Gooseberry Charlotte
Description
Airy pastries are always suitable for breakfast, a snack, or dessert. They can be served with custard cream, curd cheese, sour‑cream frosting, or simply drizzled with syrup – adults and children will want to try them with a cup of hot tea! Gooseberries will give the charlotte a light tang and make the cake more aromatic Serve it cooled or slightly warm.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients.
- 2
Step 2
Thoroughly wash the gooseberries, trim the stems from both ends of the berries, and dry them by patting with a towel or paper napkin. Gently crack the chicken eggs into the bowl of a kitchen mixer and add the sugar. If you don’t have such equipment, carefully separate the whites from the yolks and first beat the whites in a deep bowl with a mixer using half the amount of granulated sugar on high speed, then add and beat the yolks with the remaining sugar. Combine and fold the flour and salt into the mixture.
- 3
Step 3
Add sifted premium wheat flour to the beaten egg mixture, gently fold it in at the lowest speed of the mixer, taking care not to release the air bubbles that are responsible for the height of the bake.
- 4
Step 4
Grease the bottom and sides of the baking pan with vegetable oil. If desired, it can be replaced with butter or odorless lard. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Pour the sponge batter into the pan. Scatter dried gooseberries into it in a random order. If you want them to be in the middle of the bake as well, dust them beforehand with flour or starch.
- 5
Step 5
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, watching the surface of the charlotte. It’s best not to open the oven door so the cake doesn’t burn. The best way to check it is with a wooden skewer—it should come out of the bake dry. After that, turn off the heat and tilt the pan onto its side, leaving it that way until fully cooled. If you don’t tilt it, the cake will deflate and sink.
- 6
Step 6
After it has cooled, run a knife along the inside edges of the pan, remove it, and cut the charlotte with gooseberries into individual portions, dusting them with powdered sugar beforehand.