Fraiser Cake

Fraiser cake is an incredibly luxurious French treat. With Genoise sponge cake, diplomat cream, and strawberry jam, what’s not to love?

This is easily one of the most delicious summer cakes I have ever tried. It’s very light and delicate, and although it requires some preparation time (and admittedly quite a few bowls), the results are more than worth it!

What Is Fraiser Cake?

Fraiser cake is a traditional French dessert, usually made in the summer with fresh strawberries. The name “Fraiser” comes from the French word fraises which simply mean strawberries!

What Makes Up A Fraiser Cake?

Fraiser cake has a few different elements at play that constitute its makeup: 

Arguably the most important aspect of this cake is the cake itself! The Genoise sponge cake is known for being extremely light and airy.

This is because the process for making the sponge cake involves whipping the egg mixture to incorporate as much air as possible.

The second part you’ll be making is the diplomat cream. Diplomat cream is one of the basics of French pastry cream.

Some make the cream with additional ingredients such as whipped cream and gelatin powder, but I prefer the easier version that resembles rich custard with butter.

And finally, the most recognizable aspect of Fraiser cake has to be the strawberries! When buying strawberries, try to get ones in season and that are as fresh as possible.

No Fresh Strawberries? No Problem!

As we’ve talked about, fraiser cake is made with fresh strawberries. However, what if you can’t find them at the time? Well don’t worry! There are many ways you can make Fraiser cake without fresh strawberries.

For this particular recipe, I used a jam made from thawed strawberries. It’s a bit thicker than classic jam, but this thickness is necessary to prevent the layers from mixing too much. 

If you do happen to be using fresh strawberries, you can take 12-14 fresh strawberries of the same size and set them aside.

Chop the remaining strawberries. Take the reserved strawberries and cut them in half. Place the first layer of your Genoise sponge in a spring form and arrange halved strawberries around the edges.

Place the chopped strawberries in the center and pour over the diplomat cream. Cover the filling with the second piece of Genoise sponge and chill the cake for at least 3 hours. 

So, whether you’ve got beautiful strawberries fresh from the garden or end up making your own jam, you’ll find either method provides the same beautiful, decadent dessert!

Can I Make The Cake Richer?

The cake itself is already incredibly rich thanks to the diplomat cream, but you can improve its richness even more one by adding some extra steps.

To start, the cream becomes so much better if you add in some orange flower extract. It will elevate the flavor while bringing out and intesnsifying the natural floral qualities of the strawberries.

The second thing to do is to brush your Genoise sponge cake with strawberry syrup (I use the syrup from this particular brand). It’ll add even more delicate sweetness to this already beautiful dessert!

How To Make Fraiser Cake

Step 1

Assemble your ingredients.

In a heatproof bowl, beat eggs and sugar.

Step 2

Set the mixture over a double boiler and whisk until it is almost double in size (this will take some time). Remove the mixture from the heat and continue beating with an electric mixer.

Once the mixture is nice and fluffy, gradually sift in flour.

Step 3

Stir with a spoon and pour the mixture into 9-inch baking paper lined spring form pan.

Step 4

Bake the sponge for 25-30 minutes at 350°F.

Cool the sponge completely before removing from the tin.

Step 5

In a bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together.

To make the cream, place the milk in a saucepan and warm it until it’s almost simmering.

Step 6

Pour some of the warmed milk into the eggs slowly, whisking constantly until combined. Then pour the egg mixture into the saucepot with the milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for 6-7 minutes.

Remove the mixture from the heat. Stir in vanilla and butter until smooth. 

Step 7

Now that the cake is cooled, slice it in half to provide two layers of cake.

Step 8

To make the jam, place the strawberries into a saucepot with sugar and water. Cook until they’re mushy.

Puree them with an immersion blender and continue to cook until the mixture is thickened. 

Step 9

Now, place bottom half of the Genoise sponge into the spring form.

Top the bottom half of the cake with strawberry jam. If the jam is still warm, let it cool down. Reserve a few tablespoons for topping. 

Step 10

Spread the cream over the cooled strawberry jam. You can pipe it from a piping bag to prevent any kind of mess.

Place the second piece of the sponge over the filling. Place the cake into the fridge for at least 2-3 hours.

Step 11

Spread the rest of the jam over the top and decorate the cake as desired. 

Enjoy!

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