Fraisier cake is a French strawberry cake that is made with a genoise sponge, strawberry syrup, filled with diplomat cream, and fresh strawberries.
This French strawberry cake is a classic French dessert that showcases the delicate flavors and textures of a genoise sponge cake, diplomat cream, and fresh strawberries.
The sponge cake, made with a light and airy genoise, is soaked in a fragrant strawberry syrup, adding a burst of fruity sweetness.
The cake is then layered with a luscious diplomat cream, a custard-based filling that provides a smooth and creamy counterpoint to the sponge.
Fresh strawberries are strategically placed throughout the cake, offering a juicy and vibrant contrast to the rich cream.
This incredibly delicious combination of flavors and textures creates a truly indulgent and visually stunning dessert that is sure to delight the senses.
For more strawberry recipes, check out our strawberry swirl cheesecake, vanilla cake with strawberry filling, strawberry tiramisu, strawberry cheesecake cookies, and strawberry cinnamon rolls.
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Why this recipe works
- Strawberry loaded cake- this cake is perfect for strawberry lovers and is made with plenty of fresh strawberries and homemade strawberry syrup.
- Diplomat cream filling- this cake is filled with a delicious, creamy and light diplomat cream that is made with pastry cream mixed with whipped cream which creates to most delicious creamy filling.
- Genoise sponge- this cake is made with an easy and light genoise sponge that is made with a few simple ingredients and is the perfect base for this cake that is soaked with homemade strawberry syrup.
- Impressive- this French classic is an easy and delicious dessert to make for any occasion that will impress your guests.
What is a fraisier cake?
A fraisier cake is a classic French dessert that features fresh strawberries and a light, airy sponge cake. The name "fraisier" comes from the French word for strawberry, "fraise."
To make a fraisier cake, a round sponge cake is sliced horizontally and filled with a layer of fresh strawberries and a creamy custard or whipped cream filling.
The top of the cake is then decorated with more fresh strawberries, often in a decorative pattern.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
For the genoise cake
Flour– we used all-purpose flour for this recipe, cake flour will work great as well.
Baking powder– to allow the cake to rise. Ensure your baking powder is not expired. Do not swap the baking powder with baking soda!
Eggs- Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
Vanilla extract- adds extra flavor. You can use vanilla extract and also vanilla bean extract!
Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.
Kosher salt- you will need about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
For the diplomat cream
Milk- use room temperature whole milk.
Egg yolks- you will need 5 egg yolks for this recipe. Use large eggs.
Vanilla extract- for extra flavor. You can also use vanilla bean extract or pure vanilla extract.
Granulated sugar– granulated sugar works best for this recipe, but caster sugar can work as well.
Cornstarch- you will need cornstarch for the pastry cream. This cant be substituted.
Heavy cream- use full-fat heavy cream for this. Use cold heavy cream from the fridge to make the cream whip faster and better.
For the strawberry syrup
Strawberries- we used fresh strawberries for the syrup, but you can use frozen strawberries as well!
Instructions
Make the diplomat cream
Place a saucepan over high heat and fill it with the milk and vanilla extract. Let it simmer, and remove it from the heat. Scoop ¼ cup of the milk and set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, add the sugar and cornflour. Mix with a whisk until combined. Add the egg yolks and mix.
Gradually add the ¼ cup of milk and mix constantly with a whisk. This step is used to temper the egg yolks and prevent them from cooking too fast.
Move the saucepan with the milk to the stovetop over low heat and add the egg yolk mixture into the milk mixing constantly with a whisk.
Mix over medium-low heat and mix constantly with a whisk until the mixture thickens. Don't increase the heat, be patient it will be worth it!
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap tightly. Place the bowl in the fridge. Allow it to set and cool for a few hours.
Make the genoise cake
Preheat the oven to 180c (350f) and prep a parchment paper-lined 8-inch cake pan.
Into a large mixing bowl, add the eggs (room temp), granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix with an electric hand mixer or use a stand mixer with the balloon attachment.
Mix for about 10-12 minutes on high speed (be patient) until you get a fluffy and light mixture.
Into a small mixing bowl, add the flour and baking powder and mix until combined. Sift ½ of the dry mixture at a time to whipped mixture and gently fold with a spatula until there are no streaks of flour visible.
Pour the cake batter into a parchment paper-lined 8-inch baking pan and bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
If you can, bake the cake in 2 separate 8-inch cake pans for about 18 minutes.
Let the cake cool completely. If you made the cake in one pan, cut it with a serrated knife into 2 even layers.
Make the strawberry syrup
Into a saucepan, add the chopped strawberries, water, and sugar, and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes until the sugar has melted completely and the strawberries also melted into the syrup.
