Indulge in Strawberry Matcha Charlotte Cake, a no-bake French dessert. Layers of creamy matcha, white chocolate mousse, soft ladyfingers, and juicy strawberries come together to create a visually stunning, bakery-quality treat without even turning on the oven.
With Valentine’s and Galentine’s just around the corner, consider making this easy cake recipe for your sweethearts! It’s a sweet and light no-bake dessert.
This recipe will guide you through the process and provide helpful tips. If you are new to making chocolate-based mousse, we strongly recommend reading through the post to ensure your success!
Wanna make something yummy for the sweet tooth in your life? Explore our easy dessert recipes like Matcha Pastillas de Leche or Pandan Coconut Rice Krispie Treats!
Now let’s get started!
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Table of Contents
What is a Charlotte Cake?
A Charlotte cake, also known as a Charlotte Russe cake, is a dessert made with ladyfingers, fruit, and Bavarian cream or mousse. Its origins can be traced back to France in the 1800s, and the word “Russe” refers to Russia. It is believed that a French chef named this dessert after a Russian colleague.
Charlotte Russe cakes are often identified by the use of ladyfingers lining the exterior and tied with a ribbon.
Aside from altering the fruit, a Charlotte cake can be customized by experimenting with the flavor of the Bavarian cream or mousse. While a strawberry Charlotte cake is a popular choice, we’re elevating it further by incorporating matcha mousse.
Another variant of the Charlotte Russe cake is the Charlotte Royale, which features Swiss rolls, a type of sponge cake, instead of ladyfingers. Rather than a classic cake shape, the Charlotte Royale takes on a domed appearance with swirly patterns.
Introducing Strawberry Matcha Charlotte Cake
Our Strawberry Matcha Charlotte Cake recipe involves several steps: arranging the ladyfingers as the cake foundation, creating a chocolate-based matcha mousse, and assembling the final dessert.
We advise starting this recipe at least 2 days prior to serving, allowing ample time for the ladyfingers to soften.
The inspiration for this Strawberry Matcha Charlotte Cake came from our previous experience making matcha tiramisu.
Crafting the tiramisu at home, we were amazed by how simple yet delicious it turned out.
In fact, when our friends unexpectedly decided to hang out at the park that day, we were able to bring them the freshly made tiramisu to enjoy together. They loved it!
Additionally, the Strawberry Charlotte Cake from Paris Baguette also inspired this recipe. This chain is a famous South Korean bakery that is super popular in LA. They use their signature yogurt cream to create a mousse for their Strawberry Charlotte Cake.
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Why You’ll Enjoy This Recipe
- Unique and beautiful – This cake is so gorgeous and eye-catching! Wrapped with a pretty ribbon, it’s literally the perfect gift for a sweet tooth!
- Great for matcha lovers! – If you’re obsessed with matcha too, this cake is for you. Its sweet yet earthy taste makes it the perfect complement to fruity and light desserts. We highly recommend Aiya Matcha’s Culinary Grade Matcha, which we personally use in all of our matcha creations!
- No eggs needed – Due to the ongoing egg shortage in California, many of us are uncertain about how long this situation will persist.
In these times, store-bought ladyfingers prove to be a fantastic ingredient choice. They are shelf-stable, widely available, and cost-effective, making them an ideal alternative when eggs are scarce and a cake is needed. - No baking required – Embrace the no-bake magic! Skip the oven this time and let the ladyfingers work their charm.
With time, the ladyfingers absorb moisture and transform into a fluffy, cake-like texture. It’s a delicious shortcut to creating a homemade cake without the hassle of baking.
Tips for a Successful Matcha Mousse
Creating a chocolate-based mousse requires simple ingredients and a straightforward goal: blending chocolate with whipped cream to produce a smooth, fluffy dessert.
However, mousse is sensitive to technique and temperature. Making it is an all-or-nothing deal, meaning there are no fixes if the chocolate seizes up and the mousse becomes grainy.
To make our matcha white chocolate mousse with ease, it’s important to follow these tips:
- Use high-quality chocolate.
- Using high-quality chocolate is essential for creating a smooth, velvety mousse. Chocolate with a higher cocoa butter to water ratio and better melting properties, such as premium chocolate chips or melting discs, will produce superior results. Though it may cost a bit more, investing in quality chocolate is well worth it, especially when making a delicate dessert like this mousse.
- Temper the chocolate correctly.
- Tempering the chocolate involves gradually heating it to align the chocolate molecules and ensure stability. The process is very scientific, but the key point is simply to heat the chocolate in small increments and with patience.
- Microwave the chocolate in short 15-30 second bursts at full power, stirring between each increment. Continue this process for up to 90 seconds, stopping when the chocolate flows smoothly and has a shiny appearance.
- Take extra care with white chocolate because it is more prone to burning.
- Keep an eye on temperature.
- When it is time to combine the 3 components together (chocolate, gelatin/milk mix, and whipped cream) double check their temperatures by gently touching them with your finger.
