Raspberry Charlotte Cake

 

Marie-Antoine Carême, a French chef, devised the Charlotte Russe in the 18th century. It was a classic icebox recipe: bavarian cream in a ladyfinger shape. It is indeed worth the work, however, because of end result is stunning and tasty!

 

For the filling:

1.25 tsp. unflavored gelatin

2 tbsp. water

3 egg yolks reserve whites for cake

2 tsp. cornstarch

3.25 cups frozen raspberries

2/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp. butter

Pinch salt

1.75 cups heavy cream

 

For the jam:

1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

 

For the cake:

2/3 cup cake flour

6 tbsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg plus 3 egg whites reserved from filling

2 tbsp. water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Fresh raspberries for decoration

 

Make the raspberry custard foundation for the filling first. 5 minutes before serving, cook the raspberries, sugar, salt, and butter over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, the butter is melted, and the raspberries have broken down into mainly liquid. Whilst raspberries are simmering, prepare the other two filling components:

In a small bowl, blend the gelatin and water and leave aside.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks (keep the whites!) and cornstarch; leave aside.

 

Whenever the raspberries are done, temper in the egg/cornstarch combination. To temper the eggs, slowly add a tablespoon of the hot raspberry sauce into the bowl of yolks, stirring swiftly and frequently. You must go gently or you may wind up with scrambled eggs. Add the tempered eggs back into the saucepan with the remaining raspberry mixture when the volume has doubled. Stir continually over low heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened completely.

 

Whenever the custard is finished, drain it into a basin that has the gelatin solution in the bottom. To drain out all of raspberry seeds, use a fine mesh strainer. Set aside to cool to room temp after fully incorporating all of the gelatin. Now on to the fun part! In a small mixing dish, combine the gelatin and fresh lemon juice and put aside for a few minutes to allow it to come combined. Microwave the store-bought jam in a separate bowl until it is warm and flowing. Stir in the gelatin until it is completely dissolved, then put aside to room temperature.

Now that it's time to make the cake batter. Inside a large mixing basin, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Inside a separate dish, combine the oil, entire egg, vanilla extract, and water. Put the wet group over the dry group and mix well. Whip the leftover egg whites by hand or in a stand mixer until soft peaks form. 1/3 of the egg whites should be mixed into the cake batter. When it is all incorporated, carefully fold in the remaining egg whites.

 

Heat the oven to 350°F. 1-1.5 cups chiffon cake batter should be poured into the bottom of a greased and parchment-lined springform pan. Put the remaining into an 8-inch square baking dish that has been buttered. Bake for 10-15 minutes, just until the cake is just done and springs back when touched but isn't brown. Whenever the cakes are finished, let them cool fully on a wire rack. Whenever the cakes have completely cooled, spread 2 tablespoons of the jam mixture equally over the tops. To make four even strips, cut the square cake in half and then in half once more. Replace the cake round in the springform pan and, with the pan unclipped, wrap the strips around/along the edge of the cake.

 

 

Meanwhile, beat the heavy cream by hand or with a stand mixer until soft peaks form. Mix in a third of the whipped cream with the raspberry curd. When it is all incorporated, carefully fold in the remaining whipped cream until the color is consistent and there are no traces. Smooth the raspberry bavarian cream over the top of the chiffon cake shape to fully cover it.

 

Lastly, pour the leftover jam over the top of the cake. Create a marbled design with a butter knife, then top with fresh raspberries in whichever arrangement you prefer! Refrigerate the springform pan in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours, just until the cake has completely set up. Only after the cake has chilled, run a knife around the internal ring to remove it from the springform pan before removing it.

 

Slice into large, gorgeous slices and serve!