Easy Chocolate Charlotte

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Chocolate Cream

6 large eggs

8 oz. of good quality dark chocolate (you can used milk chocolate if you prefer)

Zest of 1 Orange

Ingredients for the Sponge Cake

2 packets of ladyfingers sponge cake (found in any bakery or supermarket)

2 cups of orange juice

1 teaspoon of Orange Blossom Water

Optional Ingredient

Meringues (if you want to add a crunchy texture)

Directions

Step 1: Making the Chocolate Cream

1. Melt the chocolate in a bain Marie by placing the bowl with the chocolate over a saucepan of boiling water.

2. While the chocolate is melting, separate the egg whites from the egg yolks.

3. Beat the egg whites with an electric beater until you get white stiff peaks.

4. Grate the orange to get the orange zest.

5. Once the chocolate has melted, add the orange zest.

6. Add the egg yolks one by one to the chocolate and mix well.

7. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

8. Cover the chocolate cream and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

Step 2: Assembling the Charlotte

1. Crush the meringues.

2. Add the orange blossom water into the orange juice.

3. To assemble the charlotte you can use a cake mold or a bowl.

4. Place plastic wrap in the mold and leave extra wrap on the side (see video).

5. Take the ladyfingers and dip them very quickly into the orange juice and then place into the mold.

6. The round shape of the ladyfinger should be outside of the cake, therefore, place the round shape on the plastic and the flat shape inside.

7. Pour the chocolate cream into the mold. You can layer the chocolate cream with the meringue or other ladyfinger sponge cakes.

8. Finally cover the cream with another layer of ladyfingers. Make sure that the flat surface is at the top.

9. Cover the charlotte with plastic wrap from both sides and put it in the freezer for at least 4 hours.

10. After 4 hours remove the plastic from the top of the Charlotte.

11. Place a plate on top of the mold and flip the mold.

12. Carefully remove the plastic on the Charlotte.

13. Decorate the charlotte to your tastes with whipped cream, orange slices or meringues.

14. Serve the Charlotte immediately.