Professional reference formula

Yield: one 16 cm / 6 inch Fraisier.

  • Joconde: 85 g eggs, 75 g almond flour, 65 g icing sugar, 20 g flour, 15 g melted butter, 55 g egg whites and 15 g sugar
  • Syrup: 85 g sugar, 85 g water and 15 g kirsch
  • Mousseline: 500 g milk, 85 g yolks, 125 g sugar, 40 g flour, 40 g cornflour, vanilla and 250 g butter
  • 450 g fresh strawberries

Method

  • Make the joconde paste, fold it into a firm French meringue, divide between two 16 cm rings and bake at 180°C / 356°F for 10–12 minutes.
  • Cook the pastry cream through a full boil and continue for two minutes; cool covered in contact.
  • Soften the pastry cream, then add pliable butter progressively at compatible temperature to make a smooth mousseline.
  • Line a 16 cm ring with acetate. Place a smaller sponge disc inside, arrange dry strawberry halves against the ring, soak the sponge and fill every gap with mousseline.
  • Add chopped strawberries, the second soaked sponge and remaining cream. Chill until fully set before unmoulding.

Identity and legitimate variation

The defining structure is sponge, fresh strawberries and a pastry-cream-derived filling assembled in a ring with visible strawberry halves. Génoise is classical; joconde is a legitimate modern choice with more almond flavour and moisture.

Whipped-cream-only strawberry cakes are related, but without the characteristic pastry-cream-derived structure they should not silently replace Fraisier in the graph.

Critical controls

  • Dry the strawberries after washing; free surface water destabilises the cream and shortens shelf life.
  • Keep pastry cream and butter at compatible temperatures to prevent broken mousseline.
  • Pipe cream firmly between every perimeter strawberry to prevent air pockets.
  • Chill only long enough to set cleanly; prolonged storage degrades fresh strawberries.

Evidence status

external_evidence; not presented as Tanya Novak's own Fraisier.