CHARLOTTE CAKE

Charlotte cakes are so pretty yet they do not need very skilful hands to decorate to make them look dainty. Just use colourful fruits or toppings and they are good to go!

A few elements that you will need to prepare in order to complete Charlotte Cake.
1. Fruit Mousse
2. Brandy sugar syrup
3. Lady Fingers

FRUIT MOUSSE
Blend the fruit of your choice together with 10% of its weight's worth of caster sugar. (If the fruit oxides quickly, may add some lemon juice too). Sieve through to obtain a smooth puree.
(I make more of the required puree during the fruit season and freeze the rest in a sealed bag for up to 6 months) 
Mousse is ready after folding in whipped cream (in 2 batches)  and gelatine to the puree.

BRANDY SUGAR SYRUP
Stir in 35g sugar in 50g hot water until sugar is dissolved. When cooled, add 2 tablespoons of brandy. Set aside. (Chill unused portion in a clean glass jar)

LADY FINGERS
Please take a look here for the Lady Fingers recipe. Do prepare your baking sheets first by tracing the base of the cake ring at the underside of the paper, and not forgetting to trace for the wall of the cake ring too :)

Here is how it looks like:

piping the row of wall  of cake with a flat nozzle

OK, now is just assembling and chill till set!

Align the wall first, then trim and fit base tightly. Make sure there is no leak

Above picture is my 1st attempt of making the cake. It is better to use "row" rather than individual fingers to form the wall.

For every 100g fruit puree, add 90g whipped cream, 1.5 gelatine leaves (or about 3.5g gelatine powder, grams not one teaspoon!) and 2 tablespoons of brandy syrup.

Chill to set

Top with fruits, glaze with some apricot jam and you are good to go!