Classic French Fraisier Cake (Genoise & Diplomat Cream) 🇫🇷✨
Hi, I’m Raya welcome back to my kitchen! Today we are baking the ultimate crown jewel of French patisserie: the Classic French Fraisier Cake. Featuring airy genoise sponge layers soaked in kirsch syrup, silky mousseline cream, and ringed with vibrant fresh strawberry halves, this Classic French Fraisier Cake is a showstopping centerpiece that looks like it came straight out of a Paris bakery window!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
🇫🇷 Authentic French Patisserie: A legendary showstopper that brings Parisian luxury to your table.
🍓 Stunning Visual Ring: Fresh strawberry halves pressed against the sides create a breathtaking design.
☁️ Silky Mousseline Cream: Rich, velvety cream that holds its structure perfectly when sliced.
🍰 Soft Genoise Sponge: Light, airy cake layers soaked in subtle sweet syrup.
🎉 Ultimate Celebration Cake: The perfect centerpiece for birthdays, spring parties, and holidays.
Key Ingredients for Classic French Fraisier Cake
Fresh Strawberries: Choose bright red, uniformly sized strawberries for the iconic outer ring.
Genoise Sponge (Eggs, Sugar, Flour, Butter): Whipped to high volume for a light, delicate cake layer.
Whole Milk & Egg Yolks: The rich base for the cooked pastry cream.
Unsalted Butter: Whipped into the cooled pastry cream to create rich mousseline cream.
Simple Syrup: Brushed over sponge layers to keep the cake moist for days.
Baker’s Note: Ensure your cooked pastry cream and your softened butter are at the exact same room temperature before whipping them together; this prevents your mousseline cream from curdling or splitting! For more French baking techniques, check out BBC Good Food’s patisserie guide.
How to Make Classic French Fraisier Cake
Step 1: Whisk eggs and sugar over a double boiler until warm, then beat on high speed until pale and tripled in volume. Fold in flour and melted butter, then bake in two 8-inch pans at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Cook milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch into a thick pastry cream, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and cool completely.
Step 3: Whip softened butter until fluffy, then gradually beat in cooled pastry cream to create smooth mousseline cream.
Step 4: Line an 8-inch pastry ring with acetate film, place first sponge layer at bottom, brush with simple syrup, and arrange halved strawberries vertically around inside perimeter.
Step 5: Pipe mousseline cream between strawberries and over sponge, add middle strawberries, place second sponge layer on top, chill overnight, and top with marzipan or fresh berries before serving.
Raya’s Secret Tips for Success
Use an Acetate Strip: Lining your cake ring with acetate film guarantees clean, smooth sides when removing the ring.
Select Equal-Sized Berries: Slicing strawberries of identical height creates a neat, professional outer border.
Chill Overnight: Refrigerating overnight allows the mousseline cream to firm up completely for perfect slicing.
How to Serve Classic French Fraisier Cake
Serve chilled on a decorative cake pedestal. Pair each slice with a glass of champagne, prosecco, or a hot cup of Earl Grey tea for an exquisite French dessert experience!
Delicious Variations
🍫 Chocolate Fraisier: Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the genoise sponge batter.
🎉 Pistachio Fraisier: Blend 2 tablespoons of pistachio paste into the mousseline cream.
🍋 Lemon Berry Fraisier: Add fresh lemon zest to the simple syrup soak.
How to Store Classic French Fraisier Cake
Room Temperature: Do not leave at room temperature for longer than 1 hour.
Fridge: Keep stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing: Not recommended as fresh strawberries become watery upon thawing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “Fraisier” mean? Fraisier comes from the French word “fraise”, which means strawberry!
Why did my cream split? Mixing cold pastry cream with warm butter causes splitting. Both must be at room temperature!
Can I make this cake without alcohol? Yes! Use a simple vanilla sugar syrup instead of kirsch syrup to soak the sponge layers.
Love showstopping berry desserts? Try my Strawberry Vanilla Celebration Cake or my famous Classic Australian Pavlova!
Classic French Fraisier Cake 🇫🇷✨
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy10
servings45
minutes20
minutes490
kcalAn iconic French strawberry cake with genoise sponge layers, silky mousseline cream, and fresh strawberries.
Ingredients
- For the Genoise Sponge
4 large eggs, room temp
2/3 cup (130g) granulated sugar
1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter, melted
- For the Mousseline Cream
2 cups (480ml) whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch
1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened (divided)
1 tsp vanilla extract
- For Assembly
1 1/2 lbs (700g) fresh strawberries
1/2 cup simple syrup (water and sugar boiled)
Directions
- Whisk eggs and sugar over heat until warm, beat until tripled in volume, fold in flour and melted butter, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20 mins. Cool and slice into 2 layers.
- Cook milk, yolks, sugar, and cornstarch into thick pastry cream; cool completely.
- Whip softened butter and gradually beat in pastry cream to make smooth mousseline cream.
- Line cake ring with acetate. Place sponge layer, soak with syrup, and arrange halved strawberries around border.
- Pipe cream, fill with strawberries, top with second soaked sponge layer, chill overnight, garnish, and serve.
