A fruity and light spring dessert: Strawberry Shortcake ! A light strawberry mousse accompanied by pieces of gariguette strawberries, soft sponge fingers... A fresh and easy to prepare recipe to finish a meal on a light note.
What you will like about this strawberry charlotte
- flavors : the good fruity taste of strawberries, light and delicious!
- texture : melting in the mouth thanks to the strawberry mousse, and soft thanks to the soaked spoon biscuits. The cut fruit in the center of the mousse adds a touch of freshness.
- difficulty level : this strawberry charlotte is quite simple and quick to prepare. On the equipment side, you need a mixer to make the grout, and a adjustable pastry ring or charlotte mold to make this recipe.
Choose your ingredients carefully for this recipe
- strawberries : in pastries I always choose French gariguettes, they are very tasty and really tasteful! Their shape is also ideal for decorating desserts, including this strawberry charlotte.
- spoon cookies : for the charlottes, I strongly recommend the spoon biscuits (and not the ladyfingers which are drier). You can of course make them homemade, but to make this recipe even faster, they are store-bought cookies.
- liquid cream : this is the whole liquid cream 30%mg in a carton. It must be very cold to make your whipped cream, so keep it in the refrigerator.
- lemon juice : I use a yellow lemon that I squeeze (especially not the juice sold in bottles). The lemon juice has two main functions here: to protect the color of the strawberries from oxidation, and to reveal their flavor. Besides, it works with all red fruits.
How to make a strawberry charlotte?
- We realize syrup to soak the biscuits
- On place the cookies in the pastry circle
- On mix the strawberries to make a coulis
- On heat the grout by incorporating the gelatin
- We whip the cream in firm whipped cream
- On incorporates the grout delicately
- We pour the mousse on the biscuits
- On refrigerate strawberry charlotte
NB: the complete list of ingredients and the detailed recipe are given at the bottom of the page.
My advice for making your charlotte a success
- so that the biscuits hold together well when unmolded : soak only the flat side (not the rounded side). This is enough for good adhesion between the biscuits and the mousse.
- the whipped cream should be stiff (not soft) when adding the coulis : otherwise the foam created will be difficult to hold in the mold. We want to avoid leaks between the biscuits.
- distribute the strawberry pieces evenly in the center of the charlotte so that each part can have several pieces of strawberries to cut.
- refrigerate for at least 5 hours so that the strawberry charlotte holds perfectly when serving.
How to store strawberry charlotte?
Strawberry charlotte keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I advise you to place it in an airtight container (under a bell jar) to prevent it from taking on the smell of other foods in your fridge.
Other recipes to try
If you like fruit desserts, I advise you to take a look at these other recipes from the blog:
- Raspberry charlotte cake
- Strawberry mousse
- Key lime pie no cook
- Red fruit crumble
- No-Bake Raspberry Cheesecake
- Very moist cherry cake
If you make this strawberry charlotte, please rate the recipe below and tag @liliebakery on Instagram so I can see your beautiful charlottes!
Strawberry Charlotte, The Easy Recipe
A light and fruity charlotte with the good taste of gariguette strawberries! An easy dessert to prepare for sunny days...
Ingredients
Soaking syrup
- 100 g water
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 cc natural vanilla extract
Charlotte
- 20 spoon cookies
- 380 g gariguette strawberries
- 70 g granulated sugar
- 2 cc lemon juice
- 4,5 gelatin sheets Vahine (1,90 grams per leaf, 200 blooms)
- 360 g heavy whipping cream 30% very cold
Interior + Decor
- 250 g gariguette strawberries
Prepare in advance
- In a saucepan, heat the water and powdered sugar until simmering. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and allow the resulting syrup to cool.
- Adjust the pastry circle to 18cm, place it on a baking tray with parchment paper (or place it directly on the serving dish).
- Take a biscuit spoon, then dip its flat side in the syrup then place it against the edge of the circle (curved side outwards). Continue with the other cookies to go around. Also line the bottom of the circle. Do not hesitate to cut the biscuits to stick them as much as possible.
