and has since evolved into a simple dessert of chopped apples basked in a sweet batter. Charlotte russe or is a cold dessert of Bavarian cream set in a mold lined with ladyfingers. A simplified version of charlotte russe was a popular dessert or on-the-go treat sold in candy stores and luncheonettes in New York City, during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. It consisted of a paper cup filled with yellow cake and whipped cream topped with half a maraschino cherry. The bottom of the cup is pushed up to eat. Charlotte royale is made with the same filling as a Charlotte russe, but the ladyfingers are replaced by slices of Swiss roll. Etymology The earliest attestation of "charlotte" is in a New York magazine in 1796. Its origins are unclear. It may come from the woman's name. One etymology suggests it is a corruption of the Old English word , a kind of custard, or charlets, a meat dish. It is often claimed that Carême named it charlotte after one of the various foreign royals he served, but the name appears years earlier. Carême's preferred name for was , and he says (in 1815) that "others" prefer to call it , so it is unlikely that he named it russe for Czar Alexander I as has been proposed. See also Apple cake Applesauce cake Baking Crema de fruta Crumble Icebox cake List of French desserts List of Russian desserts Summer pudding Tiramisu References External links Custard desserts British desserts French desserts Russian desserts Tarts French cakes No bake cakes Fruit dishes Layer cakes