Recipe: Fraisier (Classic French strawberry cake with vanilla cream) - Argiro.gr

Instructions

Butter and line the removable base of a ring mold with non-stick (parchment) paper. Preheat the oven well to 160°C (320°F), fan setting.
In the mixer bowl, whisk the eggs with the whisk attachment for 1 minute on high speed.
Add the sugar gradually in a steady stream and keep whisking for about 6-7 minutes, until the mixture doubles in volume, turns pale, and becomes very fluffy.
At the end, fold in the almond extract.
Combine the flour with the baking powder and sift it into the egg mixture in three additions.
Each time you add flour, fold it in with a spatula from the bottom upward until fully incorporated. Do not overwork the mixture, or you will lose the volume of the eggs.
Pour the batter into the prepared mold and bake the sponge in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, until set in the center.
Let it rest in the mold for 5-10 minutes, then carefully unmold it onto a wire rack.
Once it has cooled well, cut it horizontally in half to obtain two sponge layers.

In a bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, the cornflour, the salt, and a little of the total milk to slightly loosen the mixture.
Put the remaining milk and the sugar in a small saucepan.
Split the vanilla pod lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add them to the milk along with the pod.
Move the mixture to medium heat and, once it is well heated, pour small amounts into the beaten yolks while stirring with the whisk.
Once the yolk mixture has loosened and warmed, pour it all at once into the saucepan with the remaining milk.
Stir constantly over medium heat until it thickens well and you have a smooth cream.
Remove it from the heat and transfer it to a bowl.
Remove the vanilla pod, cover the cream with cling film placed directly on its surface to prevent a skin from forming, and let it cool completely.
Once it reaches room temperature, incorporate the butter (cream and butter must be at the same temperature), beating with a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes until you have a uniform, velvety cream. Transfer it to a piping bag.

We will use the ring in which we baked the sponge, plus a base or serving platter.
Line the inside of the ring with cling film and set it on the platter.
Separately, wash and dry the strawberries very well.
Set aside the smaller red ones with firm green leaves for decoration.
Place one sponge inside the ring as the base of the cake.
Cut the larger strawberries in half and arrange them upright around the perimeter, cut side facing out and touching the walls of the mold, so they look beautiful once the dessert is unmolded.
Using the piping bag, fill the gaps between the strawberries with cream so they stay in place.
Spread a layer of cream over the sponge.
Fill the well that has formed with a layer of strawberries to cover the gap.
Add another layer of cream over the fruit and top it with the second sponge.
Repeat with one more layer of strawberry slices.
Cover the cake with the remaining cream, smoothing the surface with a spatula.
Cover the fraisier all around with cling film and leave it in the refrigerator for a few hours (ideally overnight) to set.
Once chilled, coat the surface with a thin layer of whipped cream, smoothing it with a spatula.
Carefully release the ring and, using a piping bag with a large tip, pipe fluffy cream around the cake as well.
Decorate the whole fraisier with the remaining strawberries and serve.