Try some adorable French-style baking with this Raspberry Charlotte Cake with Summer Berries.
My unique American twist and easy steps make it the perfect recipe for beginner bakers.
Why You’ll Love This Charlotte Cake Recipe
- Adorably French: Embrace the ‘cute’ French baking aesthetic and create a beautiful dessert that looks straight out of a patisserie.
- Beginner-Friendly: With such easy-to-follow steps, even newbie bakers can whip this cake up fast.
- My Unique Twist: I’ve taken a beloved French classic and added my American twist. Keep reading to learn more!
What is a Charlotte Russe?
A Charlotte Russe is a chilled dessert made with Bavarian cream (Bavarois) and fruit.
Sometimes, a Charlotte Russe contains fruity Bavarois layered between cakes, and sometimes, it is just the cream with fruit on top.
In my version, I wanted a solid base for easy serving at the book club, so I added a vanilla cake and layered the cream in between.
What is Bavarois?
Crème Bavarois or Bavarian cream is a chilled, cream-based dessert set with gelatin.
It starts with a custard base flavored with fruit, vanilla, or chocolate, that is lightly set with gelatin and chilled. Then, it’s lightened with fresh whipped cream and set again to form a mousse-like consistency.
What You’ll Need to Make Raspberry Charlotte Cake
Ingredients
- Raspberries: Fresh, or frozen and fully thawed (so can extract juice).
- Mixed berries: Use fresh, not frozen, berries in any variety you like for the topping.
- Ladyfingers: Use the soft or hard variety for this recipe. I prefer hard as they resemble an actual biscuit. However, if you use the soft variety, you can buy about 12 extra ladyfingers to sub in for the scratch-made cake – an excellent shortcut.
- Heavy cream: Be classy. This is not a job for cool whip!
- Rosewater: Cortas is my favorite brand
- Gelatin: Use powdered, unflavored gelatin – I used the Walmart brand.
- Baking staples: Flour, sugar, butter, milk baking powder, salt, vanilla extract
Tools
- Electric mixer with paddle and whisk attachments
- Hand whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Cake leveler or serrated knife
- 8-inch round baking pan
- 9-inch round springform pan
How to Make the Best Charlotte Cake
Making the Bavarois is probably the hardest part of this recipe.
So here’s some expert tips to make it easy:
- Temper the egg yolks: Tempering means you will slowly cook raw egg yolks with a hot liquid. (This is usually a hot milk/cream mixture for a custard.)
- Heat the liquid just until it simmers. At the first sign of bubbles on the edge of the waterline or visible steam, take it off the heat and start tempering.
- Slowly add the hot raspberry liquid to the egg yolks and stir constantly. If unsure, add very little hot liquid at a time to avoid cooking the eggs too quickly.
- When the bowl with the egg yolks starts emitting steam, it reaches the same temperature as the hot liquid. It’s then safe to add the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan.
- Bloom and dissolve the gelatin: Bloom in cold water; dissolve in hot liquid
- Let the gelatin fully bloom by sprinkling it over cold water and waiting for it to absorb all the water before using it. It should not be runny.
- Fully dissolve the gelatin in the hot custard by stirring until all clumps are gone. Add the gelatin to the custard immediately after removing the saucepan from the heat. The custard should still be steamy at this point.
- Setting time: Not too much, not too little
- The initial set occurs after cooked custard meets gelatin. Chill for up to 1 hour, then the mixture should remain viscous, not firm. This consistency is important because you’ll be folding in whipped cream afterward. If you accidentally let your Bavarois set for too long (like me), see the video below on how to recover.
- The final set occurs after the entire cake is assembled. At this time, chill for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. This will ensure the entire cake is firm and will hold its shape when cut.
If you accidentally let your Bavarois set for too long, watch this video on how to recover:
You can see the custard sets, and doesn’t allow the cream to be folded in. You need to break up the custard with the whisk of an electric mixer and incorporate the cream into it.
What Inspired This Recipe
I happened to pick up this awesome cookbook:
Sweet Paris: Seasonal Recipes from an American Baker in France
– by Frank Adrian Barron.
It showcases French cakes, biscuits, and tarts, organized by season.
The pictures are eye-catching and have that quintessentially “cute” French baking aesthetic. Most of all, I love that all the recipes use fresh fruit.
I adapted this Raspberry Charlotte Cake from the Barron’s Charlotte Rose recipe.
You’ll love this recipe if you enjoyed my Raspberry Rosewater Cheesecake Bake Box! Once again, I paired raspberries and rosewater, but this time, I added a soft vanilla sponge with creamy, fluffy raspberry bavarois.
FAQs
Can I use Halal/Kosher gelatin in this recipe?
