Fraisier Cake (French Strawberry Cake)

A delightful French strawberry cake made with Genoise sponge cake, strawberry syrup, diplomat cream filling, and fresh strawberries.

Ingredients

In a saucepan over high heat, combine milk and vanilla extract. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Set aside ¼ cup (60ml) of the milk.
In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Add egg yolks and whisk until combined.
Gradually whisk the reserved ¼ cup of milk into the egg yolk mixture.
Return the saucepan with the remaining milk to low heat. Slowly pour in the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. Do not increase the heat; be patient!
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for several hours.
In a small bowl, combine water and gelatin powder. Let sit for 10 minutes to bloom.
Melt the gelatin in the microwave in 5-second intervals until completely melted. Do not overheat.
Remove the pastry cream from the refrigerator and whisk until smooth. Add the melted gelatin and whisk until well incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream mixture until smooth and combined.

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8-inch (20cm) cake pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy (about 10-12 minutes).
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Sift half of the dry ingredients at a time into the beaten egg mixture, folding gently with a spatula until no streaks of flour remain.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool completely. If you baked the cake in one pan, slice it horizontally into two even layers.

In a saucepan, combine chopped strawberries, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Cook for 10 minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved and the strawberries have softened.
Remove from heat and strain the mixture into a small bowl or jar. Let cool completely.

Place an 8-inch (20cm) cake ring with acetate on a cake board. Place the first layer of Genoise sponge cake in the ring.
Brush the sponge cake with the strawberry syrup.
Cut the strawberries in half (ensure they are the same size and height), remove the stems, and line the cake with the strawberries facing outward.
Transfer the diplomat cream to a large piping bag. Fill the spaces between each strawberry with cream and add a generous layer of cream over the sponge cake (about ⅔ of the cream). Smooth with a spatula.
Add more sliced strawberries and top with the second sponge cake layer.
Cover the cake layer with the remaining diplomat cream and smooth with a spatula. Carefully transfer the cake to the refrigerator to allow the gelatin in the diplomat cream to set for a stable cake.
Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 3-4 hours.
Remove the cake from the refrigerator and gently remove the cake ring and acetate.
Pipe homemade whipped cream around the edges of the cake (optional) using a 1M star piping tip. Fill the center of the cake with more sliced strawberries. Serve and enjoy!

Let me know if you have any other questions.