How to make Fraisier – French Strawberry Cake

Fraisier – a French dessert consisting of two layers of macaroons soaked in kirsch liqueur syrup, topped with mousseline cream and fresh strawberries and topped with a flavorful homemade marzipan.

Source:Home Cooking Adventure

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Makes about 8-10 servings

Almond Genoise Cake
4 eggs
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
3/4 cup (100g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (30g) butter, melted
1/4 cup (25g) almond flour (ground almonds)
Kirsch Syrup
3.5 fl oz 100ml) water
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons (40ml) kirsch
Cream Mousseline
2 cups (480 ml) milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
3 tablespoons (30g) flour
1/4 cup (30g) cornmeal
2 teaspoons (10g) vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (250g) butter, room temperature
almond fudge
1 cup (100g) almond flour (ground almonds)
1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons (30g) kirsch . syrup
Green food coloring
Strawberry border, filling and decoration
25 oz (700g) fresh strawberries

1. Prepare the almond genoise. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Grease an 8 ½ inch (21cm) pan and line it with parchment paper.
2. Add eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Mix to combine. Place over saucepan of boiling water and continue mixing for about 10 minutes until thickened and tripled in volume. Pay attention not to cook eggs, the temperature of the mixture should not be higher than 122F (50C).
3. Remove from heat and continue mixing until cool.
4. Gradually add the sifted flour, then the almond flour and melted butter.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 18-20 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven, let cool on pan for 5 minutes and transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
7. While preparing the kirsch syrup.
8. Boil water and sugar in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, transfer to a clean bowl and cool completely. Pour te kirsch liqueur into the cooled sugar syrup and set aside until ready to use.
9. Prepare Mousseline Cream. First you prepare the cake to make the cake. Beat egg yolks with sugar until slightly pale.
10. Mix the cornstarch and flour together. Pour milk into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour about a third of the hot milk over the egg yolk mixture. Pour the entire mixture into a saucepan with the milk. Cook while stirring until thickened. Keep the heat just enough to cook all the cornmeal. Remove from heat, add vanilla and combine with 2 tablespoons butter.
11. Pour the cream into a clean bowl, cover with cling film, press directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent skin from forming on the surface and let it cool.
12. When completely chill the mixture until smooth. Gradually mix in 1 cup (220g) of butter and continue mixing until creamy and smooth.
13. Assembly. Prepare strawberries. Peel the strawberries and cut them in half as a border.
14. Cut the top of the genoise and then cut it into 2 layers ½ inch (1cm) thick. Use an 8-inch (20cm) cake pan to cut the edges of the cake layers.
15. Line the cake ring with parchment and place the ring on a serving plate. Add the first genoise cake layer. Brush with kirsch syrup.
16. Transfer the mousseline cream to a piping bag with a pointed tip. Spread a thin layer of mousseline on top of the cake. Place two strawberry halves inside the mold, cut off one side. Pour the whole strawberries in the center.
17. Pour mousseline on top of strawberries to save some as a topping. Place the second layer of the genoise and soak with kirsch syrup. Coat the remaining mousseline on top and smooth the surface with a spatula or spatula.
18. Refrigerate for about 2 hours.
19. Prepare the almond mixture. Place the almond flour (ground almonds) and powdered sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Blend to combine. Add the kirsch syrup left over from soaking the cake layers and continue blending until combined.
20. Add the food coloring of your choice (I used green), blend to combine and then knead a bit in your hands to combine.
21. Use a rolling pin to roll the almond mixture between two sheets of parchment, into a thin layer.
22. Remove the cake ring around the cake and parchment, and then use the cake ring to cut the almond dough into 8-inch (20cm) circles.
23. Cover the cake with a layer of almond paste and refrigerate until ready to serve.