Charlotte Russe Cake- Classic European Recipe(No Bake)

The Charlotte Russe Cake is a classic European recipe that dates back to the 18th century. This delicious dessert is made up of layers of ladyfingers, Bavarian cream, and fruit. This is a no-bake dessert, which makes it perfect for any occasion when you don't want to heat up your oven.

A short history of this cake

This cake has become very popular worldwide and is a great dessert to serve at any gathering, whether it's a birthday, holiday, or just a get-together with family and friends.

Originally, Charlotte Russe was known as a cake made of ladyfingers pressed into a mold, filled with thick custard or Bavarian cream, and flavored with cooked fruit, spices, or brandy.

However, it gained even more popularity thanks to an episode of Downton Abbey where Ethel, Isobel's cook, made this dessert for a luncheon.

If you're a fan of no-bake desserts, the Charlotte Russe Cake is definitely worth trying. You can easily whip it up in your own kitchen and impress your family and friends with your pastry-making skills.

What's great about this Charlotte Russe Cake is that it can be put together in less than two hours without using the oven. You can also decorate it with seasonal fruits of your choice. It's a perfect dessert for any occasion!

Light and delicious, full of different textures and flavors, this cake is a keeper and deserves a place in your recipe book collection. Try it, and you will not be disappointed.

How To Make This Cake

For this recipe, start with an 8-inch springform cake pan. Using a different size will require you to modify the ingredient quantities. To avoid a cake that's only half-filled, increase the custard amount for a larger pan.

Step 1. The Syrup: This is an effortless step. In a medium pot, mix sugar and water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the stove and flavor the syrup with rum extract.

Note: Do not add the rum extract while simmering the syrup, as the flavor will dissipate.

Let the syrup cool down. This syrup will be used to steep the ladyfingers in it. If you add ladyfingers to hot syrup, they will fall apart.

Step 2. Prepare the pan and the ladyfingers. Line the bottom of the springform with cling wrap. Steep the ladyfingers in the syrup and line the sides of the springform with them. Place them tightly together. (You will probably need 20-25 ladyfingers)

Step 3. Cover the bottom of the pan with ladyfingers. Line the bottom of the springform with ladyfingers that you steeped in the syrup. Set aside.

Step 3. Make the cake filling

Whipped Cream: Place mixer bowl and whisk in the freezer for at least 20 minutes to chill. The heavy cream will beat faster if everything is very cold. Pour heavy whipping cream and vanilla into the cold bowl and whisk on high speed until medium to stiff peaks form, about 1 minute. Do not overbeat. Set aside.

Bavarian Cream: First, hydrate the gelatin. Mix the gelatin with water in a small bowl and set aside.

In a medium pot, mix the eggs with the sugar. Add milk.

Place the pot on Bain-Marie and constantly stir until the first signs of boiling. At this point, the eggs are cooked enough, and the custard should cling to the spoon.

Remove and add the hydrated gelatin. Mix continuously with a wooden spoon until the mixture is completely cool and the gelatin is dissolved.

Add the whipped cream and blend together. Add the candied fruit and mix well.

How to assemble the cake

Pour half the filling on the bottom of the cake over the ladyfingers. Cover the filling with another layer of ladyfingers soaked in the syrup. Pour the rest of the filling over the ladyfingers and smooth the surface with a cake spatula.

Place it in the refrigerator for a few hours or, better, overnight. The next day, carefully remove the edges of the springform and place the cake on a platter using a spatula. Decorate it with fruits, more whipped cream, sprinkles, etc.

This is how the cake looked like when, instead of adding candied fruits(suitable for winter), I used fresh fruit (in the summer).

This cake needs refrigeration. Place it in an airtight container for up to four days. Do not freeze.

More No-Bake Cake Recipes

•  No Bake Chocolate Biscuits Cake 
•  No Bake Cheesecake With Berries
• No Bake Orange Mousse Cake

📖 Recipe

Charlotte Russe Cake- Classic European Recipe(No Bake)

Charlotte Russe Cake is a classic European recipe that comes from the eighteenth century. The cake has layers of ladyfingers, Bavarian cream, and fruit. It is a no-bake dessert.