- Soften the gelatin in cold water.
- Hull 380g of gariguette strawberries and place them in a blender. Mix to have a smooth coulis. Add the lemon juice. Pass the coulis through a strainer to remove the small seeds.
- Take 1/3 of the coulis and put it in a saucepan with the powdered sugar. Heat until boiling. Remove from the heat, add the drained gelatin then mix well. Mix this hot coulis with the rest of the cold coulis to accelerate its cooling. It must be warm (not hot) to use.
- Whip the very cold liquid cream into stiff whipped cream. Add the strawberry coulis little by little, mixing with a spatula so as not to break the whipped cream. The final mixture should be homogeneous.
- Hull and cut around ten strawberries into small quarters or pieces.
- Place half of the mousse in the circle on the spoon biscuits. Add the strawberry pieces then cover with the rest of the mixture. Smooth the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
- Remove the circle. Decorate with the remaining strawberries as desired! Serve well chilled.
Notes
This strawberry charlotte can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, ideally in an airtight container.
How to adapt the ingredients to the size of your mold?
The volume calculation is mandatory…
- Calculate the volume of my mold (dimensions given in my recipe)
- Calculate the volume of your mold
- Divide the volume of your mold by the volume of my mold
Good morning! Thank you for your recipes! However for the charlottes, I place
the biscuits around the edges after
unmolding. It's easier than dealing with soggy cookies that keep falling out. But there may be reasons why you work this way. See you soon
Hello Bernadette, the classic way to make a charlotte is to put the biscuits in first. If you want you can try to do like me, that is to say, soak the biscuits on one side only so that they are not soggy. See you soon :)
Very good recipe for Strawberry Charlotte. I made it this week.
Thank you very much Marie-Christine! Glad you like the charlotte :) See you soon
The recipe is perfect! I made it for my mother's birthday, everyone invited loved it. I recommend !
Thank you very much Mayleen! Glad you like this charlotte so much :) See you soon
Charlotte made yesterday.
Once again a real treat!
Thank you again for your detailed recipe which guides us through the entire process.
I'm going to try the Breton puck for my little Breton daughter :)
See you soon !!!
Thank you very much Christian! Indeed I try to be as precise as possible so that everyone succeeds! See you soon for other recipes :)
Please, I would like to make this strawberry charlotte for my dad, but I'm only 12 and the words you use are very difficult for me to understand. Please help me understand.
Hello, the recipe is available in English here: https://liliebakery.fr/en/charlotte-aux-fraises/
Hello
I would like to make this charlotte but my daughter-in-law is vegan, what can I replace the crème fraîche with to make the whipped cream?
Thank you and good day
Hello Michele, so it's quite complex because there is no easy replacement for the cream... You can take coconut cream (90% coconut) but you have to add a whipped cream fixative (pastry section). Gelatin is not vegan, you should also replace it with agar-agar but I don't know the doses, I never use it... See you soon
Hello, I made this charlotte for mother-in-law's 81st birthday and everyone enjoyed it.
A seasonal recipe that is easy to make, light and has a great effect on the Sunday table.
I will do it again for sure. Thank you for all the great recipes provided.
Thank you very much Géraldine, I am delighted that your whole family liked this recipe :) See you soon
Hello, thank you for all your excellent and very reliable recipes!!!
Charlotte delicious and easy to make.
Personally, I will add a second layer of strawberries to the whipped cream next time and I think we can try with 2 sheets of gelatin.
Julie
Thank you Julie for your feedback! See you soon for new recipes :)
To prevent the charlotte from collapsing, is it possible not to soak the biscuits, knowing that they should be soaked with just the inner cream?
Hi Damie, there's no reason for the charlotte to collapse if you use good quality (thick) biscuits and don't soak them much. See you soon :)
Hello and thank you for this recipe.
Tested this weekend in anticipation of my daughter's birthday. A real treat! I halved the amount of sugar for the children. I'm going to rework the arrangement of the strawberries on top because it's a bit tricky to cut without crushing the whipped cream underneath. For more indulgence I think I'll add pieces of sponge fingers with the strawberry pieces in the middle of the cream.
