French touches elevate this sponge to an elegant showstopper

I am drawn to the classics. They have stood the test of time. While the Victoria sponge is an English classic (and my favourite cake), the French classics go a step further and are masterpieces in their own right. Classic French techniques are the cornerstones and building blocks of patisserie, and can be used in different combinations to create some magnificent works of art.

This fraisier cake uses the same concepts as a Victoria sponge: sponge, a cream and a fruit element. In this cake it is strawberries. Altogether, it is a beautiful, elegant dessert with real depth of flavour. There are some steps here that elevate your cake from just being sponge, cream and fruit, to a real showstopper, and I’m not just talking about arranging the strawberries in a fancy way.

The base is a genoise sponge — simple and light, my go-to sponge for many cakes. The baked sponge is sliced in half horizontally which serves as the top and bottom of your cake. A simple strawberry syrup is brushed on top of the sponges when assembling, this injects even more berry flavour into the cake and keeps the sponges gorgeously moist. Adding a splash of strawberry liqueur or Kirsch will enhance the berries.

The filling is a crème diplomat which is essentially a thick custard (or creme patissiere to be specific) that is lightened with cream. This type of cream filling has great hold but is light at the same time. Strawberries are halved and arranged around the inside of a cake tin or mousse ring, before piping the crème diplomat inside. This allows everything to stick together and looks beautiful.