When we announce the arrival of the Strawberry Charlotte, the cakes are pre-sold before they even make it into the display case. They are mag-nificent to behold: a powdery band of lady fingers tied up with a bow and a jumbled crown of tiny straw berries. And the inside is just as remarkable, enriched by a mousse that is as creamy as it is fresh and bright.

Charlottes are a French dessert traditionally made in a mold with ladyfingers and Bavarian cream or mousse. Typically the pan is lined with the ladyfingers and the filling is added. We found this technique to be incredibly difficult. The solution we devised is to mold the mousse sepa-rately, and pipe the lady finger batter in a way that lets it bake into a con-nected band of cookies. At assembly time, this allows you to wrap the cookie sash around the cake in one fell swoop.

Mousse is a delightful way to carry the flavor of fresh fruit into a cake, contributing creaminess and swoon-worthy unctuousness at the same time. In the cake, too—a simple, buttery sponge with a touch of syrup

CAKES 45

STRAWBERRY CHARLOTTEmakes one 6-inch layer cake

ingredients

1 HOT MILK CAKE (PAGE 26)

¼ CUP RASPBERRY SIMPLE SYRUP (PAGE 207)

ABOUT 2 CUPS FRESHLY MADE STRAWBERRY MOUSSE (PAGE 198)

TWO 3-BY-10-INCH BANDS LADYFINGERS (PAGE 204), TRIMMED TO A TOTAL OF 19 INCHES (SEE NOTE, PAGE 47)

APPROXIMATELY 28 INCHES MOSS-GREEN SATIN RIBBON, 1 INCH WIDE

1 PINT FRESH STRAWBERRIES, PREFERABLY SMALL AND WHOLE WITH STEMS ATTACHED, OR HULLED AND SLICED IF LARGER

1 DECORATIVE STRAIGHT PIN (OPTIONAL)

preparation

1. Read through or review the “Cake Assembly and Decorating Basics” section beginning on page 21.

2. Make the Hot Milk Cake as directed and make sure it is cool inside and out. (If frozen, let thaw in the refrigerator, 3 to 4 hours. If time demands, you can thaw on the countertop, 1 to 2 hours, but be careful not to let it sit too long before you begin working with it, as a cold cake is easier to cut.)

3. Clear a space in the refrigerator large enough for the cake on a cake board (see page 215). The mousse cake will need several hours to set up.

4. If making the simple syrup now, let cool to room temperature. Make the mousse as directed.

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