Petite Charlotte

Recipe Vickie de Beer. Photo: Charles Russel.

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Makes 12

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• 4 eggs
• 260 g caster sugar
• 280 g cake flour
• 15 ml baking powder
• 250 ml milk
• 100 g butter
• 5 ml vanilla essence

1. Beat the sugar and egg until light and foamy.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder and fold into the egg mixture.
3. Heat the milk and butter, but do not let it boil.
4. Mix the warm milk mixture with the rest of the ingredients and add vanilla.
5. Spray two Swiss roll pans with non-stick spray. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 12 minutes at 180° or until it is baked.
6. Let it cool and cut 24 circles with a 7 cm diameter cutter.
7. Line 12 6cm spring form cake pans with 12 cake circles or baking sheets.
8. Fill to almost the top with baker’s custard (see recipe below) and place a cake circle on top.
9. Let it set in the fridge. Cut 36 ladyfingers/ boudoir biscuits in half.
10. Take one Charlotte at a time out of the spring form pans and cover the sides with ladyfingers. The custard will make it stick.
11. Bind with a ribbon.
12. Fill the top with baking custard. Garnish with fresh raspberries

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Basic Baker’s Custard (Crème Pattissière)

Makes 500 ml

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• 40 g baking flour
• 120 g sugar
• 300 ml milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 5 ml vanilla essence
• 20 g butter

1. Sift the flour and sugar together and set aside.
2. Beat 60 ml milk and the egg yolks together. Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth.
3. Heat the rest of the milk over low heat until it starts boiling.
4. Add 1/3 of the warm milk to the egg mixture and mix well. Add everything to the warm milk and mix well.
5. Stir well until mixture thickens. Boil one minute and stir to prevent the mixture from burning.
6. Add vanilla essence and mix well.
7. Pour in a jar and cover with cling wrap to prevent the custard forming a skin.
8. Let it cool in the fridge.