Strawberry Charlotte Cake
If you want a quick dessert that feels elegant without being difficult, this Strawberry Charlotte Cake is a wonderful choice. Crisp ladyfinger cookies create classic border, while center is filled with a soft strawberry mascarpone mousse, and plenty of fresh strawberries.
This is a no-fuss, no bake, and eggless showstopper that works especially well during spring and summer. You can make it for birthdays, baby showers, Mothers Day, brunch, or any other gathering whent you want delicate, fresh and slightly different dessert from a standard layer cake.
Want more No Bake Cakes? Try this fresh and creamy strawberry cheesecake, this layered chocolate peanut butter treat, or this easy chilled pumpkin pie dessert for holiday table.
Quick Recipe View
- 🏷️ Recipe Name: Strawberry Charlotte Russo Cake or Charlotte Aux Fraises
- 🍽️ Serves: 8 slices
- 🕒 Ready In: 30 minute prep time + chilling
- ⚡ Calories: 558
- 🧺 Main Ingredients: Ladyfingers, strawberries, mascarpone, heavy cream, sugar, gelatin, vanilla, lemon juice
- 💛 Why You’ll Love It: Eggless. No bake. It looks just amazing, bakery worthy, and slices nicely after chilling. It can be make ahead of time, so you have the time for other gathering preparation stuff.
Ingredients
- Ladyfingers – Use crisp savolardy style ladyfingers so they stay upright neatly for that classic Charlotte shape.
- Fresh strawberries – You will need them for decorating and filling. Choose ripe, sweet strawberries with good color becasue they add both the flavor and beautiful look inside and outside of the cake.
- Lemon Juice – Try not to skip this ingredient if you can. It just takes it to the next level of freshness.
- Gelatin powder or gelatin sheets – It keeps the mousse set firmly enough to slice it clean.
- Cold heavy cream – Keep it very cold so it whips easily and gives the mouse a light, airy texture.
- Mascarpone – makes that rich creamy and smooth filling thats not too heavy.
- Strawberry juice – for dipping the base ladyfingers
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Steps to Make this Stylish Charlotte Cake with Strawberries
Step 1: Line a 7 inch springform pan with parchment paper for easier release. Trim the rounded bottom edge off the ladyfingers if you want them to stand neatly. Place the ladyfingers upright around the inside edge of the pan without soaking them.
Step 2: Dip few more ladyfingers in strawberry syrup or juice for just a second and use them to cover the bottom of the pan.
Tip: Do not dip for too long. You dont want them to become soggy.
Step 3: Blend 300g Strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Pour the puree into a small saucepan and warm gently. Just until it is warm. Not boiling.
Step 4: Place the gelatin in cold water for about 5 minutes untill it blooms. Then melt it gently and stir it into the warm strawberry puree until fully dissolved.
Step 5: In a bowl mix the mascarpone and vanilla until smooth.
In another bowl, whip the cold cream until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.
Finally, slowly fold the strawberry mixture into the cream mixture until everything becomes like a light pink mousse.
Step 6: Spread about half of the mousse into the mold. Scatter randomly chopped fresh strawberries over the mousse.
Add another layer of briefly dipped ladyfingers. Then some more chopped strawberries.
Finish with remaining mousse. Smooth the top nicely.
Step 7: Refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Its best overnight.
Step 8: Decorate. Once the cake is completely chilled remove the springrorm ring and peel away the parchment.
Decorate the top with some fresh strawberries and whipped cream.
Add a decorative ribbon for elegant finish
Decorating a cake is the most fun part and you can decorate it how ever you feel like at the moment. Depends on the occasion too, right? I sometimes add colorful sprinkles if its a birthday, or some Easter egg decorations.
This is the part you can play with!
How Can You Adjust Cake
- Instead of strawberries you can use other berries, or variation of different kinds. That depends on your taste.
- If you like very creamy cake you can skip the second layer of ladyfingers. I am a cream cake huge fan, but to me it was a bit too much of a cream, lol. But you can try if you like.
- You can always play with decorations, and add some chocolate chips or bigger layer of whipped cream. I have some chocolate lovers at home so I often add them for my daughter after slicing.
- If you want to make it gluten free, there are gluten free ladyfingers to buy, or you can make them yourself!
How to Store Charlotte Cake
You can keep it in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. But it is best to eat it within 2 days, so those fresh strawberries don’t release too much moisture over time.
But, I am sure it wont last longer that 2 days, and it will disappear fast. Like it does in our home.
Do not freeze. I tried it once, and it was kind of grainy, and was not as tasteful as when freshly made.
Important Equipment Used
- 7 inch springform pan
- Parchment paper
- Blender – or you can use food processor
- Hand mixer
I feel like I should say more about this simple, and so elegant french cake, but it is so simple to make that I said all needed.
Feel free to ask any questions, or send me variations you made! Happy no baking 🙂
too busy to make it?
pin it for later to your favorite pinterest board
Try some of these amazing desserts too:
Strawberry Charlotte Cake – Charlotte Aux Fraises
Ingredients
Structure
- 30 –35 ladyfingers
- 400 g fresh strawberries
Strawberry mousse
- 300 g strawberries
- 120 g sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 10 g gelatin powder or 5 gelatin sheets
- 60 ml cold water
- 400 ml cold heavy cream
- 250 g mascarpone
- 1 tsp vanilla Syrup for soaking
- 150 ml strawberry juice or simple syrup
Instructions
- Step 1: Line a 7 inch springform pan with parchment paper for easier release. Trim the rounded bottom edge off the ladyfingers if you want them to stand neatly. Place the ladyfingers upright around the inside edge of the pan without soaking them.
- Step 2: Dip few more ladyfingers in strawberry syrup or juice for just a second and use them to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Step 3: Blend 300g Strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Pour the puree into a small saucepan and warm gently. Just until it is warm. Not boiling.
- Step 4: Place the gelatin in cold water for about 5 minutes untill it blooms. Then melt it gently and stir it into the warm strawberry puree until fully dissolved.
- Step 5: In a bowl mix the mascarpone and vanilla until smooth.In another bowl, whip the cold cream until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.Finally, slowly fold the strawberry mixture into the cream mixture until everything becomes like a light pink mousse.
- Step 6: Spread about half of the mousse into the mold. Scatter randomly chopped fresh strawberries over the mousse.Add another layer of briefly dipped ladyfingers. Then some more chopped strawberries.Finish with remaining mousse. Smooth the top nicely.
- Step 7: Refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Its best overnight.
- Step 8: Decorate. Once the cake is completely chilled remove the springrorm ring and peel away the parchment.
Notes
How Can You Adjust Cake
- Instead of strawberries you can use other berries, or variation of different kinds. That depends on your taste.
- If you like very creamy cake you can skip the second layer of ladyfingers. I am a cream cake huge fan, but to me it was a bit too much of a cream, lol. But you can try if you like.
- You can always play with decorations, and add some chocolate chips or bigger layer of whipped cream. I have some chocolate lovers at home so I often add them for my daughter after slicing.
- If you want to make it gluten free, there are gluten free ladyfingers to buy, or you can make them yourself!
Storage