- The chocolate should be fully melted and feel warm to the touch.
- The gelatin/milk mix should be liquid and feel room temp to the touch.
- Lastly, the whipped cream should feel cool to the touch but not super chilled.
- If the components are too hot or too cold, the chocolate will “seize,” meaning it will start to solidify again with a grainy texture. It’s crucial to ensure the temperatures of the chocolate, milk mixture, and whipped cream are just right to prevent this from happening.
- Do not overmix
- When folding the whipped cream into the chocolate, be careful not to overmix. Gently fold in the whipped cream until just incorporated. (Leaving some streaks is okay.)
- Overmixing a mousse can cause it to deflate significantly or make the chocolate seize into tiny grains, ruining the smooth, fluffy texture.
Making chocolate-based mousse may sound daunting, but we believe in you!
We’ve made all of these mistakes ourselves, so we’re happy to share these tips to help make it easier for you.
Remember, it’s important not to give up and to trust yourself. If you want to play it safe, we’d suggest getting extra ingredients in case you need to redo the mousse.
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Equipment
Note 1. Since we didn’t have a springform pan, which is commonly used for charlotte cakes, we improvised by using a 6-inch round cake pan, a cake collar, and tape. This setup worked surprisingly well.
- cake collar
- tape
- 6 inch round cake pan
- Our Place Chef Knife
- cutting board
- mixing bowl(s) plus chill one bowl for whipping cream
- electric mixer with whisk attachment
- silicon spatula
- piping bag
- toothpick
- basting brush
- ribbon for decoration
Ingredients
Matcha White Chocolate Mousse
- 1 cup heavy cream plus 3 tbsp for blooming gelatin
- 1 cup white chocolate chips 160g
- 1 tbsp culinary grade matcha 5g
- ½ tsp powdered gelatin
Charlotte Cake
- 7 oz ladyfingers
- matcha white chocolate mousse recipe provided
- 1/2 lb strawberries about 9 strawberries
- apricot jam for fruit glaze
- edible gold foil for decoration
Recipe
Prepare the Base of the Cake
- If you have a 6″ springform pan, skip this step. Prepare a cake collar by lining it within a 6″ cake pan and taping the ends secured. Now that the cake collar is sized, place it on a flat serving plate.
- Trim the bottoms of some ladyfingers so that they can stand upright. Set aside any trimmings to use later. Line the cake collar with ladyfingers placed vertically, like a fence. The ladyfingers should be shoulder-to-shoulder and not falling over. If needed, try to tighten the cake collar or add extra ladyfingers.
- Make the first layer of ladyfingers on the bottom of the cake. Trim as needed to fit the mold, and fill in the spaces with any leftover trimmings.
Make Matcha White Chocolate Mousse
- In a small bowl, mix together gelatin powder and 3 tbsp cream. Leave it to bloom for 10 minutes.
- In a chilled mixing bowl, add 1 cup heavy cream. Sift in the powdered sugar and culinary grade matcha.
- Whip to soft peaks. Set aside to rest on the counter.
- In another bowl, melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave in 15-30 second bursts at full power, stirring between each increment. Continue this process for up to 90 seconds, stopping when the chocolate flows smoothly and has a shiny appearance.
- Allow the melted white chocolate to cool for about 5 minutes, until it is warm to the touch.
- While you wait for the chocolate to cool, heat the gelatin/cream mixture in the microwave for 5-10 seconds until the gelatin is dissolved. Let it cool until it is room temperature but still liquid.
Note 2. Before proceeding to Step 7 of Making Matcha White Chocolate Mousse, double-check the temperatures of our 3 components by gently touching them with your finger.
Chocolate – fully melted and feels warm
Gelatin/milk mix – liquid and feels room temp
Whipped cream – cool but not super chilled
For more tips on making mousse, refer to the “Tips for a Successful Matcha Mousse” section of our blog post.
- See Note 2. Add the gelatin/cream mix to the melted chocolate. Mix with a spatula until incorporated.
- Now, take your spatula and add one scoop of the whipped cream. Gently mix into the chocolate.
- Gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream, adding 1/3 at a time. The mousse should be smooth and airy.
- Fill a piping bag with the mousse.
Charlotte Cake Assembly
- Pipe in the first layer of matcha mousse.
- Next, add a layer of ladyfingers. Trim as needed and use scraps to fill in the gaps.
- Add a layer of sliced or diced strawberries.
- Add another layer of matcha mousse.
- Add the last layer of ladyfingers.
- Finally, add the last layer of matcha mousse. Smooth out the top with a toothpick to get rid of any air bubbles and distribute the mousse evenly.
- Cover and refrigerate the cake for at least 48 hours.
Decorate the Cake
- Remove the cake collar.
- To make a simple fruit glaze, mix together 4 parts apricot jam: 1 part water. Microwave it for 5-10 seconds to make mixing easier. Allow it to cool completely.
