Fraisier Cake (French Strawberry cake)

You will love this traditional French strawberry cake - Fraisier - made with a Genoise sponge and generously garnished with fresh strawberries and luscious mousseline cream. A classic Le Fraisier is given a makeover to turn it into a visually stunning masterpiece.

What is your first reaction when you look at this cake? You may exclaim, "It is gorgeous, amazing, stunning, beautiful, astonishing!"

It is pretty and delicious; it is an assured delight. Do you have other expressions? Please, let me know in the comments below!

When I saw this Fraisier cake (gateau Fraisier in French) on one of the French food blogs, I remember that day. I was staring at the image where the cake itself looked like a decoration.

Indeed, it is the unique assembly of this cake that makes all of its originality.

At first glance, the cake may seem difficult to make. But in reality, it is not that complicated at all. And I will walk you through the recipe with step-by-step, photographed explanations.

What is a Fraisier

Fraisier cake, or simply Fraisier (French spelling gateau Fraisier and pronunciation [fʀezje]), is a classic French dessert made with fresh strawberries, a vanilla mousseline cream or crème mousseline, and a very lightly soaked Genoise sponge.

The cake's name is derived from the French word “fraise,” meaning strawberry.

The raspberry version of a similar French cake made with raspberries is called Framboisier cake (from the French word “framboise,” meaning raspberry). A matching blackberry cake is called Mûrier (from the French word "la mûre," meaning blackberry).

Each of these summer fruit cake versions is visually impressive, incredibly tasty, and delicious. And as per Chefsimon.com, it is

a pastry of incomparable freshness and delicacy.

Why you should try this recipe

• Strawberry Fraisier is a decadent French celebration cake perfect for any occasion. Whether it is a birthday party, Mother's Day, or Valentine's Day, you and your guests will love the cake.

• Generously decorated with fresh seasonal strawberries, the cake is a delightful summertime favorite. It is one of those French strawberry desserts (Strawberry Clafoutis, French Strawberry Tart, etc.) that you can't wait to make.

• The seemingly complicated Frasier recipe (Fraisier recette) is easy and enjoyable.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for exact amounts and instructions. I recommend making the recipe as written for the best results.

• Strawberries are the stars of the cake. It is imperative to choose good quality fresh strawberries of the same diameter to get a beautiful finish to the cake. The larger the berry, the juicier it is; the smaller the strawberry, the more flavorful it is.

While making this strawberry cake, one of the best-flavored strawberries is Earliglow strawberries. Albion strawberries are another alternative due to their intense color, conical shape, and high sugar content.

Read this guide on types of strawberries and choose those that are available in your area.

• Sugar: use regular granulated sugar or caster sugar.

• Gelatin sheets: Use gelatin sheets with a strength of 200 bloom. To substitute sheet gelatin in the recipe, use 8 g of powdered gelatin and ¼ cup (60 ml) of cold water.

• Lime juice: Use untreated organic lime and a citrus juicer to get the fresh juice. Replace lime juice with lemon juice or Kirsch if desired.

• Eggs: the recipe calls for large eggs.

• Vanilla bean: Since the flavor makes a big difference in making the mousseline cream, it is essential to use the best quality wholesale Madagascar vanilla beans. 

• Butter: the recipe calls for top-quality unsalted butter. Take it from the fridge 2 hours before you start.

• Flour: use all-purpose flour to make the recipe.

• Corn starch: it works as a thickening agent.

• Milk: use whole or low-fat milk if desired.

Recipe variations

Classic French Fraisier cake is made with a

• classic French Genoise cake,
• Madagascar vanilla mousseline cream (crème mousseline in French),
• strawberry halves to create the edges of the cake, and
• topped with a flavorful green-colored marzipan or almond paste.

Pastry chefs create different versions of the classic Fraisier.

• Fraisier by Yann Couvreur (this present recipe) stands as a modern presentation of the traditional French strawberry cake. It is made with two layers of Genoise sponge, mousseline cream, and strawberry confit and studded with a generous amount of fresh strawberries cut into rings.

• Individually-served mini Fraiser cake is another great presentation. perfect for St. Valentine's Day or another occasion.

• Fraisier with diplomat cream (crème diplomate in French) is a lighter version of the French strawberry cake. Diplomat cream is made of pastry cream (crème pâtissière) and whipped cream with added gelatin.

How to make Fraisier cake

Make strawberry confit

To make the strawberry confit, cover a 6-inch/15 cm round stainless steel cutter with doubled plastic film, forming a plastic bottom, and set aside. Soak gelatin in cold water for about 10 minutes.