4.59 from 63 votes

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Course: Cakes And Entremets

Cuisine: International

Prep Time: 2 hours hours

Additional Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 436kcal

Author: Gabriela

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Ingredients

• ▢ 30-35 ladyfingers use 20-25 ladyfingers for the sides of the cake, the rest will be used for the bottom

For the syrup:

• ▢ ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ¾ cup water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Custard:

• ▢ 2 ¼ cups heavy cream
• ▢ 2 ½ envelopes Knox gelatine OR 28 g of Gold sheet gelatin see notes
• ▢ 4 tablespoons cold water
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 5 large eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup whole milk
• ▢ ½ cup candied fruit OR 1 cup fresh fruit, like strawberries,blueberries, raspberries, cherries peaches etc chopped small.
• ▢ Optional: Fresh Fruit for decoration

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• You need an 8-inch springform cake pan.
• Prepare the syrup:

  Bring to a boil the water mixed with sugar and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Remove from the stove and flavor the syrup with rum extract. (do not add the rum extract while simmering the syrup as the flavor will dissipate)
• Let the syrup cool down. ( If you add ladyfingers to hot syrup, they will fall apart.)
• Steep the ladyfingers in the syrup and line the sides of the springform with them. Place them tightly together. (You will probably need 20-25 ladyfingers)
• Line the bottom of the springform with ladyfingers steeped in syrup as well.

How to make the Bavarian Cream:

• Make the whipped cream: Place mixer bowl and whisk in the freezer for at least 20 minutes to chill.
• Pour heavy whipping cream and vanilla into the cold bowl and whisk on high speed for about a minute until medium to stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat. Set aside.
• Make the custard: Start by hydrating the gelatin. Mix gelatin with water in a small bowl and set aside. If you use gelatin sheets, squeeze the water after it gets hydrated.
• In a medium pot, mix the eggs with the sugar. Add milk.
• Place the pot on Bain-Marie and constantly stir until the first signs of boiling. It should look like a thin mayonnaise. At this point, the eggs are cooked enough, and the custard should cling to the spoon.
• Remove and add the hydrated gelatin. Mix continuously with a wooden spoon until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Allow it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Add the whipped cream and blend them.
• Add the candied fruit and mix well.

How to assemble the cake:

• Pour half the filling on the bottom of the cake over the ladyfingers.
• Cover the filling with another layer of ladyfingers soaked in the syrup.
• Pour the rest of the filling over the ladyfingers and smooth the surface with a cake spatula.
• Place it in the refrigerator for a few hours or better overnight.
• The next day, carefully remove the edges of the springform and place the cake on a platter. Decorate it to your taste with fruits, more whipped cream, sprinkles, etc.

Notes

Storage: This cake needs to be refrigerated and consumed in 2-3 days. It is not suitable for freezing. Keep leftovers in airtight containers.

Using fresh fruit versus frozen or canned: If you choose to use fresh fruit instead of candied fruit in the custard, DO NOT USE fresh kiwi, pineapple, mango, or papaya. Some enzymes in these fruits destroy the gelatin, and the cake will not set.

If you want to use these fruits, in particular, use canned and drain the juice very well. Otherwise, berries(fresh or frozen), peaches(fresh, frozen, or canned), and cherries are great to use as well. Use about 16 oz of fresh or frozen fruit.

If you use frozen fruit, make sure you drain it very well before adding it to the cake.

Understanding Gelatin:

Gelatin varies by type and brand, each with different strengths or "bloom" and weights. Higher bloom numbers like 230+ (platinum) mean stronger gelatin, requiring less in recipes.

For example, gelatin sheets come in several blooms:

• 120 (titanium)
• 140 (bronze)
• 160 (silver)
• 200 (gold)
• 230+ (platinum)

Weights vary too, from 1.75 grams for platinum to 5 grams for titanium. In the U.S., Knox powder gelatin is commonly used. Its bloom strength is 225, equivalent to gold or platinum sheets. One tablespoon of Knox, which is about 7 grams, typically replaces four gelatin sheets.

For a recipe needing 28 grams of 200-bloom gelatin, you'd use less Knox gelatin due to its higher bloom strength—about 2 ½ packets.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 182mg | Sodium: 94mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 948IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 2mg

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