Recipe
Fraisier Cake with Elderflower Mousse
This beautiful French strawberry cake has amazing flavor of strawberries and elderflower. Made with vanilla sponge cake, fresh strawberries and gelatine-based elderflower mousse, this one is a real crowd-pleaser!
Difficulty: Advanced
Yield: 12 servingsUdstyr
- Cake acetate
- Adjustable cake ring (or use spring pan)
- 2 Ø26 (10 inch) spring form pans (or 1 for longer prep time)
Ingredients
Vanilla Sponge Layers:
- 5 eggs
- 250 g sugar
- 3 tsp vanilla
- 200 g flour
Elderflower Mousse with Strawberries:
- 12 large strawberries (approx)
- 4 sheets gelatin
- 3.5 dl elderflower cordial
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 5 dl heavy cream
Dark Chocolate Ganache:
- 100 g quality dark chocolate
- 1 dl heavy cream
Vanilla Buttercream (for decoration):
- 10 g butter (softened)
- 1.5 dl powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp milk
Additional Toppings:
- 6 strawberries (rinsed and sliced)
- 4 chocolate cigars (cut into pieces)
Instructions
Vanilla Sponge Layers:
- It's ideal to bake the sponge layers the day before assembling the cake.
- In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer), whisk eggs and sugar for 10 minutes until thick and pale. Add vanilla and stir to combine. Gradually fold flour into the egg mixture, stirring gently until fully incorporated.5 eggs, 250 g sugar, 3 tsp vanilla, 200 g flour
- Grease two Ø26 cm (10 inch) springform pans*. Divide the batter evenly between them–use a scale for precision. Bake one at a time at 200 °C (392 °F) for 10–11 minutes, until the edges slightly pull away from the pan and the top turns light golden.
- Let the cakes cool completely in the pans on a wire rack. If you want a clean look, trim the golden edges (optional). Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap until assembling the cake.
Elderflower Mousse with Strawberries:
- Rinse the strawberries, remove stems, and cut them in half. Make sure they have a flat base and similar height.12 large strawberries
- Place one sponge cake layer bottom up on your serving dish. Fasten an adjustable cake ring around it (or the ring from your springform pan).
- Arrange the halved strawberries flat side out around the inner edge of the cake ring, placing them closely together.
- Soak gelatin sheets in cold water for 10 minutes.4 sheets gelatin
- In a small saucepan, heat elderflower cordial and lemon juice until boiling. Let it simmer for 1 minute, then remove from heat.3.5 dl elderflower cordial, 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Squeeze out excess water from the gelatin and stir it into the hot elderflower mixture until fully dissolved. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream into soft peaks. Gradually fold the elderflower mixture into the whipped cream using a spatula until fully combined.5 dl heavy cream
- Pour the mousse over the cake layer and strawberries, ensuring it fills the gaps and taking care not to move the strawberries. Gently shake or tap the cake ring to even out the surface.
- Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes. Then place the second sponge layer on top flat side up. Cover and chill the cake for at least 6 hours (or overnight).
Dark Chocolate Ganache:
- Chop the dark chocolate and place it in a bowl.100 g quality dark chocolate
- In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream over medium-high heat until just below boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy. Use an immersion blender if you have any lumps.1 dl heavy cream
- Let the ganache cool for 2 minutes, then spread it evenly over the cake. Use a spatula to smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before decorating.
Vanilla Buttercream:
- Beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk with a hand mixer until thick and creamy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small star nozzle.10 g butter, 1.5 dl powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla, 2 tbsp milk
Final Decorations:
- Arrange sliced strawberries and chocolate cigar pieces on top.6 strawberries, 4 chocolate cigars
- Pipe small buttercream stars around the edges.
Notes
*You can also bake the sponge in 1 springform pan and slice it in half after cooling. Adjust the baking time accordingly. However, using two pans gives more flat layers.
Storage: Store the Fraisier cake in the fridge until serving. If chilling for a long time, keep the cake ring on to maintain its shape.
Lactose-free version: Use lactose-free heavy cream and milk. Check that your chocolate is dairy-free.
Dairy-free version: Substitute heavy cream with ALPRO Soy Cream and substitute milk with soy milk. Check chocolate ingredients to ensure it is dairy-free.