Le Fraisier cake

Are you planning to make a cake for Mother's Day?

How about something like a Le Fraisier cake?

UK Mother's Day is on the 30th March, I know that in other countries, Mother's Day is in May.
But if you're not in the UK, you can book mark this recipe for later. 

My version of the Le Fraisier is very simple, I haven't used creme patissirie but substitute it with heavy cream and custard instead, saw this on a James Martin programme and that is what he used.
If it's good enough for a professional then it's good enough for everyone else.
 I'm always looking for quick and easy alternatives.

If you like to try this then here is the recipe.



Ingredients:
Prepare a 7inch sponge (recipe below)
Marzipan
Strawberries
150g sweet heavy/double cream
150g ready to eat custard
fruits to decorate
chocolate icing to pipe your message

7 inch sponge:

3 eggs

90g plain flour

90g caster sugar

30g melted butter

1. Tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Whisk eggs with sugar until light and fluffy (to ribbon stage)

Sift flour into 3 batches and fold in carefully until combined.

Mix melted butter & vanilla extract together and pour into the batter.

Fold until all have combined.

Pour batter into a lined 7 inch cake tin and bake in a preheated oven of 180c for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Take out the oven and wait 5 minutes before you remove from the tin, peel off the baking paper and cool on a wire rack.
 



Once the sponge have cooled, divide into 3 layers. You only want the top and the bottom layers.

So you can save the middle layer to make other cakes or just eat it as it is.

Using a cake ring, adjust the size to the same as the sponge.

Roll out some marzipan and using the cake ring to cut around the marzipan so you will have a piece exactly the same size as your sponge.  Leave to chill in the fridge while you prepare the cake.

 

Add custard to the whipped cream.
Place the bottom layer of sponge into the cake ring.
Line around the sides with strawberries. Try to cut them into the same size.
I had all sorts of sizes in my punnet so save the left overs for the filling later.
Fill your custard cream mixture into a piping bag.

 

Pipe half the custard cream into the bottom.

Add some chopped strawberries in the middle.

Pipe custard cream in between the strawberries making sure all gaps are filled.

Pipe the rest on top.

 

Using a back of a spoon, spread the custard cream evenly covering all the strawberries.

Place the another layer of sponge on top, this should fit perfectly.

Press gently to make it level.
With some cream or you can reserve 2 tbsp of the custard cream, spread it over the sponge. 
You do this to stick the marzipan in place.

Place the Marzipan on top and press down to stick.

 Add fruits to decorate.

Pipe patterns and your message on top.
(Oops!Writing & pattern was a bit wobbly!!)

And there you go, one Mother's Day cake made in an hour!

 

 

My verdict; really creamy and soft.
Great as a dessert.