This Frosted Lemonade Charlotte Russe inspired by the frosty beverage made of ice cream and lemonade and turned it into a light Bavarian.

This Frosted Lemonade Charlotte Russe is the perfect refreshing and light dessert for summertime.

Which is why I made it for Summer Dessert Week.

It’s based of Chick-fil-A’s Frosted Lemonade.

Which is a combo of lemonade and vanilla ice cream.

And I decided to make it into a Charlotte Russe. But what is a Charlotte Russe?

A Charlotte Russe is a classic, elegant dessert made with a molded outer layer of ladyfingers or sponge cake and filled with a rich cream, mousse, or custard.

Traditionally served chilled, it’s a no-bake dessert that looks impressive but is relatively simple to assemble.

The dessert is said to have been named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III of England, and the word russe (French for “Russian”) may refer to its popularity or influence from Russian cuisine, although the exact origins are a bit hazy.

They aren’t super popular in the United States but they should be.

If you like to watch British Bake Off they make them from time to time on there.

I originally planned on making this in the traditional style.

But since it was based off of a drink I decided to put it in glasses.

Plus, putting it in glasses is way easier.

I like to chill the mixture for about 30 minutes before putting it into the glasses.

For I find this helps a little with keeping the ladyfingers from getting too soggy.

In fact, if you don’t want your ladyfingers to get soggy at all you could just do the full 3 1/2 hours in the fridge and scoop it into a glass when ready to serve.

Either way it’s a great summery dessert that was a big hit with all who had it.

Ingredient Highlights:

Mascarpone Cheese or Cream Cheese: You can use either, but mascarpone will give you that ultra luxurious, smooth texture with a more delicate flavor. Cream cheese is tangier and more familiar for most, so go with what you love. Just please use full-fat. We’re making dessert, not diet food.

Granulated Sugar: While you can use regular granulated sugar, I tend to use extra fine when dealing cold desserts.

Vanilla Extract: Use your favorite, but I’m partial to Rodelle.

Unflavored Gelatin: This is what helps the dessert hold its shape without turning it into a jiggly science experiment. Bloom it in cold water.

Heavy Cream: Once whipped this will add volume to the dessert. I use a 40% butterfat heavy cream. Most stores carry 30% or 36%. Try and find the highest butterfat content you can.

Melted Vanilla Ice Cream: Yes, you read that right. MELTED. As far as what brand, you can use whatever is your favorite.

Lemonade Concentrate: We want a concentrated flavor of the lemonade and this is much easier than boiling down lemonade into a syrup.

Ladyfingers: There are two types of ladyfingers. There are soft spongy ones. And there are crisp sugar crusted ones. You want the more crisp ones for this dessert.

Whipped Cream (for garnish): You can use spray can, Cool Whip, homemade…whichever you prefer.

Let’s Make It Happen:

Start by creating the base of the Bavarian. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, blend together the mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese), granulated sugar, a pinch of salt, and vanilla extract. You want this to be ultra smooth, so don’t rush it. Once it’s luscious and creamy, transfer it to a large bowl and set it aside.

In a small separate bowl, sprinkle unflavored gelatin over 1/3 cup of cold water. Let it bloom…this just means letting it sit and soften. Once it’s bloomed, gently heat the mixture until the gelatin fully dissolves. No boiling, just enough heat to melt everything into a smooth liquid. Stir that into your cheese mixture, making sure it’s completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides, then give it another good mix for good measure.

In a clean mixing bowl using the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. This is what gives our dessert that signature light, airy texture. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture—don’t overmix. We’re going for fluffy, not flat.

Stir in the melted vanilla ice cream (yes, melted on purpose) and lemonade concentrate. This will deflate some of the mixture, that is okay. Mix until fully combined and then pop the bowl in the fridge for about 30 minutes so it can firm up a bit.

Assembly Time:

Take out some Double Old Fashioned Glasses…they’re the perfect size and give the dessert that fancy layered look. Drop three ladyfingers into the bottom of each glass.

Scoop in the chilled frosted lemonade mixture around the ladyfingers while leaving their tops slightly exposed for a pretty peek through effect.

Place them back into the fridge for another three hours to fully set up.

Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream, and you’re done.

Welcome to this year’s #SummerDessertWeek event hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife. We’ve got 10 spectacular bloggers/ blogs creating some of the best summer desserts this week and sharing the recipes! We will be sharing our recipes on our blogs (some of those recipe links posted in this post) and on social media with the hashtag #SummerDessertWeek

We hope you’ll find some new favorite recipes this week and have fun with us as we celebrate summer!

• S’mores Cake from SemiHomemade Recipes
• Blackberry Crumble Pie from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Frosted Lemonade Charlotte Russe from Sweet ReciPEAs

Want More Bavarian Style Desserts?

Angel Food Cake and Honey Tangerine Bavarian Trifle 

Creamsicle Bavarian Cream Push Pop

Cranberry Orange Charlotte Russe

Strawberry Shortcake Charlotte Russe

Red Velvet Marble Cake with Red Velvet Oreo Cream Cheese Bavarian Filling