Yes, Halal or Kosher gelatin made from beef or fish works in the same amount as regular gelatin.
Can I use gelatin sheets instead of powdered gelatin?
Yes, but you’ll need to use a conversion calculator so you use the right amount.
Can I use flavored gelatin like Jell-o?
No, try to avoid flavored gelatin like Jell-o because its sugar content will affect the recipe and make it too sweet!
Raspberry Charlotte Cake with Summery Berries
This Charlotte recipe features raspberry Bavarois creme and celebrates summer berries!
Equipment
- Electric mixer with paddle and whisk attachments
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Cake leveler or serrated knife
- 8 inch round baking pan
- 9 inch round springform pan
Ingredients
For the sponge cake:
- 10 Tbsp (1 ¼ sticks/140 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ¾ cup (219 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 large egg whites room temperature (save the yolks for the raspberry bavarois)
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
- ¼ tsp (1.25 g) salt
- ¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk
For the Raspberry Bavarois:
- ½ oz (14 g) unflavored powdered gelatin
- 12 ½ oz (355g) raspberries
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
- ½ cup (100 g) fine sugar granulated will work too
- 3 large egg yolks
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
For the rose syrup:
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp (45 ml) rose water
For the assembly:
- 25 ladyfingers soft or hard variety will work
- 1 ¼ cup (300 ml) heavy cream
- 3 cup (397 g) mixed berries I used cherries, raspberries, and strawberries
Instructions
Make the sponge cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch round baking pan and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the egg whites, one at a time, mixing until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients, alternating with milk. Mix between additions until the flour and milk are fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a cake taster inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the raspberry Bavarois:
- In a small bowl, bloom the gelatin by sprinkling it over ¼ cup of cold water. Let sit until the water is absorbed. No need to stir.
- In a food processor or blender, puree the raspberries until smooth. Strain into a bowl through a fine-mesh strainer. Use a rubber spatula to get all the juice out. Compost or discard the seeds.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and raspberry juice. Heat until just simmering. While heating, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl.
- Temper the warm raspberry mixture into the egg yolks. Add a small amount of the warm liquid to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Add a little more at a time, continuously whisking. When all the raspberry mixture is incorporated into the egg yolks, pour it back into the saucepan.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, and return saucepan to the heat. Whisk slowly until you feel the mixture start to thicken. Stir in the vanilla extract and remove from heat. Transfer the custard to a bowl.
- Pour in the bloomed gelatin (it should have absorbed all the water by now) and stir until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for no more than 1 hour, while you make the rose syrup and whip the cream.
Make the Rose Syrup:
- Meanwhile, bring a ½ cup (120 ml) of water to boil in a small saucepan. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Add the rosewater and reduce heat to low. Cover the saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a jar or bowl. Let syrup cool at room temperature until ready to use. (Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator)
Assemble the Charlotte:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the cream into the raspberry bavarois until incorporated. If the bavarois is already solidly set, transfer it to the bowl of the stand mixer and turn the whisk on low speed to break it up. Then fold in the cream slowly. Mix until the color is even, and no white spots remain.
- The bavarois should be thick and fluffy. Return it to the fridge while completing the next step.
- Line the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. If preferred, trim the bottom edges of the ladyfingers with a serrated knife to create a flat edge.
- Torte your cake using a serrated knife to slice it into 2-3 layers. No need to level the top of the cake. The rounded top of the cake can be used in this recipe.
- Carefully place one flat layer of cake into the bottom of the springform pan. Sprinkle the sponge with 2-3 tablespoons of rose syrup.
- Dip the flat side of each ladyfinger into the rose syrup, and stand it up on the inside of the pan, cut side down and syrup-soaked side facing inwards. Wedge the ladyfingers between the cake and the side of the pan for stability. Continue until the entire perimeter is lined with ladyfingers.
- Remove the bavarois from the refrigerator and spoon half of the filling on top of the first layer of cake. Spread out with a spatula.
- Repeat layering cake, sprinkling with rose syrup, and spreading with raspberry bavarois until the final rounded layer of cake goes on top. Refrigerate overnight or at least 2 hours to set.
- To decorate, carefully remove the sides of the springform, peel off the parchment, and lift the cake onto a serving plate or cake stand. Toss your washed mixed berries in rose syrup and spoon them on top of the cake. Wrap with a ribbon and tie it in a bow!
- To serve, remove the ribbon, slice with a sharp knife, and enjoy! Drizzle with leftover rose syrup if preferred.
Notes
I recommend making this recipe a day before serving, as the raspberry Bavarois requires time to set in the fridge. A springform pan will help keep the cake’s shape, but its the cooling time that solidifies it. You don’t want to work hard on a cake, just to have all the filling run out when you cut it!
