RASPBERRY CHARLOTTE RUSSE

A feature in ABOUT Magazine N8 - BAROQUE

I was recently invited to contribute a baroque-themed dessert recipe and accompanying photographs for a feature in ABOUT Magazine N8 with the main theme of Baroque. It was an honor to be published among artists and professionals featured in this issue such as Betty of Stems & Forks, Haniyeh Nikoo, Dacil Fernandez, and Daniela Constantini, to name just a few.

The English cover is of Betty of Stems & Forks and you can enjoy the English issue here: ABOUT, Magazine N8 - BAROQUE

Choosing a BAROQUE-themed dessert was easy and I knew immediately that it had to be a Charlotte Russe. Charlotte Russe is an ancient dessert created by the French chef Carême in 1805, who initially named it Charlotte a la Parisienne, but later changed it to Charlotte Russe in honor of his employer, Czar Alexander of Russia. This sweet delicacy has evolved to include many versions, but in its essence, it is a luscious chilled dessert of vanilla pudding and cream set in a mold of sponge cake or slices of bread. The French celebrity chef Alexis Soyer was the first to use biscuits instead of bread, thus giving this cake one of the most beautiful appearances among all the ancient desserts. Charlotte russe was the first dessert I thought of when contemplating a baroque-themed dessert idea. 

This Raspberry Charlotte Russe boasts a signature ladyfinger base brushed with amaretto, providing the perfect tender, moist, and slightly bitter sponge for other flavors to shine. The raspberry curd adds a sweet and tangy note, while the diplomat cream brings a traditional vanilla aroma with delicate sweetness and creaminess. A touch of the ruby ganache provides a rich texture, while the raspberry rose cream brings forth a refreshing flavor that balances out the sweetness of the cake. 

Equipment:

I used one 12 cm and one 15 cm cake mold to make two small Raspberry Charlotte Russes (as seen in the photo above).

Parchment paper for lining the cake molds, sieve, brush, saucepan, stand mixer, and piping bag.

Ingredients:

• 500 g Ladyfingers (I used store-bought)

• 100 ml amaretto liquor for brushing the ladyfingers

Raspberry curd:

• 75 g frozen raspberries

• zest of 1 lemon

• 30 g freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 30 g granulated sugar

• 3 egg yolks

• 45 g softened butter

Diplomat cream:

• 500 ml milk (full-fat)

• 2 vanilla beans

• 4 egg yolks

• 40 g caster sugar

• 30 g cornstarch

• pinch of salt

• 5 g (1 ½ teaspoon) gelatine powder

• 2 tablespoons of cold water

• 180 ml heavy cream

Raspberry cream:

• 250 g frozen raspberries

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• zest of 2 lemons

• 2 teaspoons of rose water

• 150 g mascarpone

• 250 ml heavy cream

Ruby ganache:

• 100 g ruby chocolate

• 50 ml heavy cream

For decoration:

• Fresh raspberries

• Whipped cream

• Finely powdered sugar

• Blanched almonds

• Rose petals (piped from ruby ganache, or bought for decoration)

Preparation:

Prepare raspberry curd, diplomat cream, raspberry cream, and ruby ganache first, as they need to chill in the fridge for a few hours before assembling the cake. After assembling, the cake needs to be refrigerated until set, at least for a few hours or overnight, so I like to prepare it a day in advance.

Raspberry curd

Place the frozen raspberries, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small pot. Cook on medium to low heat until raspberries soften and burst. Press the raspberry mix through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Discard the seeds, wash the sieve, and pat it dry. Return the raspberry juice to the pot add sugar and stir. The mix should have cooled quite a bit by now, if it’s hot, wait a bit. Whisk in the egg yolks and return the pot to the stove, cooking at medium heat and whisking constantly until the curd thickens. Pour the curd through the sieve to ensure its silkiness and press to get everything out. Add the softened butter until the butter is fully melted and until you have a shiny, smooth curd. Transfer to a mason jar and chill, then store in the fridge until assembly.

Diplomat cream

The Diplomat cream is one of the classic creams combining pastry cream and Chantilly cream (sweetened whipped cream). I used gelatine in this recipe to ensure firmness, but you can also prepare the diplomat cream without it. Then use 2/3 pastry cream and 1/3 Chantilly cream, as is the ratio in Italian recipes.

To make the pastry cream, split the Vanilla beans in half, scrap the seeds, and place both in the milk. Heat it then turn off the heat, cover the pot, and leave to infuse for about 20 minutes. Remove the pods. Heat up on low until it starts to simmer, whisk occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a heat-proof mixing bowl. Add the cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Pour a few tablespoons of the hot milk over the egg yolk-sugar mixture while whisking to temper the eggs. Gradually add all the milk and whisk until smooth, then transfer back on the stove on low heat. Keep whisking until the custard thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. When it starts to boil, keep whisking for another minute, then remove from the heat. If using gelatine, add the powder to a small bowl mix with a little bit of cold water, and let it bloom. Mix until you get a thick paste, add it to the warm pastry cream, and whisk until it dissolves. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface then place in the fridge to cool down for about 2 hours.

In a separate bowl whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks. Take the pastry cream out of the fridge and loosen it with a whisk, then gently fold in the whipped cream until all is combined. Keep in the fridge until assembly.

Raspberry cream

Place the frozen raspberries, the lemon zest, and granulated sugar in a small pot. Cook on medium to low heat until raspberries soften and burst. Press the raspberry mix through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Discard the seeds. As it cools a bit, add rose water and mix with mascarpone until well combined. In a medium bowl beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form add the raspberry mascarpone mixture and gently fold in until combined. Store in the fridge until assembly.

Ruby ganache

In a small pan warm up heavy cream. Do not boil. Cut the chocolate into small pieces. Pour the warm heavy cream over the chocolate and make a bain marie. Stir until all the chocolate is dissolved. Once incorporated, mix with a hand mixer until smooth. Do not over-mix. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface then place in the fridge to cool down for at least 2-3 hours. If you run short on time, put it in the freezer for 30 minutes or slightly longer. Take it out of the freezer just before use and put it in the piping bag. Use petal piping nozzles, such as Wilton 124 or Wilton 104 to pipe roses on the cake or use bought ones for decoration.

Assembly:

Line the cake molds with parchment paper. Cut ladyfingers to fit your mold, then make a V shape on one end of each to form a teardrop shape. Arrange the teardrops in the bottom of the cake mold with the V pointing to the middle and the sugar side facing down, forming a flower design. This will be the top of the Charlotte cake. Line the sides of the mold with ladyfingers with the sugar side facing out. I used a bit of cold ruby ganache on the sides of the ladyfingers to press them together tightly. Brush the ladyfingers generously with amaretto. Spread some ruby ganache on top of the first layer of ladyfingers, then spoon a thick layer of diplomat cream, followed by another layer of ladyfingers. Brush them with amaretto and spoon raspberry curd on top. Spoon a thick layer of raspberry cream, followed by another layer of raspberry curd, and finish with another layer of ladyfingers. Brush them with amaretto again. Repeat with the second cake mold. Refrigerate until set, at least for a few hours or overnight. To serve, place a plate over the top of the mold and, holding it tightly, overturn the mold and plate. Open the mold slowly and lift it away from the charlotte. Discard the parchment paper. Dust Charlotte with finely powdered sugar and decorate it with fresh raspberries, blanched almonds, roses, and extra whipped cream, if desired. If there is any raspberry curd left, spoon some on top. Enjoy your baroque-themed Raspberry Charlotte Russe.