The sponge-cake may be made with four eggs, one cupful of sugar, one and
one-half cupfuls of flour, and two even tea-spoonfuls of yeast powder,
or as described for sponge jelly-cake (see page 300).
To make an even sheet, professional cooks pass the cake batter through
the _méringue_ bag on a large sheet of foolscap paper in rows which
touch each other, and which run together smoothly when baking; or,
without the _méringue_ bag, it may be spread over the sheet as evenly as
possible. When baked, an oval piece is cut to fit the bottom of the
_charlotte_ pan, then even-sized parallelograms are cut to fit around
the sides. Fill with cream made as follows: Whip one pint of cream
flavored with vanilla to a stiff froth, and add to it the well-beaten
whites of two eggs, and one half-pound of pulverized sugar; mix it all
lightly and carefully together. Fill the _charlotte_ pan, or pans, and
put them into the ice-chest to set.
This is the best and simplest manner of making a _charlotte-russe_. Many
take the trouble to add gelatine, which is unnecessary. Professor Blot
made the filling of his _charlotte-russe_ of sweetened and flavored
whipped cream only. It will harden without difficulty if placed upon the
ice, and it is very delicate; yet the whites of eggs are an improvement.
If there is only enough cake at hand to fit the sides of the pan, put a
paper in the bottom of the mold cut to fit it, and the _charlotte_ can
be served without a top.
These _charlottes_ are very prettily decorated on top with icing
squeezed through a small-sized funnel; or, you may pour a transparent
icing over the whole, and make the decoration over this with the common
icing. Sometimes they are made in little molds, one _charlotte_ for each
plate, and, again, a large _charlotte_ is decorated with a circle of
strawberries around it.
Cream is much more easily frothed when placed on ice and thoroughly
chilled before whipping; when whipping it, place the froth on a sieve,
and all that drops through can be returned to the bowl to be rewhipped.
Sometimes professional cooks work the froth with an egg-whisk to make it
finer grained.