No-Bake Strawberry Lime Charlotte Cake
This No-Bake Strawberry Lime Charlotte Cake is creamy, fruity, and refreshing, with layers of fresh strawberries, soft ladyfingers, and a fluffy lime cream cheese filling. It looks beautiful once unmolded, but it’s actually very simple to make: layer everything in a bowl, chill until set, then flip it onto a plate.
Servings 8 servings
Calories 518kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb strawberries fresh, hulled and sliced into thin rounds
- 24–30 ladyfingers or as needed, depending on the size of your bowl
- 3/4 cup milk for dipping the ladyfingers
For the Cream Filling
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- 12 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 can 14 oz, sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice from about 5 large limes or 6 small limes
- 2 tablespoons lime zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Line a large 2.5–3 quart / 2.5–3 liter mixing bowl with plastic wrap, making sure it covers the bottom and sides with some overhang. This will make the cake easier to unmold later.
- Arrange the strawberries. Place the strawberry slices on the bottom and up the sides of the lined bowl, pressing them gently against the plastic wrap. Keep the slices close together so they create a pretty strawberry pattern once the cake is turned out.
- Make the cream filling. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the cold heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, fresh lime juice, lime zest, and vanilla extract, if using.
- Beat the mixture until smooth, thick, and creamy. The lime juice will help the cream and sweetened condensed milk mixture thicken slightly as it mixes and chills.
- Add the first cream layer. Spoon a layer of cream filling into the strawberry-lined bowl and gently spread it over the bottom and sides. Work carefully so the strawberry slices stay in place.
- Dip the ladyfingers. Quickly dip the ladyfingers in milk, one at a time. Do not soak them. A quick dip is enough to soften them without making them mushy.
- Add the first ladyfinger layer. Arrange a layer of dipped ladyfingers over the cream filling.
- Continue layering. Add another layer of cream filling, then a layer of sliced strawberries, followed by another layer of dipped ladyfingers.
- Repeat the layers. Continue layering cream filling, sliced strawberries, and dipped ladyfingers until the bowl is almost full.
- Finish with ladyfingers. Add a final layer of dipped ladyfingers on top. This layer will become the base of the cake once it is inverted.
- Chill the cake. Cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until the cake is fully chilled and set.
- Unmold the cake. When ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap from the top. Place a serving plate over the bowl, then carefully flip the cake onto the plate.
- Remove the bowl and gently peel away the plastic wrap.
- Slice and serve chilled.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 518kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 328mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1682IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 2mg