Individual Fraisier cakes, made with elderflower cream, genoise sponge and lots of strawberries, are certain to impress! This recipe is an easier version of a traditional French Strawberry Fraisier Cake. We also made these in smaller mini portions! Our Elderflower Fraisier recipe is not too difficult to make and is one of those desserts that we like to start the spring/summer season with, in our kitchen! Why not make this strawberry and elderflower dessert for an impressive finale for your Easter dinner this year!
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Cheats Strawberry Fraisier Cake
Fraisier is a very special cake that I typically make for birthdays for loved ones and people close to my heart. However, these Elderflower Fraisiers are definitely not a real French Fraisier cake, that's made with Crème Mousseline and marzipan. This is a lighter, easier and quicker version that is very unlikely to fail, even if you are a complete beginner.
Elderflower cream is set with the help of gelatine, so you don't have to worry as much about it splurging out like lava when you unwrap the acetate. Although easier to make, it still has an impressive appearance and tastes just as good. With elderflower and fresh strawberries at play, it is one of the best ways to start the spring/summer season in the dessert department 🙂
Equipment Needed
There are a few bits of equipment that will make it easier to make and assemble these Mini Fraisier Cake desserts. Below, are the list of things that I personally use and love.
- 4 x 7cm pastry rings: we used 7.6cm VonShef Pastry Rings. Amazing quality and very useful for other desserts.
- Piping Bag: we recommend reusable piping bags, like these here.
- Acetate Tape: here's one that we use. It's tall enough for most cakes and never failed us!
- Electric Mixer: we are huge fans of Kenwood.
Method: How to Make Individual Fraisier Cakes?
STEP 1: Make Genoise Sponge
Preheat the oven to 170°C Fan. Line a small baking tray/ cake tin that fits 4 pastry rings that you will use, with baking parchment.
Put the caster sugar, eggs and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Place it over the pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.
Using an electric hand-held whisk, beat the egg mixture until pale, thick and doubles in size. This will take approx. 5 minutes. When ready, the egg mixture will leave a ribbon trail when you lift the whisk out. Remove from the heat.
Sift in the flour and fold it all in carefully, trying not to knock too much air out of the egg mixture. When fully incorporated, pour in the melted butter. When combined, pour the mixture into the prepared tin and even out with a spatula.
Bake in the centre of the oven for approx 20 minutes. Your sponge should be golden brown, risen and start coming away from the sides.
Take it out and leave to cool for a few minutes, then invert onto a large piece of baking parchment dusted with some icing sugar. Peel the top baking paper off. Leave the sponge to cool down completely.
Using a pastry ring, cut the four rounds of the sponge. Half each of the sponges sideways.
Place a strip of acetate inside each of the pastry rings. Place the pastry rings on a flat board or baking tray lined with baking parchment or foil. Put thin rounds in the bottom of each ring and brush with elderflower cordial. Then using your fingers press the sponge down making sure it gets into the edges of the rings.
STEP 2: Make Elderflower Cream
Heat the milk in a small saucepan on very low heat. In the meantime, whisk egg yolk, sugar, elderflower cordial and cornflower using an electric whisk until pale and doubled in size.
When the milk just reaches boiling point, pour it into the egg mixture whisking continuously. Pour the custard back into the pan that you used for milk and heat for a couple of minutes until it thickens slightly. Then take off the heat.
Squeeze all the moisture out of the leaf gelatine sheet. Pop it into your custard and whisk vigorously to combine. Set the custard aside to cool down.
In the meantime, whisk the double cream to soft peaks. Combine the custard and double cream carefully, trying not to remove much air from the whipped cream.
STEP 3: Assemble Fraisier Cakes
To assemble, place the cut sides of the strawberries against the acetate along the inside edge of the tin. The strawberry halves should be sitting snugly beside each other.
Place elderflower cream into a piping bag. Then pipe the cream in each pastry ring inside the strawberries and smooth the cream over the top to almost fill the ring mould. Leaving a couple of millimetres at the top.
Place the other half of the sponge round on top and dress down gently. Brush with elderflower cordial and place in the fridge covered for an hour before serving.
