charlotte russe

Meaning

A dessert of custard or whipped cream enclosed in sponge cake, often in the form of ladyfingers.

Synonyms

fudge

junket

Hyphenated as

char‧lotte

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈʃɑːlət ˈɹuːs/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: charlet

In summary

Borrowed from French charlotte russe (literally “Russian charlotte”). The origin of the term is obscure; one theory is that the dish was created by French chef Marie-Antoine Carême (1784–1833) and named in honour of his employer Alexander I of Russia. Charlotte (“a dessert containing sponge, fruit and cream or custard”) is possibly from Middle English charlet, charlette (“dish made from eggs, meat, milk, etc.”), probably from Old French char laitée (“meat with milk”): char (“meat”) + laitée (“milk”).