Strawberry Fraisier Cake: A Stunningly Elegant French Dessert That Melts in Your Mouth

The Fraisier is a classic French dessert that showcases the beauty of strawberries and the elegance of pâtisserie technique. With layers of delicate sponge cake, filled with a light and creamy diplomat cream, and surrounded by fresh, vibrant strawberries, this cake is a feast for the eyes and the palate. A thin layer of syrup-soaked sponge forms the base and the top, while the creamy, vanilla-infused filling envelops sweet strawberry halves that line the sides. This cake is not only beautiful but also delivers a perfect balance of flavors—sweet, creamy, and fruity—all in one bite. With its refined appearance and heavenly taste, the Fraisier is a dessert worthy of special occasions and celebrations, offering a taste of French pâtisserie at home.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe: You’ll love making and serving this Fraisier for several reasons. First, it’s an impressive dessert that will amaze your guests with both its stunning appearance and its delicious flavor. The combination of light sponge cake, creamy diplomat cream, and fresh strawberries is a match made in dessert heaven. The cake looks complex but is made with relatively simple ingredients, and each component can be prepared ahead of time, making the final assembly straightforward. The addition of gelatin ensures that the cream holds its shape, allowing you to slice the cake cleanly without compromising the light, airy texture. This recipe also offers flexibility in terms of decoration—whether you want to go simple with just a few strawberries on top or elaborate with whipped cream rosettes and edible flowers, the Fraisier is a canvas for your creativity.

Perfect Occasion: This Fraisier is the perfect dessert for any special occasion, whether it’s a birthday, an anniversary, or a fancy dinner party. Its bright colors and elegant presentation make it a great centerpiece for celebrations, and the fresh strawberries give it a refreshing and light quality, perfect for spring or summer events. The Fraisier also works beautifully as a show-stopping dessert for holidays like Easter or Mother’s Day, when you want something visually impressive but still delicate and full of flavor. Since it can be made ahead of time, it’s ideal for entertaining, allowing you to focus on the rest of your meal without last-minute stress.

Decoration Tips: When decorating your Fraisier, you can keep it simple or let your creativity shine. A classic Fraisier is often finished with a thin layer of marzipan on top for a smooth, polished look, but you can also leave it uncovered to showcase the beautiful swirl of cream. Fresh strawberries can be arranged in a fan or rosette pattern on top for a lovely finishing touch. For an extra touch of elegance, pipe whipped cream around the edges of the cake or use a few edible flowers to give it a vibrant, natural feel. You can also sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top just before serving for a light dusting of sweetness. If you want to add a glossy finish, you could brush the strawberries with a little warmed jam or glaze to make them shine.

For the Sponge Cake:

• 100 grams of granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 125 grams of all-purpose flour
• 4 grams of baking powder
• 100 grams of melted butter
• 25 grams of sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla powder or extract
• 30 grams of milk

Instructions:

1. Prepare the cake batter: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the milk and mix until combined. Sift in the flour and baking powder, then gently fold them into the wet mixture. Finally, pour in the melted butter and sunflower oil, stirring until the batter is smooth and well incorporated.
2. Bake the sponge: Pour the batter onto a parchment-lined baking tray or a génoise mold if you have one. Spread the mixture evenly to ensure a uniform thickness. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before cutting it into two 16 cm discs.

For the Pastry Cream:

• 500 milliliters of milk
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 40 grams of cornstarch
• 80 grams of sugar
• 6 grams of gelatin (2 sheets), soaked in cold water and squeezed dry

1. Prepare the pastry cream: In a saucepan, heat the milk with the vanilla bean and seeds until it just begins to simmer. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk, then gradually pour half of the milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to avoid curdling. Return the mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens.
2. Add gelatin: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the gelatin until fully dissolved. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap (directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

For the Diplomat Cream:

• 300 milliliters of heavy cream (30%)

1. Whip the cream: After the pastry cream has chilled, whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks. Take the chilled pastry cream and loosen it by whisking it lightly. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream, being careful not to overmix to retain a light, fluffy texture.

For the Syrup:

• 70 grams of water
• 70 grams of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1. Make the syrup: Bring the water, sugar, and vanilla to a boil in a small saucepan, then let it cool to room temperature.

For Assembly:

• Fresh strawberries, halved (enough to line the edge of the cake and for the center)
• Rodhoid (acetate film)
• Cake ring (16 cm)

1. Assemble the cake: Line the inside of the cake ring with rodhoid film and place one of the sponge discs at the bottom. Brush the sponge generously with the vanilla syrup. Line the edges of the ring with halved strawberries, cut-side facing outward. Fill the center with some of the diplomat cream, then add more strawberries in the middle. Place the second sponge disc on top, brush with syrup, and cover with the remaining diplomat cream, smoothing the top.
2. Chill and decorate: Refrigerate the cake for at least 24 hours to set. Decorate the top as desired with more strawberries, whipped cream, or edible flowers.

Enjoy!