Fraisiers

Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to make Fresh Frasiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.

And .. here is my first time "Fraisiers" ever. Such a fun challenge as usual to baking with "Daring Bakers". It tooks quite many steps to accomplish but it worth waiting at the end when you are on the table with this beautiful and delicious cake in front .. waiting for you to taste ^_^ along with a cup of your choice of beverage you like.. Happy day .. Happy smile ^_^

My strawberries are fresh from the farm, picked by my whole family ^_^ a very good team work indeed :D So, I keep this cake simple as my strawberries are so sweet. I would like to keep the taste of this cake as natural as possible. Soft texture of cake, silky texture of cream, sweetness of strawberries Such a delicious cake to me ^_^

Basic Chiffon Cake


Ingredients:

Dry ingredients
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cups sugar (take off 3 tablespoon on the side)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Wet ingredients
1/4 cup canola oil
3 large egg yolks
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Fluffy ingredients
5 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoon (that you put on the side from dry ingredients)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F 
2. Line the bottom of an 10 inch spring form pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides of the pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together -- flour + baking powder --
4. Add in all but 3 tablespoons of -- sugar -- and -- salt -- Stir to combine.
5. In a small bowl, combine together -- oil + egg yolks + water + vanilla -- Whisk thoroughly.
6. Combine with the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly for about one minute, or until very smooth.
7. In a mixing bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment, on medium speed, whisk together -- egg whites -- until frothy. Add -- cream of tartar -- beat on a medium speed until the whites hold soft peaks. Slowly add -- the remaining sugar -- and beat on a medium-high speed until the whites hold firm and form shiny peaks.
8. Stir in about 1/3 of the whites into the yolk mixture and fold in gently. Gently fold in the remaining whites just until combined.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 - 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
10. Removed the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack.
11. To unmold, run a knife around the sides to loosen the cake from the pan and remove the spring form sides. Invert the cake and peel off the parchment paper. 

*Note: Cake can be refrigerated for up to four days.

Pastry Cream Filling

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

3/4 teaspoon gelatin
1/2 tablespoon water

1 cup whipping cream

Directions:

1. In a heavy sauce pan, over medium-high heat, stir together -- milk + vanilla + salt -- bring it to a near boiling point. Stir occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer, whisk together -- cornstarch + sugar -- 
3. Add in -- eggs -- to the sugar and cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
4. When the milk is ready, gently and slowly while the stand mixer is whisking, pour the heated milk down the side of the bowl into the egg mixture.
5. Pour the mixture back into the warm pot and continue to cook over a medium heat until the custard is thick, just about to boil and coats the back of a spoon.
6. Remove from heat and pass through a fine mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool for ten minutes stirring occasionally.
7. Cut the -- butter -- into four pieces and whisk into the pastry cream a piece at a time until smooth.
8. Cover the cream with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap onto the top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. 
9. In a small dish, sprinkle the -- gelatin -- over the -- water -- and let stand for a few minutes to soften.
10. Put two inches of water into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat.
11. Measure 1/4 cup of the chilled pastry cream into a small stainless steel bowl that will sit across the sauce pan with the simmering water, without touching the water.
12. Heat the cream until it is 120 F (48.8 C). Add the -- gelatin -- and whisk until smooth. Remove from the water bath, and whisk the remaining cold pastry cream in to incorporate in two batches.
13. In a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the -- cream -- until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Immediately fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream with a rubber spatula.

Note: The pastry cream can be chilled in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Syrup

Ingredient:

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or vanilla seed from one vanilla pod)

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, stir together -- water + sugar + vanilla seed-- 
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and let the sugar dissolve. Stirring is not necessary, but will not harm the syrup.
3. Remove the syrup from the heat and cool slightly.
4. Transfer syrup to a lidded container or jar that can be stored in the refrigerator. 

*Note: Simple syrup can be stored for up to one month.

Fraisier Assembly

Ingredients:

1 baked 10 inch chiffon cake
1 recipe pastry cream filling
1/3 cup syrup 
900 g strawberries (i use small size of strawberries, so cute ^_^)

1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup strawberries puree (about a handful of strawberries mix in food processor until smooth)

Directions: 

1. Line the sides of a 10 inch spring form pan with plastic wrap. Do not line the bottom of the pan.
2. Trim the cake to make smooth surface.
3. Cut the cake in half horizontally to form two layers.
4. Fit the bottom layer into the prepared spring form pan. Moisten the layer evenly with 1/2 of the syrup.
5. Hull and slice in half enough strawberries to arrange around the sides of the cake pan. Place the cut side of the strawberry against the sides of the pan, point side up forming a ring.
6. Pipe cream in-between strawberries and a thin layer across the top of the cake.
7. Hull and quarter your remaining strawberries and place them in the middle of the cake. Cover the strawberries and entirely with the remaining of the pastry cream.
8. Place the second cake layer on top and moisten with the simple syrup. 
9. In a medium bowl of stand mixer (or hand mixer) with whisk attachment, on medium high speed, whisk -- cream -- until creamy.
10. Stir in -- strawberries puree -- until well combined. 
11. Scoop and spread all over the surface.
12. Decorate with strawberries or anything you fancy ^_^ It is your cake anyway!
13. Once done, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
14. To serve release the sides of the spring form pan and peel away the plastic wrap.
15. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Now, Let's go make some & ENJOY ^_^

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