Mascarpone & Olive Oil Cream with Homemade Ladyfingers

This Charlotte cake was inspired by the work of French pastry chef Pierre Hermé.

During a trip to France, my sister took us to visit his pastry shop. After returning home, my son asked me about making one of the desserts, and I realized I already had one of Pierre Hermé's pastry books in my collection.

Professional pastry books can sometimes be challenging for the home baker. Some ingredients are designed for professional pastry kitchens, difficult to find locally, or more readily available in Europe. I used the book as inspiration and adapted the dessert using ingredients I could find and techniques I could reproduce in my own kitchen.

When I finished this Charlotte, I was very pleased with the result.

The cake combines homemade ladyfingers, soft sponge, berries, and a mascarpone cream flavored with extra-virgin olive oil. The fresh berries keep the dessert light and slightly tart, while the mascarpone gives the filling richness.

It is also a beautiful cake to bring to the table. The ladyfingers form the outside of the Charlotte, so much of the decoration is created as you assemble the dessert.Yield:

One 8-inch Charlotte Cake

Supplies:

Stand mixer or hand mixer
Mixing bowl medium size
saucepan
Spatula
Cake mold/cake ring
acetate
Whisk
Scale

Charlotte Recipe:

1 recipe lady finger sponge
1 cup frozen mix berries plus fresh berries 3 pins for garnish
1 recipe olive oil mascarpone cheese cream

Lady Finger Sponge Recipe:

Ingredients:

Ladyfinger Sponge

Ingredients

120g egg yolks (approximately 6 yolks)
110g egg whites
75g all-purpose flour
50g cornstarch
35g granulated sugar, for the yolks
55g granulated sugar, for the egg whites
Cream of tartar, amount to confirm

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar.
Gradually add the 55g sugar and continue whipping until the meringue reaches soft to medium-stiff peaks.
In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks with the 35g sugar.
Sift together the flour and cornstarch and incorporate them into the yolk mixture.
Fold the meringue into the yolk mixture in three additions, working gently to preserve the air in the batter.
Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with an Ateco #7 or #8 round tip, or use a tipless piping bag.
Pipe ladyfingers approximately 4 inches (10 cm) long.
Use the remaining batter to prepare the 8-inch round sponge layer for the base of the Charlotte.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 15–20 minutes, or until lightly golden and baked through.

Yield: One 8-inch round sponge plus approximately 12 ladyfingers.

Charlotte Filling:

Mascarpone & Olive Oil Cream

Ingredients

375g mascarpone
75g (⅓ cup) heavy cream
90g granulated sugar
26g (2 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
6g gelatin powder
45ml (3 tbsp) cold water, for blooming
1 vanilla bean preferably or 2 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Prepare the Gelatin

Sprinkle 6g gelatin powder evenly over 45ml cold water.

Allow to bloom for 5–10 minutes.

Gently warm until completely dissolved. Do not boil.

Prepare the vanilla:

If using a vanilla bean, split it lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds to the mascarpone mixture. Alternatively, add 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract.

Prepare the Mascarpone Cream

Combine the mascarpone, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

Gradually add the extra-virgin olive oil and mix until incorporated.

Add the dissolved gelatin and mix until evenly combined.

Keep the cream cool while preparing the cake for assembly.

Use the berries juice soaking the sponge

Berry Filling

1 cup fresh or frozen mixed berries
½ cup sugar

If using frozen berries, thaw them first and drain the excess juice.

Combine the berries with the sugar.

Reserve the berry juice to lightly soak the sponge during assembly.

If you're actually cooking the berries and sugar rather than simply macerating them, tell me—that needs to be reflected in this section.

Assemble the Charlotte

Place an 8-inch cake ring on a cake board and line the inside with acetate.
Arrange the homemade ladyfingers upright around the inside edge of the cake ring.
Slice the round sponge horizontally into two thin layers.
Place one sponge layer inside the ladyfinger border to form the base.
Lightly brush or spoon some of the reserved berry juice over the sponge. Don't oversoak it.
Spread a layer of mascarpone–olive oil cream evenly over the sponge.
Distribute some of the berries over the cream.
Add the second sponge layer and lightly soak it with berry juice.
Repeat with another layer of mascarpone cream and berries.
Smooth the top and decorate with fresh berries.
Refrigerate until the mascarpone cream and gelatin are completely set.
Remove the cake ring and acetate carefully and serve the Charlotte cold.

Baking with Confidence

Keep the ladyfingers similar in size. Since they form the visible outside wall of the cake, even piping makes a big difference to the finished presentation.

Fold gently. The ladyfinger sponge gets much of its volume from whipped egg whites, so vigorous mixing will deflate it.

Don't oversoak the sponge. You want berry flavor and moisture without making the base soggy.

Keep mascarpone cool. Don't aggressively overmix it; mascarpone can become loose or grainy when mistreated. It is a cheese with boundaries.

Give the Charlotte enough chilling time. The gelatin needs time to set the cream before you remove the cake ring.

Assemble the charlottes:

Use 1 cup of fresh or frozen mix berries with 1/2 cup sugar. If frozen berries are used, thaw and strain the excess juice before incorporating sugar.
Slice the sponge into 2 layers and use one layer for the base. Use a cake ring with acetate, arrange ladyfingers around it, and insert the sponge to hold the base in place. Use the berries juice soaking the sponge
Spread the filling cream evenly and add the berries. Repeat the process.
Finish with berries on top, refrigerate to set, and serve cold.

Keep this charlotte recipe on hand for your next special occasion!

View other related topic:

Lady finger recipe

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Berry Charlotte Cake