Turn off the heat and strain the mixture into a small bowl or into a mason jar and allow it to cool completely.
Finish the diplomat cream
In a small bowl, add the water and the gelatin and allow it to sit for 10 minutes for the gelatin to bloom.
Melt the gelatin in the microwave for 5-second pulses until it's fully melted, do not overheat it! Remove the pastry cream from the fridge and give it a mix with a whisk to make it smooth again.
Add the melted gelatin to the pastry cream and mix until well combined.
Into a separate large bowl, add the cold heavy cream and powdered sugar and whip it to soft peaks. Add the whipped cream mixture into the pastry cream mixture and fold it gently with a rubber spatula until smooth and well combined.
Assembly
On a cake plate, place an 8-inch cake ring with acetate, plate the first genoise sponge cake layer into the cake ring.
Use a pastry brush to soak up the sponge with the strawberry syrup we made.
Slice the strawberries in half (make sure they are about the same side and height), remove the stem, and line the cake with the strawberries facing outwards.
Transfer the diplomat cream into a large pastry bag, pipe the cream filling the gaps between each strawberry, and add a generous layer of the cream onto the sponge cake. About ⅔ of the cream. Smooth it out with an offset spatula.
Add more sliced strawberries and top the cake with the second cake sponge.
Top the cake layer with the remaining diplomat cream and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Transfer the cake carefully into the fridge to allow the gelatin in the diplomat cream to set to get a stable cake.
Ultimately refrigerate it overnight or at least for 3-4 hours.
Remove the cake from the fridge and gently remove the cake ring and the acetate.
Make homemade whipped cream and pipe it on the edges of the cake (optional) with a 1M star tip, and fill the middle of the cake with more sliced strawberries. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- After you folded the flour into the mixture, fold it a couple more times to ensure that there are no streaks of flour in the mixture or at the bottom of the bowl.
- If you are using an electric hand mixer and not a stand mixer, it will take you 2-4 minutes longer to whip the eggs for the sponge cake.
- Don't undermix the egg mixture! You will need to be patient and whip the eggs and sugar for at least 10 minutes until the mixture turns into a big cloud.
- Use ripe, juicy strawberries for the best flavor in your cake. Look for strawberries that are deep red in color and fragrant.
- When you add the flour, add it in 3 batches and sift the flour to prevent the mixture from deflating.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly. you don’t want to place cold batter into the oven.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure that you have a homogeneous mixture that has no lumps.
Faq's
Fraisier cake is a classic French dessert that combines a light and airy genoise sponge, creamy diplomat or mousseline cream, and a sweet strawberry syrup.
A genoise cake is a light, airy sponge cake made with eggs, sugar, and flour.
The key ingredients that give a genoise its distinctive texture are whipped whole eggs and sugar, which are gently folded into the flour.
Diplomat Cream is made by combining pastry cream with whipped cream and stabilizing it with gelatin.
This decadent filling is often used in layer cakes, éclairs, and other delicate pastries, providing a luxurious texture and flavor.
The addition of gelatin helps to set the cream, making it perfect for piping or spreading between delicate cake layers.
Storing
This cake will last up to 5 in the fridge. Cover the cake with plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out.
Freezing
You can freeze this cake after it cooled completely in an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months.
You can freeze the whole cake or slice it into slices and then freeze it.
If you are freezing individual slices of the cake, I would recommend storing them in a ziplock bag and then transferring them to an airtight freezer-friendly container.
Substitutions
Gluten-free - if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the flour with gluten-free flour. I never tried this recipe with gluten-free flour, but it should work.
Variations
Mousseline cream- you can use mousseline cream instead of diplomat cream. Mousseline cream is made with pastry cream mixed with butter instead of whipped cream and does not need gelatin to set.
Equipment
- 8 inch cake ring
- Acetate sheets- to get a perfect cake.
- Rubber spatula to fold the mixture and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Piping bag/ Pastry bag
- Pastry brush. To brush the syrup on the cake layers.
- I also recommend using an electric hand mixer to make sure your mousse mixture is smooth and perfect. You can also use a stand mixer for this.
- Mixing bowl (set of 3)
- Offset spatula for smoothing out the cream.
- Whisk Set (pack of 3) to whisk the ingredients together
More French desserts
Mini Fruit Tarts- These mini fruit tarts are made with easy and buttery tart shells, filled with homemade pastry cream, and topped with fresh fruit.
French Crepes- These classic French crepes are super easy to make and have a slightly sweet, buttery, soft, and delicious flavor and texture.
Chouquettes (French Sugar Puffs)- These easy and delicious chouquettes are small French pastries made with airy Choux pastry, and coated with crunchy pearl sugar.
