I took the ladyfingers that I made last week out of the freezer, and started thinking about the cake/charlotte they were going to be used in. Then I realized that in my excitement about the ladyfingers success, I had kind of underestimated the amount I needed. The one recipe I made fit great around the outside, but upon rereading the recipe I discovered that I would need enough ladyfingers to make a layer on the bottom, and one in the middle of the cake. So I had to make more.
This time, instead of the ladyfinger shape, I piped the batter into two 9 inch rounds on the baking sheets. This gave me rounds of pastry to perfectly fit the pan.
Yesterday I served the completed cake. I think it came out well, and tasted pretty good, too.
Here’s the recipe:
White Chocolate and Lime Mousse Cake with Strawberries
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Syrup 6 tablespoons sugar 6 tablespoons Grand Marnier or orange juice 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 3 tablespoons water 2 7-oz packages Champagne biscuits (4-inch-long ladyfinger-like cookies) Mousse 3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice |
1/2 cup whipping cream 9 oz imported white chocolate, chopped 2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel 2 cups chilled whipping cream 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup sour cream 2 1-pint baskets strawberries, hulled, sliced 7 large fresh strawberries with stems 7 lime slices, twisted 3 lime peel curls |
Procedure
Syrup:
1 Stir first 4 ingredients in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Trim 1 biscuit to 3 inch length. Brush both sides of biscuit twice with syrup. Place rounded end up and sugared side facing out against side of 9-inch diameter springform pan with 2 3/4 inch high sides. Repeat with as many biscuits as necessary to cover sides of pan completely. Brush some whole biscuits with syrup and arrange on bottom of pan, covering completely and trimming to fit.
Mousse:
1 Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons lime juice in heavy small saucepan. Let stand 10 minutes to soften. Place over very low heat and stir to dissolve gelatin. Set aside. Bring 1/2 cup cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Add chocolate and stir until melted. Mix in remaining 1/2 cup lime juice, gelatin mixture, and lime peel. Let stand until cool but not set, about 15 minutes.
2 Beat 2 cups cream, 1/3 cup sugar, and sour cream in large bowl to medium-stiff peaks. Add chocolate mixture and fold together. Spoon half of mousse into prepared pan. Brush more biscuits with syrup and arrange atop mousse, covering completely. Spread remaining mousse over. Smooth top. Chill overnight. Can be prepared 2 days ahead.
3 Toss sliced berries with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Fan 7 large strawberries with stems by making 5 lengthwise cuts in each, starting 1/4 inch from stem and extending through tip. Fan with fingertips. Arrange fanned berries around edge of mousse, spacing evenly. Arrange twisted lime slices between each berry. Place lime peel curls on center of cake. Cut cake into wedges and serve with sliced berries.
