Note: Charlotte is a corruption of the Old English word charlyt meaning a “dish of custard.” There is a lot of doubt surrounding the origins of the name “charlotte.” Meat dishes that were known as charlets were popular in the 15th century.
Following information is from the Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, by John F. Mariani, 1999
“Charlotte russe. A French dessert (supposedly created by Marie-Antonin Careme) made in mold with ladyfingers and Bavarian cream. . . While this confection is known and made in the United States, a simple version consisting of a square of sponge cake topped with whipped cream (sometimes with chocolate sprinkles) and a maraschino cherry was also called a “charlotte russe”. . . This was a standard item in eastern cities, particularly among urban Jewish Americans (some of whom pronounce the item “charely roose” or “charlotte roosh”), who made it at home or bought it at a pastry shop, where it was set on a frilled cardboard holder whose center would be pushed up as to reveal more cake as the whipped cream was consumed.”
18th Century – It is said to have been invented by the French Chef Marie Antoine Careme (1784-1833), who named it in honor of his Russian employer, Czar Alexander I. The word “russe” means Russian in French.
Some historians say that the word Charlotte refers to the Czar Alexander’s sister-in-law, Queen Charlotte, Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744-1818), who was the wife of George III, king of Great Britain and Scotland.
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CHARLOTTE RUSSE
One recipe Jelly Roll, to follow(*) 1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plain gelatin 3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup cold water 1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups milk 1 cup whipping cream
½ cup sugar
Bake sponge cake in a 7 X 11 inch pan. Cut the cooled cake into ½ inch slices and line bottom and sides of an 8 ½ inch spring form pan. Soften gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes. Scald milk in the top of a double boiler, add sugar, salt and softened gelatin and stir until sugar and gelatin dissolve. Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Return to double boiler and cook, stirring constantly until mixture coats a spoon, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Add vanilla, then fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites and the stiffly whipped cream. Turn this mixture into the cake lined mold, cover and set in the refrigerator 5 to 6 hours or overnight until mixture is congealed. Serve with additional sweetened whipped cream and a garnish of maraschino cherries if desired. 10 to 12 servings.
JELLY ROLL
¾ cup cake flour 4 eggs, separated
* ¾ teaspoon baking powder ¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water ½ cup tart red jelly
* Sulfate-phosphate (double-action) type. Use 1 teaspoon tartrate or phosphate type.
Sift flour, then measure and resift 3 times with baking powder and salt. Add water to egg yolks and place bowl over hot water. Beat until light with a rotary beater. Add ½ of the sugar gradually and continue to beat until thick. Remove bowl from hot water, add vanilla and sift in flour mixture gradually, folding in with a wire whip. Beat the egg whites with a clean rotary beater until almost stiff. Add remaining sugar gradually, and bet until mixture stands in shiny peaks. Fold whites lightly but thoroughly into batter, again using the wire whip. Spread batter in a shallow jelly roll pan about 15 ½ x 10 ½ X 5/8 inches with greased, thin, plain paper. Bake on center rack in a hot oven (400 F) for 7 or 8 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed with the fingers. Loosen edges and turn out onto a towel or a sheet of waxed paper sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar. Immediately remove waxed paper from bottom of cake and cut off crusty edges. Starting with the short side, roll up in the towel or waxed paper and let cool on cake rack.
**Cut in ½ inch slices for use in Charlotte Russe