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If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Fraisier Cake (French Strawberry Cake)
Ingredients
Diplomat cream
- 2 cups Milk
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 5 Egg yolks
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Gelatin
- 3 teaspoon Water
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- ¼ cup Powder sugar
Genoise cake
- 4 Eggs
- ¾ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¾ cup Flour
- ⅓ teaspoon Baking powder
Strawberry syrup
- ⅓ cup Strawberries with their stems off, sliced into small cubes
- ⅓ cup Granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup Water
Assembly
- ½ pound Strawberries with their stems off, sliced into small cubes
Instructions
Make the diplomat cream
- Place a saucepan over high heat and fill it with the milk and vanilla extract. Let it simmer, and remove it from the heat. Scoop ¼ cup of the milk and set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the sugar and cornflour. Mix with a whisk until combined. Add the egg yolks and mix.
- Gradually add the ¼ cup of milk and mix constantly with a whisk. This step is used to temper the egg yolks and prevent them from cooking too fast.
- Mix over medium-low heat and mix constantly with a whisk until the mixture thickens. Don't increase the heat, be patient it will be worth it!
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap tightly. Place the bowl in the fridge. Allow it to set and cool for a few hours.
Make the genoise cake
- Preheat the oven to 180c (350f) and prep a parchment paper-lined 8-inch cake pan.
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the eggs (room temp), granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix with an electric hand mixer or use a stand mixer with the balloon attachment.
- Mix for about 10-12 minutes on high speed (be patient) until you get a fluffy and light mixture.
- Into a small mixing bowl, add the flour and baking powder and mix until combined. Sift ½ of the dry mixture at a time to whipped mixture and gently fold with a spatula until there are no streaks of flour visible.
- Pour the cake batter into a parchment paper-lined 8-inch baking pan and bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- If you can, bake the cake in 2 separate 8-inch cake pans for about 18 minutes.
- Let the cake cool completely. If you made the cake in one pan, cut it with a serrated knife into 2 even layers.
Make the strawberry syrup
- Into a saucepan, add the chopped strawberries, water, and sugar, and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes until the sugar has melted completely and the strawberries also melted into the syrup.
- Turn off the heat and strain the mixture into a small bowl or into a mason jar and allow it to cool completely.
Finish the diplomat cream
- In a small bowl, add the water and the gelatin and allow it to sit for 10 minutes for the gelatin to bloom.
- Melt the gelatin in the microwave for 5-second pulses until it's fully melted, do not overheat it! Remove the pastry cream from the fridge and give it a mix with a whisk to make it smooth again.
- Add the melted gelatin to the pastry cream and mix until well combined.
- Into a separate large bowl, add the cold heavy cream and powdered sugar and whip it to soft peaks. Add the whipped cream mixture into the pastry cream mixture and fold it gently with a rubber spatula until smooth and well combined.
Assembly
- On a cake plate, place an 8-inch cake ring with acetate, plate the first genoise sponge cake layer into the cake ring.
- Use a pastry brush to soak up the sponge with the strawberry syrup we made.
- Slice the strawberries in half (make sure they are about the same side and height), remove the stem, and line the cake with the strawberries facing outwards.
- Transfer the diplomat cream into a large pastry bag, pipe the cream filling the gaps between each strawberry, and add a generous layer of the cream onto the sponge cake. About ⅔ of the cream. Smooth it out with an offset spatula.
- Add more sliced strawberries and top the cake with the second cake sponge.
- Top the cake layer with the remaining diplomat cream and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Transfer the cake carefully into the fridge to allow the gelatin in the diplomat cream to set to get a stable cake.
- Ultimately refrigerate it overnight or at least for 3-4 hours.
- Remove the cake from the fridge and gently remove the cake ring and the acetate.
- Make homemade whipped cream and pipe it on the edges of the cake (optional) with a 1M star tip, and fill the middle of the cake with more sliced strawberries. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- After you folded the flour into the mixture, fold it a couple more times to ensure that there are no streaks of flour in the mixture or at the bottom of the bowl.
- If you are using an electric hand mixer and not a stand mixer, it will take you 2-4 minutes longer to whip the eggs for the sponge cake.
- Don't undermix the egg mixture! You will need to be patient and whip the eggs and sugar for at least 10 minutes until the mixture turns into a big cloud.
- Use ripe, juicy strawberries for the best flavor in your cake. Look for strawberries that are deep red in color and fragrant.
- When you add the flour, add it in 3 batches and sift the flour to prevent the mixture from deflating.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly. you don’t want to place cold batter into the oven.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure that you have a homogeneous mixture that has no lumps.
Yunnie says
This recipe is fantastic. While it requires a lot of patience, it’s SO worth it in the end! The diplomat créame is such a perfect touch, and the flavors shine through in moderation. Definitely one of my favorite cakes of all time!