Strawberry Charlotte

To prepare the cake, preheat oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Scrape the meringue into another bowl. Set aside.

In the same mixing bowl, beat egg yolks and 2 tablespoons sugar on high speed until thick and light in color, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla, lemon juice and zest. Mix for another minute.

Sift flour and the remaining sugar over top of egg yolk mixture, mix to combine. Then fold in half of the meringue. Fold the rest of the meringue into the batter until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around the cake edge and invert the cake out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare the strawberry mousse, combine the gelatin powder and water in a small bowl and set aside to soften for a few minutes.

Combine the strawberry puree and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, and stir in the softened gelatin mixture. Let cool to room temperature.

Beat heavy cream on medium-high speed in the bowl of a standing mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the strawberry puree until well mixed.

To assemble, place two 5-inch springform pan rings on a large baking sheet.

Use a 4-inch round cookie cutter to cut the cake into two circles, which will be your cake base. Place a cake base inside the bottom of each springform pan ring. Line the edges of the pan with upright ladyfingers.

Spoon half of the strawberry mousse into the centre of each Charlotte. Keep the Charlottes in the refrigerator to chill the mousse, at least 4 hours or overnight.

To serve, gently loosen the springform pan rings and remove. Tie a decorative bow around the outside of each cake, and top with fresh strawberries.