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    Where Is My Spoon > Recipes > Romanian > Romanian Desserts

    Romanian Diplomat Cake (Charlotte Torte)

    Published by: Adina August 1, 2017 ยท Last modified: January 13, 2024 7 Comments
    Jump to Recipe
    charlotte torte with whipped cream and fresh fruit on a platter.

    Last Updated on 13/01/2024 by Adina

    Romanian Diplomat cake or Charlotte torte with homemade custard, whipped cream, ladyfingers, and lots of fruit.

    charlotte russe with pinepple grapes mandarins

    Romanian diplomat cake filled with custard, whipped cream, and fruit, one of the most famous cakes in Romania.

    Jump to recipe
    • What is a Charlotte torte or cake?
    • What kind of fruit to use in a Charlotte?
    • Tips for making the cake
    • Recipe
    • Romanian Diplomat Cake (Charlotte Torte)

    What is a Charlotte torte or cake?

    Made after the art of a traditional Charlotte torte, this cake or dessert consists of a lining of ladyfingers filled with an amazingly luscious, creamy custard mixed with whipped cream and topped with lots of fruit, either seasonal fresh fruit or any canned fruit variety.

    This dessert became really popular after being recreated by the famous nineteenth-century French cook Marie-Antoine Carรชme, the so-called โ€œking of the cooks, cook of the kings,โ€ who cooked for King George IV, Tsar Alexander I, and Emperor Franz I of Austria.

    He created a cake or dessert filled with Crรจme Bavaroise, which is a filling made with eggs and milk, stabilized with gelatin, and mixed with whipped cream. He named the dessert Charlotte Russe in honor of Tsar Alexander I.

    charlotte russe with pinepple grapes mandarins

    What kind of fruit to use in a Charlotte?

    • There are endless versions of a Charlotte russe recipe out there. The Romanian version, called Tort Diplomat, is traditionally filled and topped with candied, dried, or canned fruit.
    • I didn't use any candied or dried fruit for today's version, instead, I chose a mixture of canned fruit like pineapple and mandarins and fresh fruit โ€“ grapes.
    • You could use any kind of canned fruit you like and almost any kind of fresh fruit as well.
    • I saw many people using kiwi, but although I like kiwi, I did not have the courage to use fresh kiwi in combination with gelatin. Kiwi contains a protein-digesting enzyme that destroys gelatin, so I preferred not to put any kiwi in the cake. However, I assume you can't go wrong if you place the kiwi only on top of the cake and don't actually mix it with the custard.
    • Strawberries, like in this wonderful Strawberry Charlotte, or any kind of berries, are also a great alternative.
    • But, for a really genuine Romanian Diplomat cake, candied fruit and exotic canned fruit are the best options.

    Tips for making the cake

    • Only dip the ladyfingers briefly in the fruit syrup; they should be only slightly wet and not soaked. If they are too wet, they will start breaking. You can use either the pineapple or the mandarin syrup for this purpose; it doesn't matter.
    • Check the packet's instructions for the gelatin, regarding soaking time.
    • Mix the bloomed gelatin into the warm custard and stir well to dissolve.
    • Place a piece of cling film directly on top of the custard while it cools, this way it will not form a "skin".
    • Let the custard cool completely before adding the whipped cream to it. However, it should not get set. If it does before you add the cream, the filling will get clumpy, as you will not be able to mix the two together smoothly. Check regularly to see if the custard is cooled.
    charlotte russe with pinepple grapes mandarins

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    Please leave a good rating in the recipe card below. Stay in touch through social media: Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. Donโ€™t forget to tag #whereismyspoon when you try a recipe!

    Recipe

    romanian diplomat cake with ladyfingers and fruit cut on a platter showing the insides.

