No-Bake Orange Mousse Cake (Charlotte Cake)
This No Bake Orange Mousse Cake is a refreshing, easy-to-make cake you can prepare year-round for all kinds of celebrations. Layers of ladyfingers, orange creamy orange mousse, and orange slices make this cake a delicate, perfect option when you don't want to bake.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 410kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5-6 medium oranges
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- orange zest from 1-2 oranges
- 2 ½ tablespoons of Knox unflavored gelatin (2 ½ bags) or 9 gelatin sheets (230bloom)
- ½ cup cold water for blooming the gelatin
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 17 ounces ladyfingers
Instructions
Prepare the pan and the oranges:
- Line the bottom and the insides of a 9-inch springform with foil. If you have an acetate cake collar, use it inside the springform and cover just the bottom with foil.
- Grate 1-2 oranges for zest before peeling, saving the zest for the cream filling. Peel oranges, remove as much white layer as possible, and slice them into ¼ inch thick wheels.
- Select the prettiest orange slices, arranging them nicely on the bottom and walls of the springform for decoration. Set aside.
Make the filling for the cake:
- In a small bowl, mix unflavored gelatin with ½ cup cold water, let stand while preparing the filling. For gelatin sheets, hydrate in ice-cold water, squeeze, and use in filling.
- In a saucepan, combine egg yolks, orange juice, sugar, salt, and zest from 1-2 oranges.
- Cook the mixture on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon, typically around 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from heat, add gelatin, stirring well to blend. Set aside to cool.
- Separately, use an electric mixer to whip the heavy cream. Add the whipped cream to the cold egg yolk cream and mix well.
Assemble the cake:
- Pour half the mousse over the orange slices in the springform, then layer ladyfingers over the mousse.
- Pour the remaining mousse over the ladyfingers, then add another layer of ladyfingers on top.
Refrigerate overnight:
- Cover the springform with foil and place the cake in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours or overnight.
- The next day, remove the overnight foil, place the serving plate on top, hold both the plate and springform, and flip it upside down.
Serve:
- Open the springform, remove the foil, revealing a beautiful layer of orange slices covering the cake's surface.
- Slice the cake and serve it as is or with more whipped cream.
- This cake needs refrigeration. You can keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freezing the cake is not advised.
Video
Notes
- Step-by-Step Photos: This blog post features helpful step-by-step photos to guide you through making this recipe.
- Use a 9-inch springform for easy unmolding.
- Arrange orange slices neatly as they will be the cake's decoration.
- Ensure gelatin is properly dissolved before adding to the mixture.
- Allow mousse to set well before flipping the cake.
- Refrigerate overnight for best results. Ladyfingers will soften, absorbing moisture from the mousse.
- For a twist, consider using blood oranges or a mix of regular and blood oranges.
- Follow gelatin conversion instructions if using sheets instead of powdered gelatin.
- Avoid fruits like pineapple, kiwi, papaya, and mango in raw form due to enzyme bromelain, which affects gelatin setting.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 232mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 1079IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg
