Mary Berry’s Charlotte royale

This kitsch dessert is made up of a jam-filled Swiss roll with a set egg custard flavored with raspberries, strawberries, and raspberry.

Ingredients

For the jam

• 400g/14oz strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
• 500g/1lb 2oz jam sugar
• knob of butter

For the sponge rolls

• 6 large free-range eggs
• 150g/5½oz caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 150g/5½oz self-raising flour

For the bavarois

• 9 leaves gelatine
• 550g/1lb 4oz raspberries
• 2 tbsp raspberry 
• 600ml/20fl oz milk
• 8 free-range egg yolks
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar
• 450ml/16fl oz double cream
• 100g/3½oz small strawberries

To decorate

• 75g/2½oz caster sugar
• 1 tbsp arrowroot
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream
• 25g/1oz icing sugar
• 10 medium strawberries

Method

1. For the jam, place the strawberries in a small pan with the sugar and cook over low heat until the sugar has melted. Add the knob of butter. Bring to the boil and boil vigorously for four minutes, or until the temperature on a sugar thermometer reaches 104C/219F (setting point). Remove from the heat and stir in the knob of butter. Transfer to a large bowl and leave to set.
2. For the sponge rolls, preheat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/425F/Gas 7. Grease and line two 33cm x 23cm/13 x 9in Swiss roll tins with baking parchment. Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture is light and frothy and the whisk leaves a trail when lifted out. Sift the flour into the mixture and carefully fold it in. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and give it a gentle shake so that the mixture finds its own level, making sure that it has spread evenly to the corners.
3. Bake in the two Swiss roll tins for 10–12 minutes, or until the sponges are golden brown and begin to shrink from the edges of the tin. While the cakes are cooking, place two pieces of baking parchment a little bigger than the size of the tin on the work surface and sprinkle with caster sugar.
4. Turn the cakes out onto the sugared parchment and peel off the paper. Trim the edges of the sponges and score 2cm/¾in from the short edge, being careful not to right through.
5. Leave to cool slightly, then spread with jam and roll up the cakes firmly from the scored end and set aside.
6. For the bavarois, soak the gelatine in cold water until soft. Purée 450g/1lb of the raspberries in the bowl of a food processor. Pass the raspberries through a sieve over a bowl and discard the seeds. Stir the raspberry into the purée and set it aside.
7. Pour the milk into a pan and heat until just under boiling point. Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together until pale and creamy. Pour the hot milk over the eggs and whisk together. Drain the gelatine, squeeze out any excess moisture and add it to the custard. Return the custard to the pan and cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil as this will split the custard and prevent the gelatine from setting. Remove from the heat, transfer to a clean bowl and leave to cool slightly before folding in the raspberry purée. Leave to cool for at least 30 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, line the base of a 2 litre/3½ pint round bowl with cling film, to help turn the Charlotte royale out. Slice the Swiss rolls into 1.5cm/⅝in slices and use them to line the base and sides of a bowl. Pack the slices closely together so that no filling can seep through, reserving enough slices to cover the top (which will become the base).