granulated sugar
 80g egg yolks (about 5 yolks)
 100g T55 flour
 QS icing sugar
 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
 Praline (optional)
 1 large tablespoon of milk
 
 Start by preparing a French meringue: whip the egg whites to soft peaks, then tighten them by adding the sugar in three parts while gradually increasing the speed of the stand mixer. The meringue is ready when it is smooth, shiny, and forms a bird's beak.
 
 
 
 
 Next, add the egg yolks and whisk again for a few seconds, just enough to incorporate them.
 
 
 
 Finish by gently incorporating the sifted flour with a spatula.
 
 
 
 Put the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a smooth nozzle of 10 to 12mm in diameter.
 Pipe (onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper) a ladyfinger band (twice to have enough biscuit to go around your ring) and two 20cm diameter biscuit circles (depending on the size of the ring you will use for assembly).
 Dust once with icing sugar mixed with a bit of cocoa, wait two minutes, and dust them a second time.
 Bake in the preheated oven at 180°C for about 10 minutes (the biscuit should spring back when you press a finger into it but should be very soft). When it comes out of the oven, place the biscuit on a rack and let it cool.
 
 
 
 Then, trim the base of the ladyfinger band and place it in the ring set on the serving plate. Add the first biscuit circle trimmed to the correct size, and soak it with milk using a pastry brush. If desired, add praline at this point.
 
 
 
 

Dark Chocolate Mousse:

 35g whole milk
 145g liquid cream with 35% fat content
 90g Guanaja dark chocolate with 70% cocoa
 1 tablespoon milk to soak the biscuit
 Optional: crispy pearls or chocolate chips
 
 Gently melt the chocolate.
 Heat the milk and then pour it over the chocolate, mixing well to have a smooth and shiny ganache.
 
 
 
 When the ganache is around 55°C, whip the liquid cream into a not-too-firm whipped cream and gently incorporate it with a spatula.
 
 
 
Pour the mousse into the biscuit ring, adding crispy pearls or chocolate chips if desired.
 
 
 
 Add the second ladyfinger biscuit, soaking it as well with a bit of milk.
 Let it set in the refrigerator while preparing the second mousse.
 
 

Milk Chocolate Mousse:

 35g whole milk
 150g whole liquid cream
 120g Jivara milk chocolate with 40% cocoa
 
 Gently melt the chocolate.
 Heat the milk and then pour it over the chocolate, mixing well to have a smooth and shiny ganache.
 
 
 
 When the ganache is around 50°C, whip the liquid cream into a not-too-firm whipped cream and gently incorporate it with a spatula.
 
 
 
 
 Pour the mousse over the cake (you can again add chocolate chips or crispy pearls), smooth the surface, and let it set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
 
 
 
 

Whipped Cream and Finishing Touches:

 200 to 250g whole liquid cream (depending on the piping style)
 20 to 25g icing sugar 
 Chocolate shavings 
 
 Whip the liquid cream with the icing sugar into whipped cream. 
 
 
 
 Pipe it onto the charlotte, then decorate with some chocolate shavings and enjoy!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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