Le Manoir - Fraisier

This really is a brilliant picture and the flavour is amazing. My dad does not have a sweet tooth but, he ate seconds!!

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Resting Time: Overnight

Special Equipment: Cake Rings 15cm x 4cm; cake board of the same diameter; baking tray 30 x 40cm; Silicone paper. Acetate strips.

Planning Ahead:

Prepare the pastry cream at least 2 hours in advance. The Fraisier can be made the day before which will improve the texture and flavour of the cake.

Ingredients

For the Sponge:

65g of Unsalted and soft butter
65g of Caster sugar
55g / 2x of Eggs, medium, free range or organic
40g of Plain flour
3g / 1/2 tsp of Baking powder
15g / 1 tbsp of Ground almonds

For the Mousseline

500ml Milk
1x Vanilla Pod split lengthways
120g / 6x Egg yolks
100g of Caster Sugar
25g of Plain flour
25g of Cornflour
100g of Butter, unsalted and soft

To Garnish

100g of Strawberries, washed, topped and halved

Method:

 Step 1 - Sponge Mixture:

Pre-heat your oven to 175 degrees celcius. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until all mixed and a pale straw colour is achieved. Add half your dry ingredients to the creamed mix, beat until all is incorporated then add half your eggs.  Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. Place your batter in the cake ring and cook in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes. De-mould and cool on a cake cooling rack.


Step 2 - The Mousseline

In a large heavy bottomed sausepan, bring the milk to simmer.  Add the split vanilla pod and seeds and infuse for 5 mins.  Take off the stove and remove the vanilla.  Cream together the egg yolks and sugar then whisk in the flour and cornflour.  Pour approx a 1/3 of the hot milk onto the egg mixture and whisk until well blended.  Pour back into the remining milk, return to the heat and bring to a simmer for 5 mins, but remember to keep whisking and dont let it overboil!  Take it off the heat and let it cool for 5 mins and then cover with clingfilm directly onto the mix to prevent a skin forming.  You now have 200g of pastry cream!
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When you're ready to put the cake together you just need to transform the pastry cream into a Mousseline and this is how you do it:

In a bowl, beat the butter wth a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth. In a separate bowl whisk the pastry cream until smooth and lump free. Add the smooth pastry cream to the butter and mix until a smooth creamy consistency is achieved.

Step 3 - Building the cake

Line a cake ring with the acetate and place on a cake board. Slice the sponge into 2 equal halves, about 1 cm thick. Place 1 slice in the cake ring and dollop in a thin 1cm layer of the mousseline. Arrange the strawberries all around the edge of the cake ring with a pattern of 1 up, 1 down. Place the rest of the strawberries in the middle. Dollop an even layer of the mousseline so it meets just above the strawberries around the edge of the cake ring. Cover with the other piece of cake. Put it in the fridge for a minimum of an hour for the mousseline to set.  Sprinkle over some icing sugar and when ready to serve, put 3 halves of strawberries on top like mine.

This perfect summer strawberry cake is amazing for parties and looks great on the plate!