Strawberry Cake

The Fraisier Cake derives its name from the French word fraise, meaning strawberry. It is a quintessential French dessert that features layers of vanilla mousseline cream (often pistachio flavored) and fresh strawberries. The result? A cake that is both visually stunning and irresistibly delicious. In this video, I will be sharing my recipe for a strawberry cake that offers a fantastic compromise between simplicity and elegance. It is by far the easiest version of this classic dessert, yet it never fails to impress. The star of this Fraisier Cake is the vanilla ganache montée, a light and creamy filling that adds a touch of sophistication to every bite. I will also be showing you how to make the perfect madeleine biscuit, which adds a delectable texture to the cake. Inspired by renowned pastry chef Jean-Baptiste Grangé, this Fraisier Cake is a must-try for any dessert enthusiast. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced baker, this recipe is accessible to all levels of skill.

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What You Would Need

Line cake ring with acetate cake liner/collar. Strips neatly cut out from a freezer bag can be used instead. In this case, lightly oil cake ring prior to apply the plastic.

Madeleine Biscuit

You want to use 2 cake molds or tart rings that should be one inch/2.5cm smaller in diameter than the cake ring that will be used to build your strawberry cake. Grease molds with soften butter and cooking spray. Sift flour with baking powder. In a large pastry bowl, mix together milk, eggs and sugar. Add powders, lemon zest and the just warm melted butter. Spread madeleine batter equally into the 2 prepared molds. Bake right away or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Baking

Preheat fan oven to 330ºF/160ºC. Bake madeleine biscuit for about 20 minutes. Let cool off and de-mold. Refrigerate biscuit overnight before cutting.

Strawberry Gelée

Soak gelatin sheets in cold water to soften and drain. Give a quick wash to the strawberries and lay over a tray lined with paper towels. Remove stems and puree strawberries along with lemon juice and half of the sugar. Meanwhile, mix remaining sugar with pectin. Heat up strawberry puree and stir in sugar-pectin mixture. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 mins on medium heat. Remover from the heat and add the soften gelatin. Let cool and refrigerate overnight. Smooth out strawberry gelée using an immersion blender; set aside.

Vanilla Chantilly (Ganache Montée)

Soak gelatin sheets in cold water to soften and drain well. Bring to a boil heavy cream along with vanilla. Pour hot cream in the white chocolate, let sit for a minute and mix. Add soften gelatin and mix well. Add remaining and cold heavy cream; mix well and refrigerate overnight. Whip chilled ganache montée to medium peaks prior to use. Stay close by – do not over whip!.

Strawberry Punch

Since the madeleine biscuit offers a richer and moister texture than the traditional sponge cake, madeleine may not be required to be moisturized with syrup. However, it wont hurt. Bring to a boil, water and sugar. Add strawberries and mix with an immersion blender – give a quick boil. Use the punch at room temp. Add flavoring such as raspberry liquor if desired. Use punch at room temp.

Montage

Trim off top and slice one madeleine biscuit lengthwise into 2 portions. Make sure that each biscuit does not get thicker than 0.24-inch/6 mm, otherwise the cake will end up too dry. Use the bottom for the base of the cake and the top for the upper layer. Refrigerate or freeze the other madeleine biscuit and scraps for later use. Indeed, it can be turned into a strawberry shortcake!.
Place prepared cake ring onto a flat round plater or cake board (no need for plastic sheet nor parchment to be placed underneath cake). Moisturize madeleine biscuit with strawberry punch if desired. Arrange the best looking and same size strawberry halves all around the edges – the fruits should fit and stand up right between the cake ring and biscuit. Whip chilled vanilla ganache montée to medium peaks. Pipe out filling between each fruit and press down with a spatula making sure that there won't be any gaps left behind. Fill cake with saved strawberry halves and cover with some of the strawberry gelée. Top with the second madeleine biscuit and press down gently – Make sure there is enough space left for the filling. Smooth top with a large offset spatula. Freeze cake for 30 mins allowing the top to set before glazing.

Glazing

Before glazing the cake, raise the height of the cake ring with a couple of 3 millimeter thick devices such as bamboo skewers. Glaze cake with remaining strawberry gelée and smooth it out with a large offset spatula. Decorate cake with Chantilly rosettes and use a wet melon baller device to create some cavities. Fill them up with strawberry gelée. Decorate cake artfully with strawberries and mint leaves. Refrigerate cake for a couple hours before removing the cake ring.

Storage

Fraisier is best eaten within 24 hours. Avoid freezing temperature.
Bon appétit!

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