If you can melt chocolate you can make this chocolate blackberry charlotte cake. It’s the ultimate easy showstopper chocolate cake. In association with Bonne Maman.
This blackberry charlotte dessert cake may look like it came straight from a French patisserie window but I promise it’s extremely easy to make.
The only piece of special equipment you need is a medium hemisphere mould* or failing that you could use a pudding basin but the hemisphere mould is the most pleasing even shape.
A charlotte dessert is usually round with sponge cake on the outside and fruit inside. There’s been a flurry of interest in them since the recent birth of Princess Charlotte, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The sponges around the outside are sometimes made from trifle fingers but this curvy version is using Bonne Maman madeleines*.
The filling is made from chocolate quark mousse to which I’ve added some blackberries.
The mousse is simply quark mixed with dark chocolate at fifty fifty ratio.
Made without eggs it stops this chocolate charlotte dessert from becoming too rich. Squash in a dozen or so blackberries.
Assembling the chocolate blackberry charlotte cake
Line the hemisphere mould with a double layer of cling film and squash down a few more blackberries on the top. You can find hemisphere moulds like this one by Fat Daddios which is stocked by Lakeland and also sold by Lakeland as a trader on Amazon in various sizes. This one was a medium hemisphere mould* holding just under 1 litre volume.
Unwrap six individual Bonne Maman madeleines and flatten these on top. This will become the base of the blackberry charlotte dessert.
Chill for a few hours in the fridge, ideally overnight. Invert the hemisphere mould onto a pretty dinner plate.
Peel off the cling film. You might want to trim any big bits of madeleine sticking out.
Open 10-11 more of the individually wrapped Bonne Maman madeleines.
Slice off their “bumps” – feed these to any impatient onlookers or box them up for a snack later.
Mix up a further smaller quantity of the chocolate quark mousse and use this as a spread to affix the madeleines, cut side inwards, onto the outside of the spherical chocolate centre.
Arrange the trimmed madeleines around the spherical chocolate centre.
Draw the madeleines up and press them into place so they fit around the spherical chocolate centre snugly.
Cover the spherical centre with fresh blackberries. To tart this chocolate charlotte dessert up dress with a sprig of fresh mint and drizzle the madeleines (and the bare spherical centre) with more molten dark chocolate.
Serve cut into slices – madeleines make a great guide for the width of each slice. As an added extra I drizzled over some homemade blackberry coulis which soaks into the madeleines nicely. Even if it looks like something out of The Killing.
Have you ever tried making a charlotte dessert?
Chocolate Blackberry Charlotte Cake
Ingredients
- 16-18 Bonne Maman madeleine sponges
- 450 g dark chocolate
- 450 g quark
- 450 g fresh blackberries
- sprig of fresh mint optional
Instructions
- Melt 300g of the dark chocolate (I used short bursts in the microwave on medium power) and fold into 400g of the quark. (Don't forget to retain 50g of the quark for affixing madeleines later).
- When the quark is mixed in evenly, fold in a dozen blackberries.
- Line the hemisphere mould with a double layer of cling film and squash down another dozen more blackberries on the top.
- Unwrap six individual Bonne Maman madeleines and flatten these on top of the quark mousse.
- Draw over the clingfilm and chill the hemisphere mould contents for a few hours in the fridge, ideally overnight.
- When the chocolate quark mousse is chilled, invert the hemisphere mould onto a pretty dinner plate.
- Peel off the cling film. Trim any big bits of madeleine sticking out.
- Open 10-11 more of the individually wrapped Bonne Maman madeleines, slice off their “bumps” – feed these to any impatient onlookers or box them up for a snack later.
- Mix up a further smaller quantity of the chocolate quark mousse with 50g chocolate and 50g quark. Use this as a spread to affix the madeleines, cut side inwards, onto the outside of the spherical chocolate centre.
- Arrange the trimmed madeleines around the spherical chocolate centre. Draw the madeleines up and press them into place so they fit around the spherical chocolate centre snugly.
- Finally melt another 100g of dark chocolate and drizzle this over the spherical mousse centre and over the madeleines in a freeform fashion.
- Cover the spherical centre with fresh blackberries. To present, dress with a sprig of fresh mint.
- Serve cut into slices with cream or blackberry coulis.
Notes
Five more recipes using blackberries
Gluten free blackberry blondies here at Maison Cupcake Mini blackberry meringues by Botanical Kitchen Blackberry and apple sorbet with thyme by Fuss Free Flavours Blackberry and prosciutto salad by Cook Sister Blackberry tarts with almond crust also at Maison Cupcake
Lastly if you’re looking for an easy impressive dessert, try my dulce de leche brownies.
*Affiliate links used. This post was sponsored by Bonne Maman but the chocolate blackberry charlotte cake recipe and all words are my own.
Wow – what a stunner! And so simple too. Wouldn’t necessarily have thought of the blackberry/chocolate combination but looks delicious – must give it a go sometime!
Yes you must – it’s a dream combo!
Wow, loving your Charlotte Cake and I must confess I have never made one before but if it’s this easy I have no excuse now:-) I love all Bon Manan cakes and often take them on picnics:-)
I’m sending Ted to school with them on Monday! Just the job for a packed lunch!
Love the addition of the blackberries. They really balance the chocolate well.
Thanks – I must try other things with these two together because you are right they work so well.