    Romanian Diplomat Cake (Charlotte Torte)

    Romanian Diplomat cake or Charlotte torte with homemade custard, whipped cream, ladyfingers, and lots of fruit.
    4.50 from 6 votes
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    Course: Sweets
    Cuisine: Romanian
    Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10 servings
    Calories: 476kcal
    Author: Adina
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    Ingredients 

    • 400 g/ 14 oz ladyfingers
    • 2 sachets gelatin granules/powder 9 g/ 0.3 oz each
    • 5 egg yolks
    • 200 g/ 7 oz/ 1 cup sugar
    • 2 tablespoons corn starch
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 500 ml/ 17 fl.oz/ 2 cups milk
    • 1 small can pineapple
    • 1 small can mandarins
    • 1 handful seedless grapes
    • 500 ml/ 17 fl.oz/ 2 cups heavy cream

    Instructions

    • Drain the pineapple can and save the syrup. Pour the syrup into a wider bowl. Or you could drain the mandarins first and use their syrup instead, whichever you prefer.
    • Dip each ladyfinger in the syrup, very shortly, they should barely get wet and not get soaked.
    • Arrange the ladyfingers, standing and with the sugared side facing the outside of the form, inside the ring of a 24-26 cm/ 9.5-10.2 inch springform.
    • After lining the springform with the biscuits, arrange some of them on the bottom of the springform as well. Break 1 or 2 ladyfingers and fit the pieces in the gaps, the whole base of the pan should be covered with ladyfingers.
    • Chop the pineapple rings (or use already chopped pineapple). Drain the mandarins as well very thoroughly.

    Custard:

    • Place the 5 egg yolks into a small pan. Add the sugar, corn starch, and vanilla essence. Whisk well until smooth. Slowly start adding the milk while whisking all the time.
    • Turn on the heat and heat the mixture while whisking continuously until it comes to a boil, it will take about 10 minutes. Let bubble once or twice until slightly thickened. Set the custard aside for 10 minutes.
    • In the meantime soak the gelatin granules according to the packet's instructions. In my case (Dr. Oetker gelatin granules) I soaked them in 10 tablespoons cold water for 10 minutes.
    • Add the bloomed gelatine to the warm custard and whisk well to incorporate. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Place a piece of cling film on top (it will prevent the custard from getting a โ€œskinโ€) and let it come to room temperature. It will take about an hour, don't let it stand longer than necessary or the custard will set and the finished Charlotte will get clumpy after adding the whipped cream. It has to be completely cooled, but not completely set.
    • When the custard has reached room temperature, beat the heavy cream until stiff. Set 3-4 tablespoons of the whipped cream aside for the decoration of the cake. Fold the rest of the whipped cream gradually and carefully into the custard.
    • Set some of the pineapple pieces, mandarins, and grapes aside for the decoration of the cake. Fold the rest of the fruit into the custard-cream mixture.
    • Pour the filling into the prepared pan and arrange the remaining fruit on top.
    • Pipe the remaining whipped cream on top of the cake as well.
    • Place the cake in the fridge and let it get set overnight.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 242mg | Sodium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @adinabeck or tag #WhereIsMySpoon!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Laura Dembowski says

      August 11, 2017 at 9:03 pm

      This is such a beautiful dessert! I am in love.

      Reply
    2. mjskitchen says

      August 08, 2017 at 3:10 am

      Well, this definitely does look like a cake that if fit for a king! What a beauty! I'm sure it takes as wonderful as it looks. Great post!

      Reply
    3. grace says

      August 07, 2017 at 6:33 pm

      very elegant, and delicious to boot!

      Reply
    4. Kim says

      August 02, 2017 at 11:23 pm

      Another stunning dessert, Adina, and I love the history behind it. I showed the picture to my daughter and she "Oh-ed" and "Ahh-ed" then asked me to make one for her birthday! Thanks for sharing another beautiful recipe.

      Reply
    5. Kathy@beyond the chicken coop says

      August 02, 2017 at 2:41 pm

      What a lovely little dessert! This would be quite impressive to serve to guests...or perhaps royalty!

      Reply
    6. allie says

      August 02, 2017 at 1:50 pm

      Gorgeous! Love this stunning cake and all the history behind it, Adina. Wish I could say I am in the garden with a piece of cake in front of me, ha ha, but it's been the craziest summer of my life. With two moves and our trip to Romania, I'm hoping fall will be a little quieter.

      Reply
    7. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

      August 01, 2017 at 7:01 pm

      Wow! This cake has quite the history! I didn't know that about kiwi before! I sometimes find it difficult to find lady fingers around here for some weird reason, but will have to keep a look out next time out in the grocery; this looks like one impressive cake and I can imagine it goes over really well when presented to family/friends if they're over for dinner! Nice touch with the canned and fresh fruit - perfect for summer ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    4.50 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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