Lemon and lime charlotte cake

A lemon dessert is a good way to keep a little sunshine with the arrival of fall! Even better if it's a charlotte with lemon and lime, very acidic thanks to its lemon gel and very light thanks to its egg white mousse. The recipe is not very complicated, and you can start the day before for the lemon gel and the soaking syrup if you want to save time!

 Prep time : 1h15 + 12 minutes cooking + at least 3h rest
 For a 22cm diameter charlotte :

 
Biscuit cuillère :

 120g egg whites (about 4 whites)
 100g caster sugar
 80g egg yolks (about 5 yolks)
 100g of flour T55
 QS of powdered sugar
 
 Start by preparing a French meringue: whip the egg whites until stiff, then fold in the sugar in three stages, gradually increasing the speed of the processor. The meringue is ready when it is smooth and shiny.
 
 

 Next, add the egg yolks and whisk again for a few seconds, just long enough to incorporate them.
 Finish by gently folding in the sifted flour with a spatula.
 
 

 

 

 When the dough is smooth, place it in a pastry bag fitted with a plain 10-12mm tip.
 
 Pipe (on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper) the cookie (in two batches to have enough cookie to go around your circle) and a cookie circle of 22cm in diameter (depending on the size of the circle you are going to use for the assembly).
 
 

 Sprinkle the first time with powdered sugar, wait two minutes and sprinkle a second time.
 Bake in the preheated oven at 180°C for about 10 minutes (the cookie should rise when you stick a finger in it, but it should be quite soft). When it comes out of the oven, put the cookie on a rack and let it cool.
 
 

 Lemon and lime gel :

 100g yellow lemon juice
 80g lime juice
 10g agar agar
 40g sugar
 
Mix the agar-agar and the sugar.
 
 

 Bring the lemon juice to a boil, then pour the previous mixture over it. Mix well, then bring back to a boil and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour into a container and let cool completely.
 
 Lemon soaking syrup:

 30g lime juice
 20g of powdered sugar
 
 Mix the two ingredients.

 Lemon and lime mousse :

 40g lime juice
 50g lemon juice
 Zests of 2 lemons and 2 limes
 1 egg
 1 egg yolk
 75g sugar
 15g cornstarch
 75g butter
 
 65g egg whites
 250g full cream
 
 Mix the sugar with the zest. Add the egg and yolk, whisk well then add the cornstarch and mix again.
 
 

 Heat the lemon juice and pour the hot liquid over the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan and thicken over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add the butter, cut into small pieces, and mix well, or blend with a hand blender.
 
 

 Then, put a plastic wrap on it and let cool completely in the refrigerator.
 Next, whip the cream until it is not too stiff, and gently fold it into the lemon cream.
 
 

 

 Finally, beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them gently into the previous mixture.
 
 

 

 Proceed immediately to assembly.
 
 Assembly and decoration :
 
200g full cream 
 20g powdered sugar 
 Zest lemon 
 
 Place the cartridge case in the rhodoid-lined circle on your serving dish.
 
 

 

 Add the first circle of cookie in it, then soak it with the syrup. Add about half of the mousse, then the lemon gel (which you will have mixed beforehand to avoid a too gelled effect).
 
 

 

 Place the second cookie, soak it, then again the mousse and lemon gel (keep the rest for decoration).
 
 

 

 

 Put the charlotte in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Whip the cream with the powdered sugar.
 
 

 Pipe it on the charlotte, decorate with lemon gel and zest, and enjoy!