So its the start of strawberry season and this is a great take on a French classic "Fraisier".
When I was trained in school this is made with a milk biscuit. and the top of the cake is a thin sheet of green colored marzipan.
I use a toasted almond/orange butter cake These get soaked in grand marnier simple syrup. Then its a vanlla bean mousseline (pastry cream with butter whipped into it)
Recipe for 1 Fraisier.
Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
Bring to boil for 1 minute. cool Competely. this is enough for 2 cakes probably. Its a great sweetener for iced teas.
1/2 cup simple syrup add 1 tablespoon grand marnier
2 pints/1 quart best quality strawberries cored. (this is more than enough but gives you options and some to snack on)
I use 9" ring molds and acetate but a springform pan and a strip of parchment can be used.
Cake Layers (have all ingredients at room temperatur
(2-9” layers)
Yogurt 9.6 oz
Eggs, large 5 (separated)
Cake Flour 13.2 oz.
Almonds, ground 4 oz.
Baking Powder .9 oz (2 ½ Tablespoons
Baking Soda 1 ½ teaspoon
Salt 1/4 tsp
Orange Zest 2 ½ Tablespoons
Butter, Soft 9.6 oz
Sugar 10.5 oz
1) Cream butter, sugar, zest, and salt until light and fluffy. 2) Mix Dry ingredients. 3) Alternate the dry ingredients and yogurt mixture into the creamed butter mixture. Start and finish with Dry. 4) Whip Whites to soft peaks. 5) Fold whites in a few additions. 6) divide into 2 9“ pans butter and bottoms lined with a ring of parchment.. 7) Bake at 325 20. Rotate pan and Continue cooking 5-10 minutes. Toothpick comes out clean.
Vanilla Bean Mousseline
7 oz Whole Milk
2.5 oz Sugar
.5 oz Corn Starch
2 oz Egg Yolks (2-3 yolks)
1/2 Vanilla Bean split and scraped
4 oz soft butter #1
4 oz soft butter #2
-Place milk on burner with vanilla bean and bring to a boil
- mix Sugar with starch in a bowl. Add yolks and mix until pale in color set a sdie
- Once milk has boiled temper with the yolk, sugar, starch mixture. That is slowly add whisking the entire time. Start with very little at first. Add back to pot.
- cook over low/medium heat stirring constantly and bring back to a boil. It will get very thick now. Let boils 1 minute and be careful not to burn.
Take off the heat and add stick of softened butter. Whisk in until completely melted. voila pastry cream.
Put through a strainer and add to kitchen aid with the paddle attatchment and stir on speed 2 until no longer hot.
When cream has cooled to room temp with the whisk attachment slowly add second stick of butter and whip until light an fluffy.
To Assemble:
Place cake board at bottom of cake ring. Cut a parchemnt ring that is 3 1/4" high. Wrap around the inside of your mold.
Take first cake layer and trim off the top with a bread knife. Place in the bottom of the mold. deliberately brush with simple syrup.
Halve your largest prettiest strawberries and place cut side outwards against the cake pan.
Pour in 1/3 of the moussleine and spread around. place strawberries on the cream points upwards. Small strawberries are best for this part if possible.
Pour on 1/3 moussleine and carefull spread around. Take next cake layer and trim off the top. No trim about an inch off around. Place on center of cream and press gently and the moussleine will push up around the layer a bit. Brush with more simple syrup. Cover with remaining Mousseline. and spread even. Now make a tiny batch of whipped cream (I use vanilla sugar in mine) and cover the top.
Let chill in fridge at least 4 hours before unmolding. Enjoy
The next time I make this I'll try to remember taking pics as I go and post them here to give a visual of some of the steps.
* Pastry cream without second addition of butter can be made the night ahead. Just pour into a container and cover directly with plastic wrap. Be sure to bring to room temp for a bit and whip of the chill before beating in second addition of butter.
My camera took some bad shots that night but at least it gives you the idea of what I made. In fact I've been putting the strawberries on top of the first layer and get a cleaner look these days. I'll take shots the next time I build these.
