The Best Stunning & Easy Strawberry Charlotte Cake

Are you ready to create a dessert that looks like it came straight from a high-end Parisian patisserie? A stunning, elegant cake that’s light as a cloud, bursting with the flavor of fresh strawberries, and requires absolutely no baking? It’s time to discover the magic of this classic and surprisingly easy Strawberry Charlotte Cake.

This isn’t just a cake; it’s a show-stopping centerpiece. A “Charlotte” is a timeless French dessert, famous for its beautiful “crown” of ladyfinger cookies that encases a light and delicate mousse filling. Our version features a luscious, airy strawberry mousse and layers of fresh, juicy strawberries. It’s the ultimate make-ahead dessert that is guaranteed to draw oohs and aahs from your guests, who will never guess how simple it was to create.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Recipe Overview: An Elegant No-Bake Masterpiece

What makes this Strawberry Charlotte Cake so special is its breathtaking presentation and its incredibly light, fresh, and creamy flavor. The recipe uses classic, simple techniques to create a stable, gelatin-set strawberry mousse that is folded with fresh whipped cream for an ethereal, cloud-like texture. As the cake chills, the crisp ladyfingers soften into a delicate, cake-like sponge. It’s the perfect, impressive dessert for any special occasion, from birthdays and anniversaries to spring holidays like Easter and Mother’s Day.

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	6 hours 45 minutes (includes chilling)
Active Prep Time	45 minutes
Difficulty Level	Intermediate
Servings	10-12

The Essential Ingredients for This Showstopper

This elegant cake uses a handful of high-quality ingredients to create its signature light texture and fresh flavor.

• Ladyfingers (Savoiardi): These are the architectural backbone of our cake. You will need crisp, dry, Italian-style sponge finger cookies known as savoiardi. Their very dry and porous texture is essential, as they are perfect for absorbing the moisture from the mousse and transforming into soft, delicate, cake-like layers without becoming a soggy mess.
• The Strawberry Mousse: This is the light, airy, and flavorful heart of the cake.
  • Fresh Strawberries: For the absolute best and most authentic flavor, you must use fresh, ripe, in-season strawberries. They provide both the flavor for the purée and the beautiful, juicy chunks layered inside the cake.
  • Heavy Whipping Cream: We use real, fresh heavy whipping cream, which is whipped to firm peaks. This is what gives the mousse its incredible volume and its light, cloud-like texture.
  • Gelatin Powder: This is our secret weapon for a perfectly stable mousse. Unflavored gelatin is “bloomed” in water and then dissolved into the strawberry purée. As the cake chills, the gelatin is what allows the light, airy filling to set up firmly enough to be sliced cleanly.
• The Final Touches:
  • Whole Strawberries: For a beautiful, classic garnish on top.
  • A Ribbon: A beautiful satin or grosgrain ribbon tied around the finished cake is the iconic finishing touch for a classic Charlotte.

Step-by-Step to a Perfect Charlotte Cake

This recipe involves a few distinct steps, but each one is simple. Follow this guide, and you’ll create a perfect, bakery-worthy cake with confidence.

Part 1: Prepare the Pan and the Ladyfinger “Crown”

Step 1: Bloom the Gelatin First, let’s prepare the gelatin so it’s ready when we need it. Pour the 60g of cold water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of gelatin powder evenly over the surface of the water. Let it stand, undisturbed, for at least 10 minutes. The gelatin will absorb all the water and “bloom,” becoming a firm, jiggly, puck-like gel.

Step 2: Prepare the Pan and Ladyfingers For a clean, professional finish, line the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with a strip of parchment paper or clear acetate.

You will need about 23 ladyfingers to create the “wall” of the cake. So they can stand up perfectly flat and stable, use a serrated knife to carefully trim about 1/4-inch off one end of each of these ladyfingers.