Crush strawberries in a food processor for 1 minute (photo 1). In a small saucepan, place crushed berries and half of the granulated sugar.

Heat the mixture over low to medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Add the rest of the sugar mixed with cornstarch, stirring constantly, and let boil for 1 minute.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the drained gelatin. Pour the confit into the ring and freeze for 3 hours (photo 2).

Make Genoise cake

To make the Genoise sponge cake, preheat the oven to 365 degrees F/180 degrees C.

Prepare a bain-marie (aka water bath) with a heatproof bowl where break the eggs and add granulated sugar.

Whip the mixture with a hand whisk or electric mixer to obtain a foamy preparation that gradually thickens to a sabayon texture.

Remove the bowl from the water bath, then continue whisking until the mixture cools down and becomes doubled (photo 3).

Then add the sifted flour and gently mix with a rubber spatula (photo 4).

Spread the cake batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper using a bent spatula (photo 5). Bake the sponge for 10 to 12 minutes.

Let the sponge layer cool on a baking tray and cut two circles of 6-inch (15 cm) in diameter (photo 6).

Make simple syrup

To make the simple syrup, in a saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil. Then, out of the heat, add the lime juice and mix. 

Make mousseline cream

To make the mousseline cream, pour milk, add seeds of the vanilla pod, and 2 tablespoons (30 g) of sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and three-fourths of the whole egg with 4 ½ tablespoons (60 g) of sugar, add the cornstarch, and mix well (photo 7).

Pour the boiling milk over the eggs/sugar mixture, whisking well. Then pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

Cook the cream on low heat, whisking until it thickens (this cream is called pastry cream).

Take the pot out of the heat and add 3.9 oz (112 g) of butter cut in pieces. Mix well so that it incorporates appropriately (photo 8).

Then transfer the cream to a shallow dish, cover it with plastic wrap in contact, and let it cool to room temperature.

Once the cream has cooled, add the remaining 3.9 oz (112 g) of softened butter and whisk with the electric mixer well.

Put aside the ready mousseline cream until assembling the cake (photo 9).

Assemble Fraisier

To assemble the cake, cut fresh strawberries into round slices. Line the bottom of a mousse cake mold (17 cm in diameter) with cling film and the sides with an acetate strip.

Garnish the bottom of the cake ring FIRST, and then the sides of the tin with the strawberry rings, arranging them in two rows (photo 10).

Use a spatula, the back of a spoon, or a piping bag to cover strawberry rings at the bottom and sides with the cream. Try to fill all the interstices (photo 11).

Then cover the entire surface of the fruits (at the bottom) with one-third of the mousseline cream.

Place the first sponge disk soaked on both sides with the simple syrup and slightly press (photo 12).

Cover the sponge with another one-third of the mousseline cream filling.

Place the frozen strawberry confit disk and slightly press (photo 13). 

Cover the fruit disk with the remaining mousseline cream, smooth the surface, place the second disc of the soaked sponge, and then push it slightly.

Use a small angled spatula to smooth the excess mousseline cream around the edges of the mold (photo 14). Cover the cake with plastic film and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Before serving, turn the cake on a serving platter, and remove the cake mold, acetate cake collar, and food plastic. Arrange halves of toasted hazelnuts on top of the cake.

Expert Tips

1. Use any adjustable mousse cake mold (I used this 7 inches leakproof springform pan, lining the bottom with a plastic film and sides with an acetate cake collar).
2. Make sure the pastry cream and the softened butter are at the same temperature so that the emulsion is done well. Otherwise, mousseline cream may become grainy (meaning the separation of fat and cream).
3. To make the cake look neat, use strawberry rings equal in size and without holes. In this case, you will need to use more strawberries than required in the recipe.
4. Keep the cake in the mold until the moment of serving. Turn the cake and unmold it at the last minute to ensure the strawberries stay fresh. 
5. Use a small knife to clean the strawberries' edges from overflowing mousseline cream after unmolding the cake if necessary.
6. To prevent Fraisier from drying and bring a beautiful shine, brush the cake with a thin layer of a cake glaze or a neutral topping, although this step is optional.

Storage

Fraisier should be stored in the fridge until the moment of serving. So, make sure to keep it in the mold, covered with plastic film. It prevents the cake from absorbing any smell from the fridge and drying out.

Once you are ready to serve, turn the cake on a serving plate, and remove the mold, acetate collar, and plastic.

The dessert is best eaten on the day of serving, but you can keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. It is not advisable to freeze Fraisier since strawberries, in this case, do not stand freezing.

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The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was adapted from http://www.iletaitungateau.com/. It was originally published on September 18, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.