A personalized interpretation of the classic French Fraisier cake, combining fresh strawberries, rich vanilla cream, dark chocolate ganache, and an almond mazarin cake base.
Servings: 10-12 People
DAY ONE: Component Preparation
DAY ONE: Component Preparation1) Vanilla Mousse and Vanilla Mousse Quenelles
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gelatin Sheets (240 Bloom) | 9.63 g | About 5 and a half sheets, soaked |
| Heavy Cream (35 percent fat) | 824 g | 412 g hot, 412 g cold |
| Vanilla Paste | 30 g | About 6 teaspoons (or 6 vanilla beans) |
| White Chocolate | 220 g | Melted |
Method
- Soak Gelatin: Soak gelatin in cold water for 5-10 minutes.
- Melt Chocolate: Melt the white chocolate and reserve it in a bowl.
- Infuse Cream: Heat 412 g heavy cream and vanilla until almost boiling. Remove from heat and whip in the gelatin.
- Emulsify: Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, stirring until glossy. Mix in 412 g cold heavy cream.
- Chill: Put cling film on the top of the cream and let it cool in the refrigerator overnight.
- Next Day Mousse: Whip the chilled mousse until it has a thick consistency. Put the mousse in a piping bag.
2) Almond Mazarin Cake
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grated Marzipan | 85 g | |
| Soft Butter | 80 g | |
| Caster Sugar | 65 g | |
| Almond Flour | 50 g | |
| Eggs (whole) | 75 g | About 1 and a half eggs |
| All-Purpose Flour | 35 g | |
| Baking Soda | 1.25 g | About 1/4 teaspoon |
| Fine Salt | 0.5 g | A pinch |
Method
- Make Batter: Whisk soft butter, sugar, marzipan, and salt together. Whip in the eggs. Lastly, add almond flour, all-purpose flour, and baking soda into the dough.
- Bake: Pour the dough into a pastry ring (16 cm diameter) with parchment paper. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees C.
- Cool and Place: Let the cake cool. Place it in a pastry ring (16 cm diameter) lined with a plastic sheet collar. Put the cake in the refrigerator.
3) Dark Chocolate Ganache
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Chocolate | 100 g | Melted |
| Heavy Cream (35 percent fat) | 103 g | About 100 ml |
| Glucose Syrup | 9 g |
Method
- Melt Chocolate: Melt the chocolate and reserve it in a bowl.
- Heat Cream: Heat the heavy cream and glucose syrup until almost boiling. Remove from heat.
- Emulsify: Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, stirring until glossy. Hand blend the ganache.
- Layer and Set: Pour the ganache over the almond mazarin cake. Put the cake back in the refrigerator so the ganache can set.
4) Strawberry Compote
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gelatin Leaf (240 Bloom) | 1.75 g | 1 sheet, soaked |
| Frozen Strawberries | 170 g | |
| Lemon Juice | 15 g | About 1 tablespoon |
| Caster Sugar | 30 g | |
| Vanilla Paste | 2.5 g | About 1/2 teaspoon |
| Red Melatin (Pectin) | 5 g | About 1 teaspoon |
Method
- Soak Gelatin: Soak gelatin.
- Cook Compote: Boil strawberries, vanilla paste, lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan and cook until tender.
- Thicken: Add melatin and let the compote cook further for 1-2 minutes until it thickens.
- Finish: Remove from the saucepan and add the gelatin. Let the compote cool until room temperature.
- Layer and Set: Spread the compote on the cake in an even layer. Let the cake set in the refrigerator overnight.
DAY TWO: Assembly
5) Final Cake Assembly (Fraisier Style)
Method
- Mousse Quenelles: Add the whipped vanilla mousse (from day 1) to a Quenelle silicone mold to get 12 quenelles. Carefully spread the mousse on the bottom and sides to avoid air bubbles. Freeze the quenelles overnight.
- Set Up Frame: Place the mazarin cake (with ganache and compote set on top) on a cake plate (compote facing upwards). Place a tall pastry ring (20 cm diameter, 6 cm tall) lined with a plastic sheet collar around the cake.
- Prepare Strawberries: Select 10-12 strawberries of the same height. Cut them in half.
- Frame the Cake: Carefully place the strawberry halves around the cake, cut-side facing the plastic sheet collar. Gently press the strawberries towards the plastic sheet to avoid air bubbles.
- Mousse Filling: Begin spreading the vanilla mousse between the berries to cover the holes. Gradually cover the rest of the surface of the cake with mousse. Make sure to even the mousse continuously with a small palette knife.
- Top Layer: Spread the rest of the mousse onto the cake until the pastry ring is full. Even the surface with a large palette knife.
- Chill: Let the cake set in the refrigerator for a minimum of a couple of hours or overnight.
DAY THREE: Decoration
6) Decoration and Chocolate Ribbons
| Materials | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| White Chocolate | 130 g | Tempered, with pink food coloring powder |
| Decoration | – | Fresh strawberries, flowers |
Chocolate Ribbon Dimensions:
| Element | Dimensions | Diameter |
|---|---|---|
| Ribbon 1 (Around cake) | 1 cm x 64 cm | 20 cm |
| Ribbon 2 (On top) | 1 cm x 58 cm | 18 cm |
Method
- Prepare Ribbons: Temper the 130 g white chocolate and add pink food coloring powder. Create the ribbons and set the shape around cold pastry rings (20 cm and 18 cm diameter).
- Assemble Ribbons: Once the chocolate has set, gently place the 20 cm ribbon around the cake (secure ends with melted chocolate). Place the 18 cm ribbon on top of the cake (use a 18 cm pastry ring to make a small imprint for placement).
- Quenelles: Remove the frozen vanilla mousse quenelles from the mold. Place the quenelles in a circle inside the top ribbon.
- Garnish: Cut fresh strawberries into smaller pieces and fill the middle of the cake with the strawberries. Decorate with flowers.
I’m Chef Mimo, a passionate pastry chef with over 17 years of experience in the world of fine desserts. I specialize in French-style entremets, refined cakes, and creative chocolate work. Pastry is not just my profession—it’s my lifelong passion. Through PastryCrafted.com, I love sharing my recipes, techniques, and inspirations with anyone who dreams of mastering the art of pastry. Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned pro, you’re welcome in my sweet world.