Fraisier Cake
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Of all the pastries that grace the patisserie window when summer arrives, none speaks of the season quite like the Fraisier. This exquisite French strawberry cake is a true celebration of sunny days and the vibrant flavors of summer. It is an edible homage to the strawberry itself—a fruit so beloved that did you know there are over 600 varieties in the world? The Fraisier, in its elegant construction, truly highlights the beauty and versatility of this beloved fruit. Picture this: a rich, nutty almond biscuit base, subtly moistened with a sharp red fruit punch syrup. This foundation is perfectly complemented by a luxurious filling made from Lenôtre's finest custard-buttercream-Italian meringue recipe—a divine crème mousseline that is both rich and astonishingly light. The entire creation is encircled by a vertical wall of perfectly halved strawberries, their jewel-like red skins creating a stunning visual contrast. The combination of textures and flavors in this dessert is simply irresistible. The delicate crumb of the almond sponge, the silken give of the mousseline, and the juicy, bright burst of strawberry in every forkful is a symphony of summer. But here's the secret whispered from pastry chef to apprentice, the key to transforming a good Fraisier into a sublime one: the unquestionable quality of the strawberries. Whether you choose to showcase sweet and juicy Gariguettes or Charlotte or Mara des Bois from the market, the key to a stellar Fraisier lies entirely in the freshness and flavor of the fraises. They are not merely an ingredient; they are the heart and soul of the creation. Join me in exploring the art of creating this classic, where technique meets the finest fruit of the season.
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The combination of textures and flavors in this dessert is simply irresistible...
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Almond Biscuit (using marzipan)
- Lübecker, or Mandelin marzipan are among the best brands. Avoid dry or out of date marzipan. Cut marzipan into cubes. In your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, start to beat marzipan with the sugar until it comes together. Add 1 or 2 eggs, and continue beating until batter gets smooth.
- Separately, sift flour and baking powder; set aside. Stop mixer and swap the paddle with the whisk attachment. Continue to whip the almond mixture adding the remaining eggs gradually, on medium speed. Increase mixer speed to high, and beat 8 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Separately, mix about a cup of the whipped almond mixture with the melted butter. In a large bowl, fold the sifted powders into the remaining batter. Then incorporate the butter-batter mixture.
- Spread batter onto a 9X13-inch/23X33cm baking tray lined with greased parchment paper, or baking mat. The thickness of the biscuit shall not exceed 0.75-inch/2 cm in height. Almond biscuit can also be baked in a buttered and floured cake pan.
Almond Biscuit (using almond meal)
- Sift flour and baking powder together; set aside. In the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat on high speed for 7 minutes all together: Almond meal, sugar and the eggs. Stop mixer, and fold in the sifted powders and then incorporate the melted butter.
Baking
- Preheat fan oven to 330ºF/160ºC. Bake flat biscuit for about 20-25 minutes. Let cool, and flip onto a parchment paper. If using cake pan, bake for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted blade comes out clean. Let cool and chill overnight.
- Cut almond biscuit into desired shapes.
Chocolate Chablon
- Chablon (verb: chablonner) in French means to seal/coat a biscuit, sponge etc... This trick is apply to strengthen bottom cakes that are heavily moisturized with syrup. Gently melt chocolate and oil together. When at 104ºF/40ºC, coat the whole surface of the sponge with a thin layer of chocolate.
- Refrigerate the prepared sponge until ready to use it.
Raspberry Punch
- Alcohol can be subbed for raspberry or raspberry puree. In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil. Turn off the heat, add liquor and kirsch.
Cleaning Strawberries
- Give a quick bath to the strawberries. Transfer fruits onto a tray lined with paper towels. Remove stems and cut strawberries into rounds or lengthwise. Save scraps and mushy fruits for the marmalade.
