Classic Fromage Fraise. My second attempt at it after much sweat and effort.
My first take at this 'upside-down-strawberry' cream cake was 2 years ago when I knew little about construction of such cakes. I'd always been hesitating to try this again but there were simply other recipes that appealed to me on the way! I did make a simpler Strawberry Shortcake last year though - which I was very pleased with, except for the sponge that was too dry.
Fortunately, my current restaurant served Napolean Strawberry Cake for our previous month's set lunch dessert. Being involved in the layering of the cake and a little on the production where I got to whip the mascarpone cream was a lot of fun! It is a pity I joined them too late to witness the process of making their pain de gene (cake made with almond paste in french).
In fact, working at The Dunearn has seriously led to my enjoyment of pastries and desserts even more. One practice of the job that I treasure a lot is the spreading of mousse/parfaits/cream over its base. I like playing with the angle spatula very much as my seniors in the pastry kitchen always do an inspiring job.
When we make our own chocolate decorations, I'm motivated to complete it nice and smooth. However, as my seniors tell me, it really takes practice after practice. For one sheet of chocolate deco I might be able to spread it smoothly, but it was too thin! For another sheet of chocolate deco I might be able to spread it evenly thicker, but I took too long, the chocolate has already set over the marble table before I can complete it!
I ought to thank my seniors who have been so generous in sharing with me their knowledge and so patient with their guidance. It saddens me that I won't be here for long, I might not even have the opportunity to try every of their recipe before leaving :\
Anyhow, I made this cake using a few components: almond joconde, sliced strawberries, whipped lemon cream cheese. Although Singapore does not have 4 seasons, I like to pretend we have. It doesn't hurts right :D It gives me an opportunity to learn the fruits of Spring for instance, and incorporate them in baking. Yeah, that makes my Fromage Fraise pretty much a good combination of cake to welcome Spring!
I did spent a little time slicing the joconde thinly, but it paid off because it went really well with lemon whipped cream cheese. I like how the lemon taste and strawberries dominate the cake's flavour, making it tangy and less sweet. Furthermore the cream cheese filling makes the cake more stable than it would be if I only spread whipped cream in it.
The top cloudy white frosting is actually Marshmallow Frosting made using the Italian meringue method. I always had luck with italian meringue without using a thermometer (LOL). I mean really! But getting a candy thermometer'd still be more reliable and it prevents a lot of other problems that may arise if you pour the sugar syrup into the whites before it is hot enough.
Ultimately, I'm very please with my Fromage Fraise. It is like the classic yet gorgeous cake that you'd have seen many times. It is very presentable to give away for birthdays or parties. My only regret is that I feel that I should have frosted the top part with whipped cream. It'll be easier to spread and it complements the overall flavour of the cake better.
I suggest that you freeze that cake after layering so that it is easier to cut. My cream was already slightly softened when I cut them, resulting in less neat and sharp sides.
On my third attempt, surely, I will use Mascarpone whipped cream. My first taste of it at my workplace was amazing. It was totally not what I had expected and the only reason why I didn't use this for this trial is because it was unavailable at both the supermarkets I went to yesterday! In fact I was pretty upset with the change of my filling, but still went ahead with it as I didn't want to leave my sponge in the fridge for more than one day :\
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