Fraisier
Strawberry cream cake
Fraisier: French strawberry layer cake with mousseline cream and almond paste top
The fraisier is the spring celebration cake of France, made for Mother's Day and family birthdays as soon as the first strawberries arrive: two layers of light génoise soaked in syrup, filled with vanilla mousseline cream and a ring of halved strawberries showing at the sides, finished with a thin layer of pink almond paste. The common mistake is assembling it with soft cream, so the strawberries slip. Chef's tip: build it in a ring lined with acetate and chill overnight; it slices cleanly with a hot knife.
- Total time
- 115 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the génoise
- 4 eggs
- 4 oz caster sugar
- 4 oz plain flour
For the syrup
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
For the mousseline
- 16 oz crème pâtissièreat room temperature
- 5 ½ oz unsalted buttersoft
To finish
- 1 ⅓ lb strawberriessimilar size, hulled
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line a 30 x 40 cm tray. Whisk the 4 eggs and 4 oz caster sugar for 8–10 minutes until thick and pale and a ribbon holds for 3 seconds. Fold in the sifted 4 oz plain flour gently.
10 minStep 2: Spread on the tray and bake for 10–12 minutes until golden and springy. Cool, then cut two 22 cm discs.
12 minStep 3: Boil the 2 ⅛ oz sugar and ¼ cup water for 1 minute and add the 1 tbsp lemon juice. Cool.
3 minStep 4: Beat the 5 ½ oz unsalted butter until creamy, then beat in the 16 oz crème pâtissière a spoonful at a time to a smooth mousseline.
10 minStep 5: Set a 22 cm ring lined with acetate on a board. Put one disc in and brush with syrup. Halve 12 1 ⅓ lb strawberries and press them, cut side out, round the edge. Pipe mousseline between and over them, add the remaining whole strawberries in the middle and cover with more cream.
20 minStep 6: Top with the second disc, brush with syrup and spread with the last cream. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
10 minStep 7: Roll the 5 ½ oz almond paste (marzipan), coloured pale pink thinly, cut a 22 cm disc and lay it on top. Unmould and slice with a hot knife.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fraisier take?
- About 115 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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