Fraisier
A classic French strawberry cake: the most difficult part is assembling it correctly. This cake is made in different ways, and the base can be a classic, almond-flour-based one or, as I did, a slightly denser Genoise sponge cake. There are also different variations of the cream. I made a Diplomat cream, which consists of a classic French pastry cream and whipped cream. The strawberries for this cake should be sweet, ripe, oblong, and very fresh. This cake is not the easiest cake I have ever come across, but you can do such things for a festive occasion. I made this cake for a very special person’s birthday. Happy birthday, Marie-Ann!
Preparation time: About 2.5 hours
Level: Rather complex
Quantity: One 28 cm cake
Ingredients:
Genoise sponge
200 g eggs (about 4 medium eggs)
125 g granulated sugar
125 g flour
Diplomat cream
100 g egg yolks (about 5 egg yolks)
120 g sugar
50 g cornstarch
500 g milk
50 g butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
8 g gelatin leaves
250 g whipped cream
Vanilla syrup
150 g water
75 g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
About 1 kg ripe, oblong strawberries
Vanilla cream cheese cream for decoration
100 g cream cheese
50 g room temperature butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
150 g powdered sugar
Meringue for decoration
175 g sugar
3 egg whites
Preparation:
- Prepare the Genoise biscuit. To do this, weigh the eggs and sugar in a large metal bowl. Pour water into a saucepan and place the bowl in the water; heat the water to a boil. Mix the egg and sugar mixture intensively with a whisk. Heat the mixture until it reaches 50 degrees C.
- Pour the mixture into a mixer and mix for about 10 minutes at full speed. The result should be a white and uniform foam. Genoise biscuit does not use baking powder, and it rises in the air, whipped into the egg-sugar mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line a 28 cm baking dish with baking paper.
- Carefully mix the flour into the whipped egg-sugar mixture using a spatula. Mix as little as possible, but make sure that the dough is uniform.
- Pour the dough into the baking dish and place it in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. After baking, leave the oven door ajar and let the cake base cool slowly in the oven.
- Remove the cake base from the oven and let it cool completely.
- While the cake base is baking, put the gelatin in a bowl and soak it in very cold water for at least 15 minutes.
- Prepare the Diplomat cream. To do this, mix the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and cornstarch in a saucepan and whisk until light and foamy.
- Heat the milk in another saucepan until boiling and pour the milk into the cream, whisking constantly.
- Place the cream on the stove and heat over medium heat until boiling. Whisk constantly. Squeeze the gelatin leaves dry and add to the cream. When the cream has thickened, remove it from the stove and stir in the butter. Mix until smooth, cover the surface of the cream with cling film so that the film touches the cream. This will prevent a hard layer from forming on the surface of the cream. Cool the cream completely.
- When the cream has cooled, whip the whipped cream until stiff. Be careful not to let it curdle. Do not add sugar to the whipped cream.
- Fold the whipped cream into the cream. The result is a Diplomat cream that can be stored or used immediately.
- Make the vanilla syrup. To do this, mix together the sugar, vanilla extract, and water. Heat until the sugar dissolves. Use to soak the cake bases.
- To assemble the cake, cut the cake base into two layers of equal thickness. If necessary, cut the cake base smaller with a knife so that it is about 2 cm smaller on all sides than the cake tin in which you plan to assemble the cake.
- Place the ring of the cake tin on the base where you plan to make the cake and with which you plan to transport or serve the cake. You cannot move the cake around later.
- Line the edge of the cake tin ring with baking paper or a special cellophane strip.
- Place one halved biscuit base in the middle of the cake tin and soak it with 5-6 tablespoons of vanilla syrup.
- Cut the beautiful strawberries in half lengthwise and place them upright next to the cake base against the ring of the cake tin lined with paper or a cellophane strip, with the cut surface tightly against the edge.
- Pour about half of the diplomat cream over the strawberries and the cake base so that the strawberries on the edge are about 2/3 covered with cream.
- Cut a large handful of strawberries into small pieces and sprinkle the cream on top.
- Place the other half of the biscuit on top, press lightly into the cream, but not completely.
- Soak the cake base with 5-6 tablespoons of vanilla syrup.
- Pour the remaining Diplomat cream over the cake so that it covers both the biscuit and the strawberries. Smooth the top lightly and place in the refrigerator at +4 degrees C overnight. The minimum standing time should be 4 hours.
- Prepare small meringue cookies to decorate the cake. To do this, whip the egg whites and sugar until very stiff. Whip with a mixer at maximum speed for at least 10 minutes.
- Use a pastry brush to cut out the desired shape on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. cookies and bake at 110 degrees C for 1 hour. During this time, the meringue cookies will not dry out completely on the inside, and the center will remain slightly soft.
- When the cake has stood in the refrigerator for the required time, remove the edge of the cake tin and the surrounding paper or cellophane strip. If necessary, carefully clean the visible strawberries with a knife so that they look neat.
- Prepare the cream cheese-vanilla cream. Mix together the cream cheese, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, sea salt and butter and mix until smooth.
- Cut the strawberries into slices or pieces of your choice, and place them on the cake. Place small meringue cookies on the cake and use a pastry brush to create beautiful cream shapes.
Store the cake in the refrigerator so that the Diplomat cream does not melt. Serve immediately. Store the cake at +4 degrees in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days.
Ready!
