Description
An elegant French-inspired charlotte layered with delicate homemade sponge biscuits, silky lime diplomat cream, and juicy mint-marinated strawberries. Fresh, creamy, citrusy, and ideal for spring and summer celebrations.
Ingredients
2 egg yolks
50 g granulated sugar
20 g cornstarch
10 g all-purpose flour
250 mL whole milk
10 g unsalted butter
400 mL heavy cream (30% fat), chilled
Zest of 1 organic lime
5 eggs, separated
150 g granulated sugar
75 g all-purpose flour
75 g cornstarch
Powdered sugar, for dusting
400 g fresh strawberries
8 large fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Juice of ½ lime
10 g granulated sugar
Extra strawberries, sliced, for decoration
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the diplomat cream by whisking the egg yolks with 50 g sugar until smooth. Whisk in 20 g cornstarch and 10 g flour until evenly incorporated.
- Heat the milk in a saucepan until steaming. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture, then return everything to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until thickened.
- Remove the pastry cream from the heat and stir in the butter. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for about 10 minutes, or until cooled.
- Whip the chilled heavy cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold it into the cooled pastry cream, then fold in the lime zest. Transfer the diplomat cream to a piping bag and refrigerate until needed.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line baking trays with parchment paper.
- Beat the 5 egg yolks with 120 g of the sugar until pale and creamy. In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites while gradually adding the remaining 30 g sugar, continuing until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture. Sift in 75 g flour and 75 g cornstarch and fold just until combined.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain tip. Pipe two strips of ladyfinger-style biscuits for the sides and two 15 cm sponge rounds for the interior layers.
- Generously dust the piped batter with powdered sugar. Wait about 5 minutes, dust again, then bake for approximately 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
- Dice 250 g of the strawberries and combine them with the lime juice, chopped mint, and 10 g sugar. Let the mixture rest, then drain before assembly, reserving the strawberry juices.
- Place an 18 cm cake ring on a serving plate and line the inside edge with the ladyfinger biscuits, with their rounded sides facing outward.
- Place one sponge round in the bottom and lightly brush it with the reserved strawberry juice. Pipe over a generous layer of lime diplomat cream and scatter half of the drained strawberry mixture on top.
- Add the second sponge round and repeat with diplomat cream and the remaining strawberry filling. Finish the top with a final layer of diplomat cream.
- Decorate with sliced fresh strawberries and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Carefully remove the cake ring just before serving, garnish with fresh mint leaves, and serve chilled.
Notes
Chilling time is separate from the 1 hour 30 minutes of active preparation and cooking time.
For best results, chill the charlotte overnight so the cream sets firmly and the layers hold together when sliced.
Store covered in the refrigerator and enjoy within 1–2 days.
Store-bought ladyfingers can replace the homemade biscuits around the sides to save time.
For a mixed berry variation, replace part of the strawberries with raspberries or blueberries while keeping the total fruit quantity approximately the same.
Lemon zest and juice can replace the lime for a strawberry-lemon charlotte.
The mint can be omitted or replaced with a small amount of fresh basil.
Do not reheat; serve the charlotte chilled.
Freezing the assembled charlotte is not recommended because it can affect the texture of the cream and fresh strawberries.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake and Chill
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 245 mg
