Fraisier cake is a classic French strawberry cake made with light genoise sponge, fresh strawberries and a creamy vanilla diplomat cream.
As a French baker, this is one of the strawberry desserts I love making when fresh strawberries are in season.
This French fraisier cake is lighter than the traditional version with mousseline cream, but still has that bakery-style look with visible strawberries around the edge.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Classic French dessert: elegant, fresh and perfect for strawberry season.
- Light vanilla diplomat cream: creamy, vanilla-flavored and softer than buttercream.
- Beautiful cake: fresh strawberries, genoise sponge and a clean bakery-style finish.
Ingredients You Need
- Eggs: Whole eggs for the genoise sponge and egg yolks for the pastry cream.
- Granulated sugar: White sugar to sweeten the cake and diplomat cream.
- Cake flour: For a soft and airy genoise sponge cake.
- Milk: Whole milk for a rich and creamy pastry cream.
- Cornstarch: Helps thicken the vanilla pastry cream.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or a vanilla pod for flavor.
- Heavy cream: Cold heavy whipping cream for the diplomat cream.
- Mascarpone cheese: Makes the diplomat cream richer and more stable.
- Fresh strawberries: Sweet fresh strawberries for the filling and decoration.
Tips Before You Start
- Chill before serving: Refrigerating the cake helps the fraisier hold its shape perfectly.
- Use ripe strawberries: Sweet fresh strawberries give the best flavor and decoration.
- Whip the eggs well: A properly whipped genoise creates a light and airy sponge cake.
- Cool the pastry cream completely: Cold pastry cream helps create a stable diplomat cream.
- Line the strawberries tightly: Place the strawberry halves close together for a clean fraisier finish.
How to Make French Fraisier Cake
For the sponge layers, I use my classic genoise sponge cake recipe with a light and airy texture perfect for fraisier cake.
Whisk the eggs and sugar for 10 to 12 minutes until pale and tripled in volume.
Fold in the sifted cake flour, then pour the batter into an 8-inch cake pan.
Bake at 329°F (165°C) for about 20 minutes, then cool completely before slicing into two layers.
Heat the milk with the vanilla until hot.
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch, then pour in the warm milk while whisking.
Cook over medium heat until thick, then add the gelatin and butter and chill completely.
Whip the cold heavy cream and mascarpone until thick and fluffy.
Whisk the cold pastry cream until smooth again.
Fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream until smooth and creamy.
Line a cake ring with acetate and arrange strawberry halves around the edge.
Add the first sponge layer, brush with syrup and fill with diplomat cream and chopped strawberries.
Cover with the second sponge layer, smooth the top with diplomat cream and chill before decorating.
Decorate the top with piped diplomat cream and fresh strawberries for a classic French fraisier cake finish.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve chilled: Fraisier cake tastes best cold from the fridge.
- Add fresh strawberries: Decorate with extra strawberries before serving.
- Serve with coffee or tea: Perfect for brunch or afternoon dessert.
- Dust with powdered sugar: For a simple French bakery finish.
- Pair with whipped cream: A light whipped cream topping works beautifully.
Storage
Store the fraisier cake covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Variations
- Classic fraisier: Replace the diplomat cream with mousseline cream.
- Pistachio fraisier: Add pistachio paste to the diplomat cream.
- Mixed berry fraisier: Use raspberries or blueberries with the strawberries.
- Lemon fraisier: Add lemon zest or lemon curd for a fresh citrus flavor.
- Marzipan topping: Cover the top with a thin marzipan layer like traditional French fraisier cakes.
Try my no-bake strawberry cheesecake inspired by a classic French fraisier cake.
Recipe Questions
What is fraisier cake?
Fraisier cake is a classic French strawberry cake made with genoise sponge, diplomat cream and fresh strawberries.
Can I make fraisier cake ahead of time?
Yes, it’s even better after chilling for a few hours in the fridge.
What cream is used in fraisier cake?
Traditional fraisier uses mousseline cream, but diplomat cream is lighter and creamier.
Can I freeze fraisier cake?
Freezing is not recommended because fresh strawberries and diplomat cream can lose their texture.
What is the best sponge cake for fraisier?
A light genoise sponge cake is the classic choice for a traditional fraisier cake.
More Strawberry Cakes
I hope you’ll love this recipe. If you try it, feel free to leave a comment. Happy baking!
Recipe Video
Fraisier Cake
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 8 slices
Description
This fraisier cake is a classic French strawberry cake made with light genoise sponge layers, fresh strawberries and a creamy vanilla diplomat cream filling. Made in a 8-inch (20 cm) cake ring, this elegant French dessert serves about 8 to 10 slices.
Ingredients
Genoise Sponge
- 3 large eggs - room temperature.
- 90 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 90 g (¾ cup) cake flour
Diplomat Cream Filling
- 4 gelatin sheets - about 8 g.
- 400 ml (1 â…” cups) milk - whole or semi-skimmed milk.
- 1 vanilla bean
- 4 egg yolks - about 64 g.
- 90 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 30 g (¼ cup) cornstarch
- 35 g (2 ½ tbsp) unsalted butter -  Softened.
- 160 g (â…” cup) heavy cream - Â cold full-fat cream.
- 120 g (½ cup) mascarpone cheese - cold.
Decoration
- 500 g (2 ½ cups) fresh strawberries
- Soaking syrup - Â Optional.
Instructions
Genoise Sponge
- Preheat the oven to 329°F (165°C) and line an 8-inch (20 cm) cake pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 10 to 12 minutes until pale and tripled in volume.
- Fold in the sifted cake flour with a spatula until smooth and airy.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes until lightly golden.
- Cool the genoise completely before slicing it into two thin cake layers.
Diplomat Cream Filling
- Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 10 minutes.
- Heat the milk with the vanilla bean until hot and let infuse for 10 minutes.
- Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch until smooth.
- Pour the warm milk over the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
- Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, then boil for 2 more minutes.
- Add the gelatin and softened butter and whisk until smooth.
- Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and chill completely.
- Whisk the cold pastry cream until smooth again.
- Whip the cold heavy cream and mascarpone until thick and fluffy.
- Fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream until smooth and creamy.
Assemble The Fraisier Cake
- Place a cake ring lined with acetate on a cake board or serving plate.
- Arrange strawberry halves tightly around the edge of the ring.
- Add the first genoise layer trimmed to about 6 inches (16 cm) and brush with syrup.
- Pipe diplomat cream around the strawberries and spread some over the sponge.
- Fill the center with chopped strawberries and more diplomat cream.
- Cover with the second genoise layer and brush again with syrup.
- Spread a thin layer of diplomat cream on top and smooth with an offset spatula.
- Chill the fraisier cake for at least 1 hour before unmolding.
Decoration
- Whip the remaining diplomat cream until fluffy again.
- Decorate the top with piped cream and fresh strawberry slices before serving.
Notes
Storage: Store the fraisier cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Tips:
- Use ripe strawberries: Sweet strawberries give the best flavor and decoration.
- Whip the eggs well: This creates a light and airy genoise sponge.
- Cool the pastry cream completely: Cold pastry cream helps stabilize the diplomat cream.
- Line the strawberries tightly: This gives the fraisier its classic French bakery look.
- Chill before serving: The cake slices more cleanly once fully chilled.
- Prep Time: 1 houre
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: cake,pastries
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 30.8 g
- Sodium: 70.3 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Carbohydrates: 45.2 g
- Protein: 9.5 g
- Cholesterol: 208.9 mg
LadyMilonguera
Beautiful strawberry cake!