Fraisier (French Strawberry Cream Cake)

Génoise sponge

• 40 g Unsalted butter
• 4 Egg, room temperature
• 120 g Caster sugar
• 120 g Plain flour

Vanilla crème mousseline

• 500 ml Whole milk
• 1 Vanilla bean
• 2 Egg, room temperature
• 120 g Caster sugar
• 45 g Cornflour
• 3 pieces Gelatin sheets
• 250 g Unsalted butter, softened

Assembly and finish

• 700 g Strawberry, ripe but firm
• 200 g Ground almonds
• 200 g Icing sugar
• 1 Egg, room temperature

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (355°F). Grease and line a 20 cm cake tin, then melt the butter and leave it to cool until just warm.
2. Put the eggs and caster sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water and whisk until the mixture is warm and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and whisk with a stand mixer until very pale, thick, and the ribbon holds for a few seconds.
3. Sift in the flour and fold gently until no dry streaks remain. Fold in the melted butter, keeping as much air in the batter as possible.
4. Pour into the tin and bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until golden and springy and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely on a rack.
5. For the mousseline, soak the gelatin sheets in cold water until softened. Split the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds, then heat the milk with the seeds and pod until steaming; cover and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
6. Whisk the eggs, caster sugar, and cornflour in a bowl until smooth. Reheat the milk to steaming, then whisk it into the egg mixture in a steady stream; return everything to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and bubbling for 1 minute.
7. Take off the heat, remove the vanilla pod, then squeeze excess water from the gelatin and whisk it into the hot pastry cream until fully dissolved. Spread the cream in a shallow dish, cover the surface directly, and cool to room temperature.
8. Beat the softened butter until very smooth and pale. Add the cooled pastry cream a spoonful at a time, beating until silky and stable; keep at cool room temperature so it stays pipeable.
9. Trim and halve enough strawberries to line the inside of a 20 cm ring, keeping the cut sides neat. Slice the génoise horizontally into two even layers.
10. Place the ring on a serving plate and set one sponge layer in the base. Arrange the halved strawberries cut-side out around the edge, pressing them gently against the ring.
11. Pipe a layer of mousseline to fill the gaps around the strawberries, then spread a thin layer over the sponge. Add more strawberries in the centre, then cover with mousseline and smooth the top.
12. Set the second sponge layer on top and press very gently to level. Chill until fully set and sliceable, at least 2 hours.
13. Make the marzipan by mixing the ground almonds and icing sugar, then work in the egg until a smooth paste forms. Roll it into a thin round slightly larger than the cake, then trim to fit the top.
14. Unmould the cake by warming the ring briefly with your hands, then lift it away. Lay the marzipan on top, smooth lightly, and return to the fridge for 10 minutes before slicing and serving well chilled.

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