Tiramisu Charlotte

• Use leftovers sponge and filling to make extra serving cups.
  

Chocolate Crust

• The crust can be replaced by using the chablonage technique. Chablonnage is a French pâtisserie term which means sealing the inside of a pastry tart base or bottom sponge cake with a thin coating of melted dark chocolate mixed with 10% oil. If you choose this option, the melted coating must be applied on a frozen cake. Roll out pastry into a 3 mm thick sheet, prick with a fork and freeze for 30 mins or so. Cut pastry using the cake ring you'll be using to build the cake. Re-roll pastry to readjust its thickness, re-trim and freeze until ready to use. Sandwich pastry disk between 2 baking mat and tray and bake for 15 to 18 minutes at 350ºF/180ºC. Remove top tray and let cool. Keep at room temp for up to 48 hours.
  

Ladyfingers

• Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Pipe out two rows of eleven, 3-inch/7.5 cm length "fingers", and an inch/2.5 cm apart. Fill prepared round cake pan with remaining ladyfingers batter.
  

Baking

• Bake for approximately 18 mins for the ladyfingers and 25 for the round cake (one tray at the time).
  

Coffee Punch

• The addition of gelatin in punches prevent syrup from oozing out. Soak gelatin in cold water to soften and drain well. Make a few strong espressos, stir in soften gelatin, and add alcohol; set aside. Use punch at room temperature.
  

Mascarpone Filling

• Soak gelatin in cold water to soften and drain well. Meanwhile, in the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat mascarpone and heavy cream on low speed. Once homogenized, increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form. Do not over mix, it should remain supple. Transfer mascarpone mixture to a large pastry bowl; set aside. For the pâte à bombe (sabayon): clean mixing bowl and throw yolks and the egg in and beat for 30 seconds or so. For the cooked sugar, in a small saucepan combine water and sugar. Put the lid on and turn on the heat – bring to a boil, remove the lid and continue to cook until the sugar thermometer reads 245ºF/118ºC. To stop the syrup cooking process, quickly immerse bottom pan in cool water. Pour hot syrup in thin stream into the eggs; beating swiftly. Then, beat on full blast for 8 mins until fluffy and at room temperature. Microwave the soften gelatin for ≈10 sec until melted and incorporate it immediately in the pate a bombe – beat for a few more seconds.
  
• Fold room temp pate a bombe into the mascarpone mixture.
  

Montage

• Line cake ring edges with acetate cake collar or parchment paper. Place charlotte ring onto a flat tray or cake board and position the chocolate crust inside. Ladle out about a cup of the mascarpone filling; just enough to seal the first sponge (use the thickest one). Moisturize sponge heavily with coffee punch and make the first and thick mascarpone filling layer. Top with the second ladyfinger sponge and cover with the remaining mascarpone filling. Even out using a small offset spatula. Freeze cake for 3 hours and place in the refrigerator overnight to rest. Remove cake ring and the acetate. Dust with cocoa powder and refrigerate cake.
  
• Meanwhile, readjust the height of the ladyfingers according to the height of the cake. Lightly moisturize each with the remaining coffee punch and arrange them all around the cake. Top tiramisu with milk chocolate shavings.
  

Milk Chocolate Shaving

• To make a chocolate block, temper chocolate first. Melt 1.5lb./600g milk chocolat over a bain-marie to 113ºF/45ºC. Cool down to 78ºF/26ºC and quickly rewarm to 85ºF/29/30ºC. Line a small tray with a plastic sheet from a freezer bag. Pour tempered chocolate, tap tray over the counter to remove excess air bubbles and let set completely. To create perfect chocolate shavings, use block at room temperature – make chocolate shavings using the tip of a chef knife blade. For better handling, refrigerate chocolate shavings prior to use.
  

Storage

• Tiramisu charlotte can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for a couple of months. Enjoy!