Is this recipe possible with agar agar instead of gelatin?
For those who do not have a pastry ring at home, the recipe can be made with a springform pan. Be careful if the size of the pan is larger, plan to increase the quantities.
Congratulations to you for this recipe
Hello Lorraine, thank you for your message! Glad you like the strawberry charlotte! You can replace the gelatin with agar agar, however it is an ingredient that I never use, so I can't give you a dosage. See you soon :)
Hello, can we make the recipe 48 hours in advance without it being a problem?, without the biscuits being all soft?
Hello Océane, for the charlotte, if you can make it the day before it's better than 48 hours before. The biscuits stay soft anyway because they are sponge fingers. You shouldn't soak them too much as I specify in my recipe. See you soon :)
Hello and thank you for your recipe which was extremely successful!!!
I'm going to make it again for Mother's Day
I just replaced the biscuits with Reims Roses
And I wrapped my Charlotte in a red ribbon.
Wow.....
Thank you very much Martine! Glad you enjoyed it, and good idea with the pink cookies! See you soon :)
Hello
Is it possible to make this dessert in advance and freeze it?
Thank you for your good recipes
Salomé
Hello Salomé, yes it is possible to freeze the charlotte well wrapped in film + aluminum foil to protect it from humidity. See you soon :)
Hello, I made the recipe, I am leaving it to rest in the fridge, however there is a transparent sweet liquid that has flowed down the sides of the plate, what is the cause?
Hi Théo, this liquid may mean that your cookies were too soaked in syrup? Hard to say without being there. See you soon :)
Hello Aurélie, thank you for this recipe. Do you think it is possible to make it in advance and freeze it?
Hello Fanny, yes you can freeze it, well wrapped in film and foil. Slow defrosting will take 6 hours in the refrigerator. See you soon :)
Perfect! Very good and sticks to the cut! Recipe made at the start of the week. THANKS .
Thank you very much Héléna for your comment and your rating! Glad you like the strawberry charlotte :) See you soon
To put it in the freezer, you can leave it in its mold
Hello Fanny, to freeze the strawberry charlotte, you can do it in its ring or without, but be careful to cover it well with cling film and aluminum foil to prevent any humidity from penetrating. See you soon :)
Hello,
In the photos, you can clearly see the biscuit under the charlotte slices.
The recipe does not say to cover with biscuits once the cream and strawberries have been poured.
So, should you put biscuits on top at the end?
Thank you in advance
Milkos
Hello Milkos, as you can see on my step-by-step photos and as specified on the recipe: there is a layer of biscuits placed in the bottom before pouring the mousse. That's all. No need to cover with the biscuits since it is the strawberries that serve as decoration. See you soon :)
A charlotte that has won all hearts☺️It’s soft, light and fresh! A real summer hug ❤️ I would do it again with great pleasure because even those who are absent want to be there for the next one ☺️
Thank you very much Camille for your message and your note! You are right, this charlotte is a real little summer pleasure :) See you soon
Hello,
Your recipe is great, apart from being good, it is easy to make and the result is very pretty.
Quick question, can we make the recipe with other fruits: pear, raspberry, etc.
Hello Myriam and thank you for your feedback! Glad you like the strawberry charlotte :) On my blog, I offer the recipe for raspberry charlotte here: https://liliebakery.fr/charlotte-aux-framboises/
And the chocolate pear charlotte here: https://liliebakery.fr/charlotte-poire-chocolat/
Charlotte made yesterday for my husband's birthday today and it was very appreciated.
I made it with pink biscuits from Reims and they held up well.
Thanks for the recipe
Thank you very much Christine! Glad you liked the charlotte :) See you soon for other recipes
A killing! I'm a big fan of fruit cakes. Prepared for a hearty family meal dessert, the Charlotte was perfect. Fresh and light
Thank you very much Sarah! :) See you soon
Hello, it's not strawberry season anymore, but I'm thinking of making this strawberry charlotte for my mother-in-law's birthday. Can I try the recipe with frozen strawberries that I've taken care to defrost and drain as much as possible?
