Classic Strawberry Charlotte

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A timeless French chilled dessert, Strawberry Charlotte features crisp ladyfingers lining a mold, encasing a silky vanilla bavarian cream layered with fresh, juicy strawberries. It is elegant, make-ahead friendly, and perfect for warm-weather entertaining.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 320 kcalCalories
• 17 gFat
• 9 gSaturated Fat
• 36 gCarbs
• 2 gFiber
• 24 gSugar
• 7 gProtein
• 95 mgSodium
• 220 mgPotassium
• 110 mgCalcium
• 1.5 mgIron
• 35 mgVitamin C
• 580 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the mold

• 24–28 crisp ladyfingers (savoiardi)
• 1/3 cup strawberry liqueur, raspberry liqueur, or orange juice
• Neutral oil or softened butter, for greasing

For the vanilla bavarian cream

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract)
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) unflavored gelatin
• 3 tbsp cold water
• 1 cup cold heavy cream

For the strawberry filling

• 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered (plus extra for garnish)
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Lightly oil a 7-inch charlotte mold or 6-cup straight-sided bowl, then line with plastic wrap leaving overhang. Brush both sides of each ladyfinger with liqueur and arrange around the sides, flat side facing out, cutting to fit as needed. Line the bottom with more ladyfingers, trimmed flush.
2. Bloom the gelatin by sprinkling it over the cold water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. In a saucepan, combine milk, vanilla bean seeds and pod (or extract), and heat just until steaming. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale and slightly thickened.
3. Temper the yolks by slowly drizzling in the hot milk while whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 170°F and coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil. Off the heat, whisk in the bloomed gelatin until fully dissolved, then strain into a clean bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
4. In a chilled bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream gently into the cooled custard in three additions until completely smooth and no streaks remain.
5. Toss the quartered strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice; let macerate 10 minutes, then drain off excess liquid. Scatter half the berries over the ladyfinger-lined mold. Pour in half the bavarian cream, top with the remaining berries, then finish with the rest of the cream. Smooth the top and tap gently to release air bubbles.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until fully set. To unmold, run a thin knife around the edge, invert onto a serving plate, and peel off the plastic wrap.
7. Garnish the top with halved fresh strawberries and a generous dusting of powdered sugar just before slicing and serving cold.

Cook’s Notes

• Use ripe, fragrant in-season strawberries for the deepest flavor; if berries are tart, increase the sugar to 2 tablespoons when macerating.
• Whip the cream to soft peaks only — stiff cream will make the bavarian dense and heavy.
• The custard must be fully cooled to room temperature before folding in the whipped cream, or it will deflate the mixture.
• For a clean release, briefly wrap the outside of the chilled mold in a warm, damp kitchen towel for 10–15 seconds before inverting.
• The charlotte can be made up to 24 hours in advance; add the strawberry garnish just before serving so the fruit stays vivid.

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