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Chocolate Charlotte Cake

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The French chocolate charlotte is an elegant no-bake dessert featuring Ladyfingers and a rich chocolate mousse.
  • Author: Delphine Fortin
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Chilling Time: 12 hours
  • Total Time: 13 hours
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Cakes and pies
  • Cuisine: French

The French chocolate charlotte is an elegant no-bake dessert featuring Ladyfingers and a rich chocolate mousse. Prepared with 5 components only, it will sure look impressive for any festive occasion!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 20 lady fingers
  • 11.5 ounces (330g) high quality baking chocolate, at 60% cocoa*, broken into pieces
  • 1 stick (115g) unsalted butter, diced
  • A pinch of salt
  • 8 large eggs, whites and yolks apart
  • ½ cup (110g) sugar + 4 Tablespoons, divided
  • 5.3 ounces (150g) chocolate-dipped candied orange peels**, chopped (optional)
  • ⅓ cup (80 ml) water
  • 2 Tablespoons rum (optional)***

Instructions

  1. Line a round springform with removable bottom with parchment paper (bottom and rims). You can choose a springform ranging from 7-inch (18 cm), 8-inch (20 cm) or 9-inch (23 cm) in diameter. The smaller the diameter the higher the filling. Set aside.
  2. Place butter and chocolate in a bowl. Melt in the microwave in 30 seconds intervals, until smooth. Let cool slightly.
  3. In a medium bowl, beat the yolks and sugar using a hand mixer until pale and fluffy. Slowly pour in the chocolate mixture and mix until combined.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until peaks form. Add about ¼ egg whites to the white chocolate filling, then fold in the rest of the filling very carefully. It must be light and fluffy.
  5. For the syrup***, heat up water and sugar in a saucepan placed over medium heat until it starts bubbling. Stir and remove from heat to cool slightly.
  6. To assemble the charlotte, take a ladyfinger and quickly soak the flat side (the bottom) in the syrup. Place it against the side of the pan, rounded-side facing out and flat side (soaked side) facing inward. Repeat and arrange the ladyfingers all around the sides of pan, nice and snug to avoid gaps. Place the rest of the ladyfingers in one layer at the bottom of the pan.
  7. Pour two thirds of the chocolate mousse inside the pan, then add an additional layer of soaked lady fingers on top. Sprinkle the chocolate-dipped candied orange peel over, then ladle the rest of the mousse on top, and smooth it out with a spatula. Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight), until the mousse is set.
  8. When the Charlotte is chilled and set, carefully remove it from the springform, peel off the parchment paper from the edges, place on a serving tray, and leave at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving (the chocolate mousse will be soft and perfect). Slice, and enjoy!

Notes

* I find that using baking chocolate at 60% cocoa is the sweet spot. Below 60% the chocolate flavors are not bold enough, over 60% the mousse texture tends to be dense and makes the dessert a little heavy in my opinion.

** Chocolate-dipped candied orange peels is optional in the recipe but make this chocolate charlotte ultra delicious!

*** The syrup can be prepared with water and sugar, or with water-sugar-rum, or with coffee-sugar. Just choose what you like the most.

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