One of French pâtisserie's architectural masterpieces: a génoise sponge soaked in kirsch syrup, filled with mousseline cream and fresh strawberries arranged in a perfect ring against the glass, topped with a disc of marzipan or mirror glaze: spring made edible
Origin: France (classic pâtisserie, 19th–20th century)
The fraisier is one of the great entremets of French pâtisserie: a show-stopping celebration cake that reached its definitive form in the 20th century haute pâtisserie tradition, though its roots lie in the 19th-century French obsession with strawberries that followed the explosion of Fragaria × ananassa cultivation from Brittany across France. The name simply means 'strawberry plant.' The cake is a study in French pâtisserie values: technical precision, beautiful presentation, and the principle that components of absolute quality assembled with care produce something greater than the sum of their parts. The génoise sponge, crème mousseline, kirsch and fresh strawberries are all separately fine; assembled in the fraisier, they become extraordinary. The defining visual; strawberry halves pressed against the inside of the ring mould in a perfect circle, their red cut faces visible against the cream; is one of the most recognisable presentations in all of pâtisserie.
Ingredients
Génoise
4 large eggs, at room temperature
120 g caster sugar
120 g plain flour, sifted
30 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Crème mousseline
600 ml whole milk
4 large egg yolks
150 g caster sugar
50 g cornflour
1 vanilla pod, split
200 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
Soaking syrup
100 ml kirsch or strawberry liqueur
100 ml water
50 g sugar
Fruit
800 g fresh strawberries, hulled (uniform in size if possible)
Finish
200 g white marzipan (for topping) or red mirror glaze
Method
Make the génoise: preheat oven to 180°C. Whisk eggs and sugar over a bain-marie (hot water bath) until the mixture reaches 40°C and the sugar dissolves. Remove and whisk with an electric mixer on high speed for 8–10 minutes until tripled in volume, pale and falling in thick ribbons from the beater.
Gently fold the sifted flour into the egg mixture in three additions using a large metal spoon or spatula, cutting through the batter rather than stirring. Fold in the melted butter in a thin stream.
Pour into a greased and lined 23cm springform tin. Bake for 20–25 minutes until the sponge springs back when touched and has pulled away from the sides. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the crème mousseline: prepare a crème pâtissière (heat milk with vanilla, whisk yolks with sugar and cornflour, temper and cook until thick). Cool completely. Once cold, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until very light and pale, then gradually beat in the cold crème pâtissière spoonful by spoonful.
Make the soaking syrup: combine sugar, water and kirsch in a small saucepan; heat until sugar dissolves. Cool completely.
Slice the génoise horizontally into two even layers. Line the inside of a 23cm cake ring or springform tin with acetate film. Place the first layer of génoise inside. Brush generously with half the soaking syrup.
Select the most uniform strawberries. Halve them and press them cut-side out against the acetate, standing upright around the entire circumference of the ring. Fill the centre with some crème mousseline. Place the remaining whole strawberries in the centre, then cover with more crème, spreading level. Place the second génoise layer on top, brush with remaining syrup, and spread a final thin layer of crème over the top. Roll the marzipan thin and cut a disc to cover, or pour over a set mirror glaze.
Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. To serve, carefully remove the ring and peel away the acetate to reveal the strawberry ring. Decorate the top as desired.
Notes
The fraisier requires patience and organisation; it is best approached as a multi-day project. The génoise can be baked a day ahead, wrapped airtight. The crème pâtissière base can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. The mousseline is best made on the day of assembly. The assembled cake should rest in the refrigerator overnight for the cleanest presentation when unmoulded. This is a celebration cake, not a weekday bake.
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