- Top the cake with whole or sliced strawberries. Lightly brush the fruit glaze on the strawberries to make them shiny and keep them moist.
- Decorate with gold foil and tie it with a pretty ribbon.
Final Thoughts
A matcha twist on this charming, no-bake French dessert! This Matcha Strawberry Charlotte Cake is made with layers of velvety matcha mousse, softened ladyfingers, and juicy strawberries. Pick the prettiest ribbon to tie a bow around it, and gift it to your sweetheart!
For more delicious sweets, explore our dessert recipes like Ube Crinkle Cookies and Strawberry Tanghulu!
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this recipe, please give a star rating and review on the recipe card below + share your creations on Instagram and tag us @itsforkandspoon!
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Matcha Strawberry Charlotte Cake
Equipment
- tape
- mixing bowl(s) plus chill one bowl for whipping cream
- electric mixer with whisk attachment
- toothpick
- ribbon for decoration
Ingredients
Matcha White Chocolate Mousse
- 1 cup heavy cream plus 3 tbsp for blooming gelatin
- 1 cup white chocolate chips 160g
- 1 tbsp culinary grade matcha 5g
- ½ tsp powdered gelatin
Charlotte Cake
- 7 oz ladyfingers
- matcha white chocolate mousse recipe provided
- 1/2 lb strawberries about 9 strawberries
- apricot jam for fruit glaze
- edible gold foil for decoration
Instructions
Prepare the Base of the Cake
- If you have a 6" springform pan, skip this step. Prepare a cake collar by lining it within a 6" cake pan and taping the ends secured. Now that the cake collar is sized, place it on a flat serving plate.
- Trim the bottoms of some ladyfingers so that they can stand upright. Set aside any trimmings to use later. Line the cake collar with ladyfingers placed vertically, like a fence. The ladyfingers should be shoulder-to-shoulder and not falling over. If needed, try to tighten the cake collar or add extra ladyfingers.
- Make the first layer of ladyfingers on the bottom of the cake. Trim as needed to fit the mold, and fill in the spaces with any leftover trimmings.
Make Matcha White Chocolate Mousse
- In a small bowl, mix together gelatin powder and 3 tbsp cream. Leave it to bloom for 10 minutes.
- In a chilled mixing bowl, add 1 cup heavy cream. Sift in the powdered sugar and culinary grade matcha.
- Whip to soft peaks. Set aside to rest on the counter.
- In another bowl, melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave in 15-30 second bursts at full power, stirring between each increment. Continue this process for up to 90 seconds, stopping when the chocolate flows smoothly and has a shiny appearance.
- Allow the melted white chocolate to cool for about 5 minutes, until it is warm to the touch.
- While you wait for the chocolate to cool, heat the gelatin/cream mixture in the microwave for 5-10 seconds until the gelatin is dissolved. Let it cool until it is room temperature but still liquid.
- See Note 2. Add the gelatin/cream mix to the melted chocolate. Mix with a spatula until incorporated.
- Now, take your spatula and add one scoop of the whipped cream. Gently mix into the chocolate.
- Gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream, adding 1/3 at a time. The mousse should be smooth and airy.
- Fill a piping bag with the mousse.
Charlotte Cake Assembly
- Pipe in the first layer of matcha mousse.
- Next, add a layer of ladyfingers. Trim as needed and use scraps to fill in the gaps.
- Add a layer of sliced or diced strawberries.
- Add another layer of matcha mousse.
- Add the last layer of ladyfingers.
- Finally, add the last layer of matcha mousse. Smooth out the top with a toothpick to get rid of any air bubbles and distribute the mousse evenly.
- Cover and refrigerate the cake for at least 48 hours.
Decorate the Cake
- Remove the cake collar.
- To make a simple fruit glaze, mix together 4 parts apricot jam: 1 part water. Microwave it for 5-10 seconds to make mixing easier. Allow it to cool completely.
- Top the cake with whole or sliced strawberries. Lightly brush the fruit glaze on the strawberries to make them shiny and keep them moist.
- Decorate with gold foil and tie it with a pretty ribbon.
Notes
- Chocolate – fully melted and feels warm
- Gelatin/milk mix – liquid and feels room temp
- Whipped cream – cool but not super chilled
Sharing this recipe is highly encouraged and appreciated. Always provide a link to our original content and properly attribute it to us. It is prohibited to copy and paste full recipes and articles to publish on your website or social media. Fork & Spoon by Noelle Noriesta is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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References & Further Reading
https://monpanierlatin.co.uk/blogs/mpl-blog/mousse
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-dominique-ansels-recipe-for-chocolate-mousse
https://www.southernliving.com/food/desserts/what-is-a-charlotte-russe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_(cake)
https://whatscookingamerica.net/history/cakes/charlotterusse.htm
https://www.parisbaguette.com.sg/product/strawberry-yogurt-charlotte-cake/
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