Le Frasier (French Strawberry Cake)

I am not a fan of strawberries but this cake is so good with strawberries and I simply love it!  I am using the recipe from the blog La cuisine de Mercotte.

Materials needed; cake ring 4 cm in height and 20 cm in diameter, rhodoïd (plastic film) of 4 cm in height and a silicon mat or equivalent.

First step, make the génoise (sponge cake):
Ingredients:
90 gm flour
90 gm sugar
150 gm eggs (3 small eggs/2 large eggs)

Method:
On a bain-marie (water bath),  whisk the egg and sugar mixture.  Whisk without stopping till the mixture rise and to about 50/55°C.  To tell that it has reached the temperature, take a little of the mixture and put on the lips, if it burn then the temperature is good.  Remove from heat and continue to whisk till it cools down.  With a spatula add the flour, in 2 or 3 times, delicately into the mixture, so that the mixture remains fluffy.
Spread the mixture evenly onto the silicon mat.  Bake at 180°C for 10-15 minutes.  The génoise is cooked when it is blond, soft in the centre and shrinks slightly from the side.  Turn out the génoise onto baking paper and cut out 2 circles of 19.5 cm.
You can also cook the génoise in 2 cake pan but you may not have the same thickness in the cake.

2nd step, make the soaking syrup:
Ingredients:
100 gm water
120 gm sugar
20 gm Kirsch (cherry liqueur) or Strawberry Syrup (if you don't like alcohol)

Method:
Bring to boil the sugar and water, till the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, cool then add the Kirsch or Strawberry Syrup.

3rd step, make the Mousseline Crème
Ingredients:
375 gm milk
80 gm sugar
55 gm egg yolk (about 5 egg yolks)
15 gm flour
15 gm cornflour
1/2 vanilla beans or 1 tsp vanilla essence
250 gm butter softened
15 gm Kirsch (optional)

Method:
Infuse the vanilla beans in the milk for 10 minutes.  Then add half the sugar and bring to boil.  In the meantime, whisk the other half of the sugar with the egg yolks, then add the sifted flour.  Remove the milk from fire, remove the vanilla beans and add into the egg/sugar/flour mixture.  Mix thoroughly, then cook over low heat till thickens.  Once thicken, remove from heat and place the mixture in a bowl, then add half the butter, mix till smooth. Cling film and chill. When the mixture is around 16-18 °C, cream the remaining butter in a cake mixer and gradually add the cream. When the cream is homogeneous add the Kirsch.

Final step, assembly
Ingredients :
250 gm strawberries
100 gm marzipan, sprinkle icing sugar on work surface, roll out and cut out using the cake ring.

Method:
Line the cake ring with plastic film (rhodoïd), cut strawberries in 2 and garnish the circumference of the cake ring.  Place the génoise on the bottom, brush generously with the soaking syrup, pipe in half the mousseline crème, line the remaining strawberries, then pipe in the remaining mousseline crème, keep a tiny bit of the crème to brush on top of the génoise before laying the marzipan.
Brush the second piece of génoise with the soaking syrup before placing it on top of the mousseline crème. Then pipe in remaining mousseline crème, even it out before placing the marzipan.  Chill before serving.