Yes Evon this cake takes some work but if you stage it properly finishing isn't so bad.
Day 1: Make Cake Layers (why not just double it then you can freeeze the two additional layers for another cake)
When cooled wrap cakes tightly in plastic and freeze (if not using for some time) or fridge for following day.
Day 2: Simple Syrup, Pastry Cream
If you can use simple syrup it certainly doesn't go bad for some time kept in the fridge so bulk this up as well and pull the 1/2 cup from it and flavor just before using.
Make pastry cream holding out whipped in butter. Pour into bowl/container and cover directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin and chill.
Day 3: Prep Strawberries, flavor syrup, finish cream and build
but this one be gone in a flash around here. My apprentice loves strawberries and growls at me when she doesn't get any for breakfast. I see you like the complicated bakes too!
I'm a trained pastry chef that has spent the better part of the last 7 years deep in dough. That is to say I have been totally focused on "bread' but I do manage a full ktichen of a full bakery and certainly like to play with pastry/savory when I can afford the time. Before bread consumed me I worked the sweeter side of the bakery. I even worked in a BBQ restaurant for a bit and did all the smoked meats and cooked up all the accoutrements (beans, mash, cream spinach, etc..) Oh the smoked banana split was a doozy.
As for cakes. i love to eat them. I'm a novice at decorating with a frosting but I love building cakes in a ring with complentary components and interesting flavors. I'm not a huge fan of cakes that have 2 layers and frosting, although that is what we make more of at the bakery. I prefer having multiple textures and flavors that make it more of a dessert than a cake. i think the french refer to these as "entremets".
Its actually not as complicated as it seems and relies on good "mise en place' like all baking. If you prepare for this it comes together in short time and is so incredibly delicious. I highly suggest trying this during the peak of strawberry season.
Thank you for posting your recipe and method for this cake/dessert that looks absolutely fantastic! Yes, strawberry season is upon us and what a great way to celebrate!
Comments
So its the start of strawberry season and this is a great take on a French classic "Fraisier".
When I was trained in school this is made with a milk biscuit. and the top of the cake is a thin sheet of green colored marzipan.
I use a toasted almond/orange butter cake These get soaked in grand marnier simple syrup. Then its a vanlla bean mousseline (pastry cream with butter whipped into it)
Recipe for 1 Fraisier.
Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
Bring to boil for 1 minute. cool Competely. this is enough for 2 cakes probably. Its a great sweetener for iced teas.
1/2 cup simple syrup add 1 tablespoon grand marnier
2 pints/1 quart best quality strawberries cored. (this is more than enough but gives you options and some to snack on)
I use 9" ring molds and acetate but a springform pan and a strip of parchment can be used.
Cake Layers (have all ingredients at room temperatur
(2-9” layers)
Yogurt 9.6 oz
Eggs, large 5 (separated)
Cake Flour 13.2 oz.
Almonds, ground 4 oz.
Baking Powder .9 oz (2 ½ Tablespoons
Baking Soda 1 ½ teaspoon
Salt 1/4 tsp
Orange Zest 2 ½ Tablespoons
Butter, Soft 9.6 oz
Sugar 10.5 oz
1) Cream butter, sugar, zest, and salt until light and fluffy.
2) Mix Dry ingredients.
3) Alternate the dry ingredients and yogurt mixture into the creamed butter mixture. Start and finish with Dry.
4) Whip Whites to soft peaks.
5) Fold whites in a few additions.
6) divide into 2 9“ pans butter and bottoms lined with a ring of parchment..
7) Bake at 325 20. Rotate pan and Continue cooking 5-10 minutes.
Toothpick comes out clean.
Vanilla Bean Mousseline
7 oz Whole Milk
2.5 oz Sugar
.5 oz Corn Starch
2 oz Egg Yolks (2-3 yolks)
1/2 Vanilla Bean split and scraped
4 oz soft butter #1
4 oz soft butter #2
-Place milk on burner with vanilla bean and bring to a boil
- mix Sugar with starch in a bowl. Add yolks and mix until pale in color set a sdie
- Once milk has boiled temper with the yolk, sugar, starch mixture. That is slowly add whisking the entire time. Start with very little at first. Add back to pot.