Thank you in advance,
Stephanie
Hello Stephanie, yes you can try, even if the strawberries are basically full of water, I don't know what it will be like once defrosted. You have to try :)
A first for me this strawberry charlotte, and it was a treat, a light mousse that held well, the perfect quantities. The already sweetened sponge fingers soaked in vanilla syrup brought a touch of deliciousness and a bit of crunch to the mousse. Thank you!
Thank you very much Sophie! I am delighted that you like the recipe! See you soon :)
Hello, recipe successfully made this weekend, easy to make thanks to the good explanations, it was delicious. For the presentation, I surrounded it with a beautiful silver ribbon, too bad, we can't put photos
Thank you Nathoune for your feedback! See you soon :)
Delicious and light! My guests loved it. I highly recommend it. Thank you very much for the recipe :)
Can you tell me what size mold your ingredient quantities are for please?
Thank you very much !!
Hello, it's indicated in the recipe card at the bottom of the page. See you soon :)
Made today for my son's 7th birthday, everyone loved it, thank you for this great recipe with balanced flavors
Thanks Coco! See you soon :)
A treat, my family asks for more... a little time consuming to make but worth it!
Thank you France! See you soon :)
Hello,
A light and fresh dessert, a deliciously fragrant mousse.
A superb recipe, well explained.
A success the first time!
The biggest challenge for me is getting the sponge fingers to stick around the mold. I made the mistake of using a 15cm acetate sheet, but I changed to an 8cm one and it was easier.
Thank you for these delicious and superb recipes accompanied by magnificent photos.
Thank you so much ! Goodbye :)
Excellent recipe!
Thank you very much Catherine! See you soon :)
An easy-to-follow recipe thanks to all the explanations and tips.
A real treat, both for the eyes and for gourmets!
Thank you very much Pauline! See you soon :)
Hello, recipe perfectly explained. I made the charlotte yesterday and it was delicious. I used bovine gelatin (I don't eat pork). I had a problem with the mousse. Could you explain my mistake? Thank you. It was too thick for my taste. Thank you.
Hello Louisa, I don't know this gelatin and your problem must come from there, it must not set like classic gelatin. See you soon :)
Great dessert, really easy to make
Thank you Sylvie! See you soon :)
Excellent
I recommend this recipe
Thank you very much Nat! See you soon :)
Very good recipe: good consistency of the cream, perfect dosage of ingredients. I made it 3 times without any bad surprises, thank you.
Thank you Monique! See you soon :)
Excellent recipe!
Thank you Fabrice! See you soon :)
Thank you so much for this strawberry charlotte recipe! It's excellent and quite easy to make!!
Thank you Isabelle for your feedback! See you soon :)
Recipe made last week for lunch with friends. It was unanimously acclaimed, even saying that this charlotte is worthy of an excellent pastry chef, I would even say much better.
Merci à vous
Excellent recipe, thank you.
Thank you Carole! See you soon :)
Hello, very good explanation of the charlotte, I don't put any gelatin at all, very good hold, thank you,
Thank you Monique, see you soon :)
A treat! Simply divine for the taste buds!
Thank you Laetitia! See you soon :)
Excellent recipe, my guests loved it. I would like to make it again but it's not strawberry season anymore. I wanted to try it with peaches. What do you think?
Hello Anne, you can do a test beforehand, preferably with peach in syrup. See you soon :)
Recipe made for my son's 4th birthday! Very easy and above all VERY GOOD! Everyone loved it, and is asking me for another strawberry charlotte! Thank you very much :) Chocolate soufflés also made from your blog for the birthday, the guests loved it too.
Oh thank you Sophie! Glad you like my recipes! See you soon :)
I tried the recipe and it's very good.
Thank you ;)
Thank you Cindy! See you soon :)
I've made the charlotte on several occasions, and I've never been disappointed. Thank you.
Thank you Monique, see you soon :)