How this dessert made its transition from European dainty to beloved Brooklyn street food is murky. For my mother’s generation, the Charlotte Russe symbolized something within their reach that tasted really special. For many children, as well as young-at-heart adults, half of the allure lay in the packaging. According to a Brooklyn cookbook, each Charlotte Russe was “surrounded by a frilled cardboard holder with a round of cardboard on the bottom. As the cream went down, you pushed the cardboard up from the bottom, so you could eat the cake.” People like me who lived in the 50’s and 60’s eating candy PUSH POPS by Topps or the PUSH UP Ice and Ice Cream Sundae by Good Humor (remember that? Vanilla ice cream with chocolate fudge in a cardboard like paper roll, when you pushed it up, both mixed and melted in your mouth). If you recall eating these “lost foods,” then you can understand the appeal. “There is something intrinsic to the Charlotte Russe—perhaps it’s the scalloped edges on the cardboard cup, the reckless quantity of fluffy whipped cream, or just its utter simplicity. The Charlotte Russe, that venerable New York specialty that left generations of city kids with white mustaches on their faces, is not extinct but, like a Brooklyn Egg Cream or a Chow Mein On A Bun, it is hard to come by.” What seems to be extinct is the Charlotte Russe cardboard cups with the push up bottoms. You will have to be lucky to find them or use your imagination to create them, if you want them, to “push up”. There’s one bakery in New York that is said to still regularly churn out Charlotte Russe, Holtermann’s, and it’s located not in Brooklyn but across the bay in Staten Island. You might want to give them a call.  In the meantime, here’s the recipe:

CHARLOTTE RUSSE {Makes 15 cakes}

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, separate
1 tablespoon cold water
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

INGREDIENTS FOR THE TOPPING:

2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Raspberry jam
15 Maraschino cherries
Chocolate sprinkles or shavings (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350º

Butter a 10×15 inch nonstick jellyroll pan or a 9×13 inch nonstick baking pan…

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl, and set aside…

In a mixing bowl using a wire whisk or electric beaters, whip the egg whites and water together, gradually adding 1/2 cup of sugar, until mixture is thick, bright white, and glossy. Set aside…

In a separate mixing bowl, using a wire whisk or electric beaters, whisk the egg yolks until thickened and slightly lighter in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup of sugar followed by the vanilla and beat until quite thick and pale. Gently fold the yolks into the whites with a rubber spatula, then fold in the dry ingredients until just combined; be careful not to over-mix…

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned and springy to the touch. Remove pan from oven and set on a wire rack to cool slightly. Cut out rounds of cake with a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter and set aside…

With a chilled wire whisk or electric beaters, whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks. Add the confectioners’ sugar and continue whipping until it forms stiff peaks…

ASSEMBLE THE CHARLOTTE RUSSE:

Place a round of sponge cake at the bottom of a paper cup or small glass. Top with a teaspoon of raspberry jam, followed by a generous dollop of whipped cream. If desired, spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fit with a star tip and pipe into the cup. Top with a cherry (always) and chocolate sprinkles, if desired.

BUON MANGIATA!