fraisier (French strawberry cake) 🍓🍰🇫🇷

my fave cake (to eat and make) that i learned at pastry school in France - in 19 easy steps 🍓🍰🇫🇷

COMPONENTS

genoise sponge

diplomat cream (stabilized pastry cream + whipped cream)

fresh strawberries (halved, diced, and sliced)

strawberry soaking syrup

optional: chantilly cream, nappage

PREP AHEAD

1. Bake a genoise sponge. Once cooled, use a serrated knife to cut it in half cross-wise. Trim each layer to be about 2cm smaller than your cake ring (can be made ahead and frozen if well-wrapped).

2. Make a pastry cream, stabilized with gelatin (can also be made ahead and refrigerated).

ASSEMBLY DAY

3. Cut strawberries.

• Halve strawberries of the same size for the base of the cake (I used 6 large strawberries for a 16cm ring)

• Dice a few to layer in the center of the cake

• Reserve the prettiest strawberries to decorate the top of the cake

4. Make a strawberry soaking syrup. I used strawberry jam and thinned it out with a few tablespoons of water over medium-low heat.

5. Prepare a diplomat cream: Whisk your pastry cream until smooth (don’t skip this step or you’ll get clumps like I did 🙈), then fold in whipped heavy cream.

6. Set up your cake ring.

• Wrap the base with plastic wrap, stretching it smooth

• Line the inside of the ring with a strip of acetate

7. Arrange halved strawberries along the inside border of the cake ring, cut side against the acetate.

8. Place one layer of genoise sponge in the center of the ring.

9. Brush sponge generously with strawberry syrup.

10. Pipe diplomat cream over the sponge and between each strawberry. Smooth with a spoon or bowl scraper to eliminate air pockets for a perfect finish.

11. Sprinkle diced strawberries over the cream, then add another layer of diplomat cream.

12. Brush the second layer of genoise with soaking syrup on both sides and press it in the cake ring.

13. Pipe final layer of diplomat cream, creating a flat surface.

14. Smooth the top perfectly with an offset spatula or a bowl scraper.

15. Eat the scraps. 😋

16. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

17. Unmold the cake.

• Loosen the cake from the ring by running a paring knife between the acetate and the edge of the cake ring. Press your thumbs against the base of the cake to push the cake out of the ring.

18. Peel off acetate while the cake is still cold for smooth sides.

19. Decorate! I piped a border of chantilly (sweetened whipped cream, stabilized with mascarpone) and fanned out finely sliced strawberries over the top. In pastry school, we learned to brush fresh fruit with nappage (I used diluted apricot jam here) for an extra glossy finish. I added gold leaf too to make it extra special for my friend’s bday. 🥰