Ispahan Charlotte

What’s Ispahan? It is a mix of three flavours: rose water, raspberry, and lychee.

This gorgeous charlotte isn’t like your typical desserts and tastes as good as it looks!

It is a perfect combination of a creamy mousse made with three flavours and surrounded by sponge fingers/ladyfingers.

Light and fresh, it can be perfect as a birthday cake!

Ingredients for a 21 cm charlotte tin/pan:

Fruit mousse:

• 150 g fresh organic raspberries (extra for decoration)

• 150 g organic stoned lychees (extra for decoration)

• 75 g blond cane sugar

• 300 ml double cream/heavy cream (30%)

• 4 gelatin sheets (or 8 g powdered gelatin)

• 1/2 organic lemon

• Rosewater

• About 25 sponge fingers/ladyfingers

Syrup:

• 50 ml water

• 25 g blond cane sugar

• Rosewater

Fruit coulis (optional):

• 1 handful of fresh raspberries

• 1 handful stoned lychees

• 14 g vanilla sugar

• 1 drop of lemon juice

• Rosewater

Instructions:

Syrup:

1. In a small pot, add the 50 ml of water, the 25 g of cane sugar and bring everything to a boil.

2. Stop cooking and add rose water, then let it cool.

Mousse:

1. In a bowl of icy water, hydrate the 4 gelatin sheets for about 10-15 minutes, and wash the fruits.

2. In a food processor or blender, add the 150 g of raspberries, the 150 g of lychees, the juice of half a lemon, then the 75 g of sugar. Mix until obtaining a fruit puree.

3. In a small bowl, pour about 1/4 of the fruit puree and the rest in a large bowl. Warm the small bowl in the microwave or a double boiler. Be careful; it must be warm and not boiling!

4. Spin the 4 gelatin sheets and add them to the small bowl of warm fruit puree and stir until the gelatin has completely melted in the mixture. Then add it to the rest of the fruit puree while mixing. Add rose water and set aside.

5. Whip the cream, add it to the fruit puree and gelatin mixture, and mix gently using a spatula. Reserve.

Charlotte set-up:

1. Dip the neutral part of sponge fingers/ladyfingers in the syrup (very quickly to not soak them too much) and arrange them (sugary side out) around the sides of the tin/pan. Do not forget the centre of the mould, and do not hesitate to break the sponge fingers/ladyfingers so that you can cover everything.

2. Add half of the mousse to the tin/pan, then add the raspberries and lychees. This time, dip the sugar part of the sponge fingers/ladyfingers in the syrup and add them in a single layer (sugary side touching the mousse). Repeat with the second half of the mousse. Finish with a layer of biscuits (sugary side touching the mousse for a flat base).

3. Film the tin/pan and add a plate to it, then put it in the refrigerator and let it cool overnight.

4. The next day, remove from the tin/pan and serve. You can eat it as it is or make a coulis for more indulgence.

Coulis (optional):

1. In a blender, add a handful of raspberries and lychees, sugar, lemon, rose water, and mix everything.

2. Pour over the charlotte and decorate as desired with the remaining raspberries and lychees. Serve.

Notes :

Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! I love hearing from you and hope this Ispahan Charlotte recipe becomes your new favourite.