Charlotte Russe (Ladyfinger Bavarian Cream Chilled Dessert)

Quick answer

Total time: 50 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Charlotte Russe is a chilled French dessert built around a mold lined with ladyfinger biscuits and filled with Bavarian cream.

The cream base is a creme anglaise, a cooked custard of egg yolks, milk, and sugar, into which bloomed gelatin is stirred while warm. The mixture is cooled until it begins to thicken at the edges, then folded together with softly whipped cream before it can fully set. This timing matters: too early and the cream deflates the custard, too late and the gelatin seizes before the mousse can be poured. Ladyfingers are arranged vertically around the interior of the mold, their sugar-dusted side facing outward. As the mousse sets over several hours in the refrigerator, the biscuits absorb moisture from the inside and soften while their exterior stays dry. Unmolding reveals a neat cylinder of pale biscuit encasing smooth, ivory mousse. The dessert stands on its own, but a raspberry or strawberry coulis poured alongside adds bright acidity that cuts through the fat and brings the sweetness into balance.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

Ladyfingers18 eaea

Milk220 mlml

Heavy Cream280 mlml

Sugar70 gg

Egg Yolks3 eaea

Gelatin8 gg

Vanilla Extract1 tsptsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Step

Sprinkle 8g gelatin evenly over 40ml cold water and let it bloom for 5 minutes.

Make sure every granule is moistened so it melts smoothly later without rubbery clumps.
2

Season

Put 3 egg yolks and 70g sugar in a bowl, then whisk for about 2 minutes until pale, thick, and slightly ribbony.

This helps the custard cook evenly and taste cleaner.
3

Control

Warm 220ml milk with 1 teaspoon vanilla over low heat until small bubbles appear around the edge.

Pour it gradually into the yolks while whisking, so the eggs temper instead of scrambling.
4

Control

Return the mixture to the pot and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 83°C and lightly coats the spatula.

If steam rises hard or bubbles start, lower the heat at once.
5

Step

Stir the bloomed gelatin into the hot custard until fully dissolved.

Set the bowl over ice water and stir gently until the edges thicken, stopping before the custard sets into lumps.
6

Step

Whip 280ml heavy cream to stiff peaks and fold it into the custard in two additions.

Stand 18 ladyfingers in the mold, line the base, pour in the mousse, level it, and chill at least 4 hours.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: This chilled French Charlotte Russe lines ladyfinger biscuits with Bavarian cream.
Finish cue: Return the mixture to the pot and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 83°C and lightly coats the spatula.
Avoid this: Do not boil the custard; gentle cooking keeps flavor clean.
Storage and reheating: As the mousse sets over several hours in the refrigerator, the biscuits absorb moisture from the inside and soften while their exterior stays dry.