Fraisier Cake

It was one of my childhood best friend’s birthday not so long ago. We’ve known each other since our mums first met in a hair salon whilst still expecting us. Since then, we pretty much stuck together from Primary school to University. She’s like a sister to me. A very wise individual who doesn’t mind me always turning to her with my problems. I truly love her to bits!

So for her birthday, I wanted to create something I knew she would like to eat. I remember her mentioning a cake that she once had from Pauls. Later I discovered it was a Fraiser cake! This is a very pretty French cake, with a very light sponge sandwiching fresh strawberries and a crème mousseline. The trick is to have the strawberries line the sides of the cake in between the sponge without the crème to seep through. It is definitely an impressive cake that can be madeand decorated a day beforehand.

So here goes the recipe!

 

Ingredients:

For the Genoise sponge:

• 125g sugar
• 4 eggs
• 125g plain flour
• 30g butter melted

 For the Crème Mousseline:

• 50g +50g sugar
• 40g corn flour
• 4 egg yolks
• 500ml milk
• 1stp vanilla extract
• 150g butter

For the Lemon Syrup:

• 70g sugar
• Juice of a lemon
• 30ml of water

For the Marzipan:

• 7g egg white
• 30g icing sugar
• 30g caster sugar
• 60g ground almonds
• Pink food colouring

To decorate:

• 250g Fresh Strawberries
• Icing Sugar

Method:

For the sponge:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and line a 21cm spring form cake pan with butter and baking paper.
2. Placing a bowl over a pot of boiling water (creating a ban marie), whisk the eggs and sugar until it is foamy.
3. Take out and continue beating until light and fluffy almost pale and ribbon stage.
4. Add in zest and the melted butter.
5. Fold in sifted flour in two addition until just combined.
6. Place the mixture in the prepared pan and bake for 25mins-30mins, turning the cake half way through the baking time. (To ensure the cake is baked through, insert a wooden skewer in the centre of the cake, when it comes out clean it is done.)
7. Take out and cool on a wire rack.

For the Crème Mousseline:

1. Place the milk in a saucepan and heat until it just comes to a boil.
2. Whisk eggs, sugar and corn flour until combined.
3. Whilst still whisking the eggs mixture, gradually pour in the milk to temper the eggs.
4. Strain the mixture and pour back into a clean pan and whisk until thickened.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in half the butter, and chill with a cling film placed directly on top.
6. When cooled whip the remaining half of the butter and whip the chilled mixture separately then gradually combine both together.

For the Lemon Syrup:

• Bring everything together in a saucepan and heat until it just boils.

For the Marzipan:

1. Place the egg white and sifted sugars in a bowl that is placed above a pan of barely simmering water. Whisk this for around 5-10 minutes until the mixture is thick and fluffy.
2. Cool this mixture for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the ground almonds and knead to form a firm paste, and as much icing sugar as needed.
4. Wrap this up in cling film and chill in the fridge.

To assemble:

1. Line the same spring form pan that was used to bake the cake with parchment paper.
2. Cut the cake in half horizontally, and add one half in the bottom of the pan.
3. Brush some lemon syrup on top of the cake to make it moist.
4. Cut strawberries in half and make them the same height as each other ensuring there is enough to cover the sides of the cake. Cut the remaining into chunks.
5. Place the halved strawberries on the side of the ring, pushing it right to the sides.
6. Place the creme mousseline into a piping bag and pipe a single layer of the mousse in the bottom of the cake and in between the strawberries. (Make sure all gaps between the strawberries are filled).
7. Place the remaining strawberries in the middle and top of with remaining cream.
8. Place the other layer of cake on top and press down. Brush more syrup on the top. Chill this in the fridge for a few hours.
9. Roll out the chilled marzipan and cut out a 21cm circle that will be placed on top. Using more of the lemon syrup as glue, brush more syrup on the cake and attach the marzipan on top.
10. Slowly remove ring and parchment paper, and decorate by placing some small bowls or containers on top of the cake to act as a template and sift on some icing sugar. Serve straight away or leave in the fridge until ready to serve!

( I do love my friend very very much ❤ )

You might also like:

• Individual Victoria Sponge Cakes
• Chocolate French Macarons
• Bestever Brownies
• The Fluffy Scones

      

Stay tuned for next week! I’m going to stick to a schedule of posting everything Thursday. But may post the one or two in between. Maybe some random food blogs too. Let me know what would you like to read. Anything particular you want me to make, try, eat? Leave me a message! I’d love to know!

Until next time, stay happy!