- cook over low/medium heat stirring constantly and bring back to a boil. It will get very thick now. Let boils 1 minute and be careful not to burn.
Take off the heat and add stick of softened butter. Whisk in until completely melted. voila pastry cream.
Put through a strainer and add to kitchen aid with the paddle attatchment and stir on speed 2 until no longer hot.
When cream has cooled to room temp with the whisk attachment slowly add second stick of butter and whip until light an fluffy.
To Assemble:
Place cake board at bottom of cake ring. Cut a parchemnt ring that is 3 1/4" high. Wrap around the inside of your mold.
Take first cake layer and trim off the top with a bread knife. Place in the bottom of the mold. deliberately brush with simple syrup.
Halve your largest prettiest strawberries and place cut side outwards against the cake pan.
Pour in 1/3 of the moussleine and spread around. place strawberries on the cream points upwards. Small strawberries are best for this part if possible.
Pour on 1/3 moussleine and carefull spread around. Take next cake layer and trim off the top. No trim about an inch off around. Place on center of cream and press gently and the moussleine will push up around the layer a bit. Brush with more simple syrup. Cover with remaining Mousseline. and spread even. Now make a tiny batch of whipped cream (I use vanilla sugar in mine) and cover the top.
Let chill in fridge at least 4 hours before unmolding. Enjoy
The next time I make this I'll try to remember taking pics as I go and post them here to give a visual of some of the steps.
* Pastry cream without second addition of butter can be made the night ahead. Just pour into a container and cover directly with plastic wrap. Be sure to bring to room temp for a bit and whip of the chill before beating in second addition of butter.
lots of prep!! worth the effort, delicious and pretty looking cake. thanks for sharing
evon
Great work. Really, really nice! I only wish the photos were better...
Michael
My camera took some bad shots that night but at least it gives you the idea of what I made. In fact I've been putting the strawberries on top of the first layer and get a cleaner look these days. I'll take shots the next time I build these.
Yes Evon this cake takes some work but if you stage it properly finishing isn't so bad.
Day 1: Make Cake Layers (why not just double it then you can freeeze the two additional layers for another cake)
When cooled wrap cakes tightly in plastic and freeze (if not using for some time) or fridge for following day.
Day 2: Simple Syrup, Pastry Cream
If you can use simple syrup it certainly doesn't go bad for some time kept in the fridge so bulk this up as well and pull the 1/2 cup from it and flavor just before using.
Make pastry cream holding out whipped in butter. Pour into bowl/container and cover directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin and chill.
Day 3: Prep Strawberries, flavor syrup, finish cream and build
but this one be gone in a flash around here. My apprentice loves strawberries and growls at me when she doesn't get any for breakfast. I see you like the complicated bakes too!
Nice baking
I'm a trained pastry chef that has spent the better part of the last 7 years deep in dough. That is to say I have been totally focused on "bread' but I do manage a full ktichen of a full bakery and certainly like to play with pastry/savory when I can afford the time. Before bread consumed me I worked the sweeter side of the bakery. I even worked in a BBQ restaurant for a bit and did all the smoked meats and cooked up all the accoutrements (beans, mash, cream spinach, etc..) Oh the smoked banana split was a doozy.
As for cakes. i love to eat them. I'm a novice at decorating with a frosting but I love building cakes in a ring with complentary components and interesting flavors. I'm not a huge fan of cakes that have 2 layers and frosting, although that is what we make more of at the bakery. I prefer having multiple textures and flavors that make it more of a dessert than a cake. i think the french refer to these as "entremets".
Its actually not as complicated as it seems and relies on good "mise en place' like all baking. If you prepare for this it comes together in short time and is so incredibly delicious. I highly suggest trying this during the peak of strawberry season.
Happy Baking
Josh
Josh,
Thank you for posting your recipe and method for this cake/dessert that looks absolutely fantastic! Yes, strawberry season is upon us and what a great way to celebrate!
Linda