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Dessert recipes

Mini Charlotte Cake Recipe

If you’re looking for a light dessert to finish a good meal, these mini lemon and coconut charlottes have a great lemony flavor balanced by the smooth mascarpone custard.

Mini Charlotte Cake Recipe
Prep time30 min
Total time30 min
Serves6 - 8 Mini Cake
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Easy to make and impressive on the table, Charlotte’s are elegant molded cakes filled with mousse or custard and topped with ladyfingers. If you’re looking for a light dessert to finish a good meal, these mini lemon and coconut charlottes offer a bright lemon flavor balanced by the smooth mascarpone custard. We add a small amount of gelatin to the custard to improve its holding. 

Nina L. Palmer
by Nina L. Palmer
Nina L. Palmer

Nina Palmer is a recipe developer and editor for Eatwell101 since 2013. She is passionate about food and culture and specializes in sweet recipes, desserts, baking, as well as developing editorial content.

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Updated Jan 12, 2026
Table of contents

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Preparation time: 30 min – Resting: 1 night

Ingredients list for the Mini Charlotte Cake Recipe

Makes 6-8 individual desserts:

  • 1 packages lady fingers, halved crosswise
  • 1/2 pound (250g) mascarpone
  • 0.4 cup (75g) + 2 1/2 tablespoons (30g) sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2+1 fresh lemons
  • 2  envelopes unflavored gelatin powder
  • 0.4 cup (10cl) of water
  • Grated coconut

Lemon Charlotte dessert recipePhoto credit: © Eatwell101.com
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Directions

1. Place small pastry rings, individual size, on a tray and line the bottom and sides with plastic wrap so that you can close it on top later.
2. Soak half the ladyfingers in a mixture of water, the juice of one lemon, and 2 1/2 tablespoons (30g) of sugar. Garnish the pastry rings with the soaked biscuits.
3. Soak the gelatine in cold water for about 10 minutes.
4. Squeeze 2 lemons, and lightly heat the juice. Add lukewarm lemon juice to gelatin.
5. Beat the egg yolks with 0.4 cup  (75g) sugar. Add the mascarpone and lemon juice with gelatin.
6. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then gently fold them into the previous preparation. Distribute the mixture in the pastry rings and cover with plastic film. Place a plate or a tray on top of the pastry rings and refrigerate overnight.
7. Before serving, remove the pastry ring to un-mold the charlottes and sprinkle with shredded coconut. Here you are! A fresh and light dessert to finish any type of meal!

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Nutrition Info (Beta version)
* The presented values are approximate and shouldn't be considered as accurate. Please calculate your OWN nutrition information in a database using the brand names you have at hand. Each brand is different and nutrition information can vary.
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