Arrange the trimmed ladyfingers in a tight, neat ring around the inside of the prepared pan, with their cut-sides down. Then, arrange a layer of the remaining whole ladyfingers on the bottom of the pan, cutting them as needed to fill in any gaps and create a solid base.

Finally, arrange an even layer of about 200g of the finely diced strawberries over the ladyfinger base. Set the prepared pan aside.

Part 2: Create the Light and Airy Strawberry Mousse

Step 1: Whip the Cream In a large, chilled mixing bowl, add the 450g of cold whipping cream, the 40g of powdered sugar, and the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream on medium-high speed until it becomes thick and holds firm peaks.

Separate out about 100g (about 1 cup) of the whipped cream and place it in a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip (like an open star tip). Set the piping bag in the refrigerator for the final garnish.

Step 2: Make the Strawberry Base In a blender, add 250g of the diced strawberries.

Take your small bowl of bloomed gelatin and microwave it for about 15 seconds, just until it has melted back into a smooth liquid. Add the melted gelatin to the blender with the strawberries.

Blend until the strawberries have been completely puréed.

Step 3: Combine to Make the Mousse Pour the puréed strawberry mixture into the large bowl with the remaining whipped cream.

Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the two mixtures together until they are just combined and no white streaks remain. Be very gentle to avoid deflating the air from the whipped cream. This beautiful, light pink mixture is your finished strawberry mousse.

Part 3: Assemble, Chill, and Decorate

Step 1: Assemble the Layers Add about half of the strawberry mousse mixture into the prepared pan, on top of the fresh strawberry layer. Use a small offset spatula to smooth it into a flat, even layer.

Arrange another layer of ladyfingers on top of the mousse. Add the rest of the fresh, diced strawberries on top of this second ladyfinger layer.

Finally, add the rest of the mousse mixture on top and smooth the top with your spatula for a beautiful, flat surface.

Step 2: Decorate and Chill to Perfection Take your piping bag of reserved whipped cream from the refrigerator. Pipe a beautiful ring or several rosettes of whipped cream around the top edge of the cake.

Arrange the 8 whole strawberries on top as a final decoration.

Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight. This long, uninterrupted chilling time is absolutely essential for the gelatin to fully set the mousse into a stable, sliceable cake.

When you are ready to serve, carefully release and remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Gently peel away the parchment paper or acetate liner. Tie a beautiful ribbon around the cake before serving for that classic, iconic Charlotte look.

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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

The Strawberry Charlotte Cake is the ultimate make-ahead dessert, as it must be made the day before to allow it to set.

• Make-Ahead: This cake is best when made a full 24 hours before you plan to serve it. This gives it plenty of time to set up perfectly, ensuring beautiful, clean slices, and allows the flavors to meld.
• Storage: Store any leftover cake, covered loosely, in the refrigerator. It is at its best and freshest within the first 2 days.

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Creative Recipe Variations

This elegant Charlotte is a wonderful template for other delicious fruit-forward creations.

1. Raspberry or Mixed Berry Charlotte: For a different but equally stunning version, you can swap the strawberries for an equal amount of fresh raspberries or a mix of fresh berries like raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
2. Add a Touch of Liqueur for the Adults: For a more sophisticated, grown-up flavor, you can add 2 tablespoons of an orange liqueur (like Grand Marnier or Cointreau) or a berry liqueur (like Chambord) to the strawberry purée before you blend it.
3. Chocolate Strawberry Charlotte: For a decadent twist, you can use chocolate ladyfingers if you can find them. You can also garnish the top of the finished cake with delicate, finely grated chocolate shavings along with the fresh strawberries.

Enjoy Your Stunning Patisserie-Style Creation!

You’ve just created a truly special, show-stopping dessert that is a masterpiece of both flavor and presentation. This classic Strawberry Charlotte Cake is a celebration of fresh, simple ingredients and classic technique. It’s the perfect, impressive dessert for making any occasion feel extra special.

We hope you enjoy every last, light-as-air, and delicious bite!

If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves an elegant dessert!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)