Strawberry Marmalade
- Puree strawberries and lemon juice with an immersion blender. Separately, combine sugar and agar-agar. In a saucepan, heat strawberry puree and the sugar-agar mixture. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes whisking every so often. Transfer mixture to a bowl and cool off on an ice bath, and refrigerate to set completely.
- Transfer the chilled strawberry mixture to a narrow container, add raspberry liquor and smooth out using an immersion blender.
- Fold the cubed strawberries into the strawberry marmalade; set aside.
Pastry Cream
- Place a baking tray lined with plastic wrap in the freezer. Bring milk to a boil with vanilla pod and seeds. Meanwhile, in a pastry bowl mix egg yolks along with sugar and starches. Temper egg yolk mixture with a third of the hot milk. Transfer mixture back to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes whisking constantly. Sieve custard over the frozen baking tray lined with plastic wrap. Cover with plastic wrap in contact, let cool and refrigerate.
Montage Using Heart-Shaped Ring
- Line a flat plater or cake board with plastic acetate or sheets taken from a large freezer bag. Cut some strawberries into rounds to cover the bottom and some vertically for the sides of the cake. As you place each strawberry, gently push it towards its neighbor. The goal is to have them so close that you can't see the mold behind them. Then, cut through the fruits using the ring. Save scraps for the marmalade. Line ring with cake collar.
Mousseline Filling
- In the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the chilled pastry cream on high speed for 5 minutes. Separately, in a large bowl combine the room temperature French buttercream with the Italian meringue. Then fold in the beaten pastry cream.
- Back to the montage: Pipe a layer of mousseline to cover the fruits without reaching the edges. Arrange strawberry halves next to each other downward (tip down) against the ring.
- Cover empty spaces with more mousseline, and press it upward and against the ring with a tablespoon.
- Fill the created curve with strawberry marmalade half way full. Freeze cake for 15 minutes.
- Enclose cake with more mousseline.
- Even out with an offset spatula.
- Moisten almond biscuit in the raspberry punch, flip it and let stand for a minute or so.
- Then place the sponge on top of the cake. Refrigerate fraisier for 5 hours or for up to 24 hours before removing the ring. Avoid freezing temperature.
Un-molding & Serving Fraisier
- Reverse cake onto a flat plater or cake board, and remove the cake ring and acetate. To protect those delicate strawberries from drying out and give your cake a gorgeous, professional shine, gently brush the entire surface with a warm neutral glaze.
- This creates a protective barrier that locks in moisture and makes every berry glisten. Enjoy!
Montage Using Silicone Mold
- In order to un-mold your fraisier safely, the silicone mold must be lined with plastic (avoid cling film). To stick to the mold, oil the curve and wipe off excess fat. Line mold with an open freezer bag or plastic acetate. Arrange strawberries harmoniously following the shape of the mold.
- Pipe about an inch/3cm buttercream filling all over the surface of the cake. With an offset spatula, press filling upward following the curves of the mold.
- Spread some strawberry marmalade, and freeze cake for 15 minutes. Pipe more filling to cover the entire space. Even out using the offset spatula.
- Moisten biscuit, and let stand for a minute or so.
- Enclose the log with the soaked in punch biscuit. Refrigerate cake for 5 hours or up to 24 hours before un-molding. Avoid freezing temperature.
Un-molding & Serving Fraisier
- Flip fraisier over a flat plater or cake board, and remove the plastic.
- To protect those delicate strawberries from drying out, gently brush the entire surface with a warm neutral glaze.
XXL Fraisier
- Follow the same protocol with a 11.22X1.40-inch/28.5X3.5cm cake ring.
- Fill up all empty spaces with mousseline, and smooth out with a spoon or a dough scraper.
- Spread strawberry marmalade, and freeze cake for 30 minutes.
- Top with the moisten almond biscuit, and refrigerate cake for up to 24 hours.
- Flip chilled fraisier onto a cake board. Remove the plastic sheet and the cake ring. Brush with neutral glaze if desired.
- Bon appétit!
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