Charlotte Russe Cake Food

CHARLOTTE CAKE RECIPE WITH RASPBERRIES

Steps:

• In medium sauce pan, combine: 10 oz frozen raspberries and 1/2 cup sugar. Cook stirring occasionally until jam consistency. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve, pressing on the fruit with a spoon to extract as much raspberry juice as possible (you should get 2/3 cup syrup).
• Into the raspberry syrup, stir in 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 Tbsp gelatin. Pour syrup back into sauce pan and place back over medium heat, whisk until gelatin is dissolved. Do not boil. Remove from heat and cool to room temp.
• Line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350˚F. In the bowl of your mixer with the whisk attachment on high speed, beat 4 eggs for 1 minute. Gradually add 2/3 cup sugar and continue beating on high 7 min until thick and 3 to 4 times in volume.
• Stir together cake flour and baking powder then sift flour into whipped eggs in 2 additions, folding to incorporate between each addition. Scrape from the bottom to catch any hidden pockets of flour and fold just until incorporated - don't overmix. Bake at 350˚F for 23-25 minutes or until top is golden and springs back when poked lightly.
• Once it's out of the oven, remove cake from pan by sliding a thin edged spatula around the edges. Transfer to wire rack, peel back parchment and cool to room temp. Then slice cake layers in half horizontally.
• Cover springform walls with plastic wrap. Trim off 1/2" all around the edges of both cake layers (I used kitchen scissors) and place the first layer into the bottom of your springform pan. Trim about 1/2" off one end of all lady fingers. Place lady fingers in a tight ring, cut-side-down, around the cake base then brush cake with 1/3 of the simple syrup. Brush backs of lady fingers with 1/3 of syrup as well. Spread 1 1/2 Tbsp raspberry preserves over cake. Set aside.
• With the whisk attachment, beat 3 cups heavy cream with 6 Tbsp powdered sugar on high speed until thick and spreadable. Remove 1 1/2 cups of whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a star attachment and refrigerate to use as topping later.
• Once raspberry syrup is completely at room temp (don't wait way too long or it will thicken and become difficult to blend), fold it into remaining big batch of whipped cream adding 1/4 syrup at a time and folding between each addition. This is your mousse.
• Spread 1/2 of the mousse over cake layer inside the springform. Top with second cake layer, brush with remaining simple syrup and spread with 1 1/2 Tbsp raspberry preserves. Add remaining mousse. Pipe whipped cream and top with fresh raspberries and mint leaves if using. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set (3 hours or overnight). To serve, remove springform walls and plastic wrap.

CHARLOTTE RUSSE WITH RASPBERRIES

Steps:

• Sprinkle the gelatin over 3 tablespoons water in a bowl and let stand, 5 minutes. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water), stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the pot and slowly whisk in the milk; keep warm.
• Whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar, salt and 1 tablespoon vanilla in a large heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over the pot of hot water and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until smooth and slightly custardlike, 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cook until it coats a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot and whisk in the gelatin mixture until smooth. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover and refrigerate until the custard just begins to set, about 1 hour.
• Line the walls of an 8-inch springform pan with ladyfingers, standing them up (trim the bottoms, if desired). Beat the heavy cream in a large bowl with a mixer until it holds soft peaks; sift 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar on top, add the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and stir. Gently fold 1 1/2 cups whipped cream into the chocolate custard until smooth. Carefully fill the pan with the chocolate cream. Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours.
• Remove the sides of the pan and transfer the dessert to a platter. Gently toss the raspberries with the liqueur and the remaining 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar in a bowl, then arrange on top of the cake.

CHARLOTTE RUSSE

Steps:

• In a chilled bowl, whip the cream until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla. Whip to soft, fluffy peaks, about 2 minutes.
• FOR THE CAKE: Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line a 12-slot muffin tin with large paper or foil cupcakes liners.
• Into a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together--three times. Form a well in the center and add the oil, egg yolks, sherry, and apple juice concentrate. On low speed, mix together, just until blended.
• In a clean, dry mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites with the pinches of salt and cream of tartar until creamy, foamy, and barely able to hold peaks, about 2 minutes. While sprinkling in the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, whisk until the egg whites have the consistency of shaving cream.
• Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Fold in the remainder of the whites. Fill the cups of the muffin tin no more than 2/3 full with the batter. Bake for 16 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly pressed and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes on a rack.
• Cut 12 (2 1/4-inch) circles and 12 (2 by 8 1/2-inch) bands out of glossy card stock. Wrap the bands around the circles to form cups and secure with tape or decorative ribbon. Do not tape any part of the circle. It must remain free to move.
• FOR THE FILLING: Mix the preserves and apple juice until smooth. Split the cakes into 2 layers. Spread 1 teaspoon of the preserves in between layers. Place the cakes in the paper holders so that the cake top is even with the paper rim.
• Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a star tip, with whipped cream. Pipe it to rise 1-inch above the paper rims. Top each with a strawberry.

ORANGE CHARLOTTE RUSSE

Steps:

• 1. Line the inside edge of a 9-inch springform pan with split ladyfingers standing on end, like making a round fence. Sprinkle them with liqueur.
• 2. In the top of a double boiler, blend the gelatin and sugar.
• 3. To the contents of the double boiler, add the milk and egg yolks. Using a rotary beater, blend the mixture thoroughly. Over simmering water, cook the custard, stirring constantly, until it coats a metal spoon. Transfer it at once to a large mixture bowl.
• 4. Stir in the orange rind, juice, and orange juice concentrate (thawed). Chill mixture until it just begins to set, perhaps an hour. If you wait too long, it won't mix properly.
• 5. Fold in the whipped cream. Pour the mixture into the springform pan, taking care that the ladyfingers remain upright. Chill the Charlotte Russe for at least 6 hours, or until thoroughly set. Umold the dessert onto a chilled serving plate and offer it in wedges (as you would cut a cake). The Charlotte Russe may be embellished with candied orange zest, if desired.

CHARLOTTE RUSSE

Steps:

• Place milk in a small saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin. Set aside for 5 minutes to soften and heat over low heat until dissolved. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, beat the cream with 1 cup of the sugar until firm peaks form when beaters are raised. Set aside.
• Place egg yolks in a large bowl and gradually beat in remaining sugar. Beat at high speed several minutes, until mixture is thick and pale yellow. Stir in gelatin and bourbon. With a rubber spatula, fold in 1 1/84 of the cream to lighten the mixture; then fold in the remaining cream.
• In another large bowl, with clean beaters, beat egg whites until soft peaks form when beaters are raised; fold into cream mixture. Line an 8-cup charlotte mold with ladyfingers (preferably homemade), spoon in the cream mixture and chill until set.