Why it works: Sugar and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 43,450 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
Charlottes
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the sponge
Separate the eggs.
Beat the yolks with sugar and water vigorously.
Whip the egg whites to a stiff froth.
Mix the flour with the beaten yolks.
Gently fold in the whipped whites.
Spread the batter thinly on a sheet of paper.
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 5 minutes.
Brush the paper with water.
Carefully remove the cake from the paper.
Cut the cake into pieces to fit paper cases, including a round piece for the bottom.
Make the strawberry cream
Cover the strawberries with sugar and let them sit.
Mash the strawberries and strain through a sieve.
Dissolve the gelatine in 1 cup of milk.
Whip the cream.
Add the gelatine to the whipped cream.
Place the bowl in ice water and continue to whip for a few minutes.
Add the strawberry pulp to the mixture.
Whip for 2 more minutes.
Assemble and chill
Fill the individual charlottes with the mixture.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
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Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
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Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Cream + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,399 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Whipped whites create the airy lift and light structure of the sponge.
- Flour
- Sets the thin sponge into a sliceable structure as the batter bakes.
- Thick sweet cream
- Whipped into a foam that gives the filling its light, creamy texture.
- Gelatine
- Sets the whipped cream filling so it holds its shape when chilled.
- Strawberries
- Provide fruit flavor, acidity and color to the cream filling.
The step that matters
Add the gelatine to the whipped cream. Gelatine must be fully dissolved and added while the cream is still whipping so it disperses evenly. Lumps or added too late can leave streaks or prevent the filling from setting firmly.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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