FRASER CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• The crème mousseline : Put 1/2 cup of butter out of the fridge. Put the milk to boil with the sliced vanilla pod and its seeds. Meanwhile, put the yolks in a bowl with the sugar. Beat it energetically, until the mix gets creamy. Add the corn starch and mix well.
• Once the milk has boiled, add it gradually to the previous mix. Then put everything back in the pot, and put it back on a medium heat.
• Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, until the cream thickens, as it is wanted. This lasts around 10 minutes.Take out of the heat, and add 1/4 cup of butter. Put some plastic foil directly against the cream, and leave to cool down.
• The sponge cake : Using the electric whisk, beat the eggs and the sugar for 5 minutes. The mix should swell twice its size.
• Sift the flour on the eggs, and gently stir to combine. Put in the greased cake tin, and bake 20 minutes at 350°F (180°C). Leave to cool down.
• The syrup : Pour the water and the sugar in a pot and bring to a boil. Take out of the heat and leave to cool down.
• Assembly : Put the strip of plastic inside of the springform pan (or plastic foil). Slice the sponge cake in half horizontally.
• Place the top of the cake upside down in the pan. Brush with half the syrup.
• Clean the strawberries and cut the 2/3 in half. Place them all around the cake, cut outside.
• Meanwhile, your cream must have cool down (it should be too cold). Whisk to make it loose, then gradually add the softened butter while beating at medium speed. Once you have combined all the butter, whisk 2 minutes at full speed : the whisk should leave marks in the cream.
• Apply some cream between the strawberries, then a layer on the cake, and cover the strawberries with cream. Cut what is left of strawberries in little dice, and put them on the cream.
• Brush the second circle of cake with syrup, and put it upside down on the cream. Apply some pressure so the cream comes up on the sides. Cover with cream and smooth the top. Put in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
• Decor : Heat the jam in the microwave oven for 30 seconds. Sift it to take the pieces out, then pour the smooth sauce you got on the fraisier. Lean it on each side to spread it. Put in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Gently unmould the fraisier. If the circle won't come out, heat it a little bit with a hair dryer. Cut a strawberry in slices, and put it on the cake to decorate. If you have some cream left, use a piping bag to decorate with it.
• There you are, your fraisier cake is ready !

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, vanilla bean, vanilla seeds and salt just to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale, then whisk in the flour. Whisk 1 cup of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture. Pour the mixture into the hot milk in the saucepan and whisk over low heat until the pastry cream is thickened, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the butter until melted. Strain the pastry cream into a large bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until they hold firm peaks. Add 6 tablespoons of the sugar and continue beating until the whites are stiff and glossy, about 1 minute.
• In another medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar, the vanilla extract and the salt at medium-high speed until thick and light in color, about 1 minute. Fold half of the whites into the yolk mixture, then fold in 6 tablespoons of the flour. Repeat with the remaining whites and flour. Fold in the butter.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cake is golden and pulls away from the edge of the pan. Set the pan on a rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a rack and let cool completely.
• In a small saucepan, mix the 3 tablespoons of sugar with the water. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and add the kirsch.
• Using a serrated knife, slice the cake in half horizontally. Transfer the cake bottom to a round 9-inch straight-sided glass bowl and brush with half of the kirsch syrup. Arrange a row of strawberry slices around the dish, then top the cake with the remaining sliced strawberries in an even layer. Spread all but 1 tablespoon of the pastry cream over the strawberries. Brush the cut side of the cake top with the remaining kirsch syrup and set it cut side down on the pastry cream.
• Lightly dust a work surface with confectioners' sugar and roll out the almond paste to a 9-inch round 1/16 inch thick. Spread the remaining 1 tablespoon of pastry cream on the top of the fraisier and cover with the round of almond paste.