When ready to serve, press down to take the Fraisiers out of the pastry rings, then carefully unpeel the acetate. Top with a strawberry quarter and a sprig of mint.
Other Showstopper Dessert Recipes
Did you enjoy our Elderflower Fraisier recipe? If so, we have plenty of impressive showstopper desserts for you to try next:
- Lime and Passionfruit Charlotte Royale
- White Chocolate and Cranberry Macarons
- Pecan Praline & Banana Parfait
- Japanese-Style Baked Cheese Tartlets
And for more strawberry goodness head to 6 Irresistible Summer Strawberry Desserts!
Recipe Card
Individual Fraisier Cakes with Elderflower
Ingredients
For Genoise Sponge:
- 2 small eggs
- 60 g caster sugar
- 60 g flour
- ½ lemon zest only
- 25 g unsalted butter melted
- 4 teaspoon elderflower cordial
For Elderflower Cream:
- 90 ml milk
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoon elderflower cordial
- 8 g cornflour
- 15 g caster sugar
- 1 gelatine leaf soaked in cold water for 5-10 minutes
- 200 ml double cream
- 300 g medium strawberries halved
Instructions
To Make Genoise Sponge:
- Preheat the oven to 170°C Fan. Line a small baking tray/ cake tin that fits 4 pastry rings that you will use, with baking parchment.
- Put the caster sugar, eggs and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Place it over the pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't tough the water.
- Using an electric hand-held whisk, beat the egg mixture until pale, thick and doubles in size. This will take approx 5 minutes. When ready, the egg mixture will leave a ribbon trail when you lift the whisk out. Remove from the heat.
- Sift in the flour and fold it all in carefully, trying not to knock too much air out of the egg mixture. When fully incorporated, pour in the melted butter. When combined, pour the mixture into the prepared tin and even out with a spatula.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for approx 20 minutes. Your sponge should be golden brown, risen and start coming away from the sides.
- Take it out and leave to cool for a few minutes, then invert onto a large piece of baking parchment dusted with some icing sugar. Peel the top baking paper off. Leave the sponge to cool down completely.
- Using a pastry ring, cut the four rounds of the sponge. The half each of the sponges sideways.
- Place a strip of acetate inside each of the pastry rings. Place the pastry rings on a flat board or baking tray lined with baking parchment or foil. Put thin rounds in the bottom of each ring and brush with elderflower cordial. Then using your fingers press the sponge making sure it gets into the edges of the rings.
To Make Elderflower Cream:
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan on very low heat.
- In the meantime, whisk egg yolk, sugar, elderflower cordial and cornflower using an electric whisk until pale and doubled in size.
- When the milk just reaches boiling point, pour it into the egg mixture whisking continuously. Pour the custard back into the pan that you used for milk and heat for a couple of minutes until it thickens slighty. Then take off the heat.
- Squeeze all the moisture out of the gelatine leaf. Pop it into your custard and whisk vigorously to combine. Set the custard aside to cool down.
- In the meantime, whisk double cream to soft peaks.
- Combine the custard and double cream carefully, trying not to remove much air in the whipped craem.
- To assemble, place the cut sides of the strawberries against the acetate along the inside edge of the tin. The strawberry halves should be sitting snugly beside each other.
- Place elderflower cream into a piping bag. Then pipe the cream in each pastry ring inside the strawberries and smooth the cream over the top to almost fill the ring mould. Leaving a couple of milimeters at the top.
- Place the other half of the sponge round on top and dress down gently. Brush with elderflower cordial and place in the fridge covered for an hour before serving.
- When ready to serve, press down to take the Fraisiers out of the pastry rings, then carefully unpeel the acetate. Top with a strawberry quarter and a spring of mint.
Tayler Ross says
These mini cakes were an absolute hit when I made them over the weekend! Thanks so much for sharing!
Ieva says
So glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Liz says
This is such a gorgeous dessert, I'm thinking about taking them to a baby shower! So pretty and to tasty.
Ieva says
Thanks so much! What a lovely baby shower treat! 🙂