Fraisier Vanilla Diplomat Cream Inspired by Aurélien Cohen

Rehydrate the gelatine in the water.

Break the white chocolate into pieces in a bowl (you can melt it slightly in a bain-marie or in the microwave).

Heat the 100 g (3.5 oz) of cream with the split and scraped vanilla pod in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.

Remove the vanilla pod then reheat the cream.

Off the heat, add the rehydrated gelatine and mix.

Pour a third of the cream over the white chocolate and mix with a spatula to create an emulsion. Then pour in a second third, then a third, until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous mixture.

Add the 230 g (8.1 oz) of cold cream and mix again. Blend for a few seconds with a hand blender to fully homogenise.

Cover with cling film pressed directly onto the surface and refrigerate overnight.

Wash the strawberries. Dice 100 g (3.5 oz) of strawberries into a brunoise.

Heat the strawberry purée, lemon juice and diced strawberries in a saucepan over a low heat for a few minutes.

Off the heat, add the pre-mixed sugar and pectin and bring the whole mixture to the boil for one minute, whisking continuously.

Pour into a wide dish, cover with cling film pressed directly onto the surface and place in the freezer for 30 minutes (or in the fridge for several hours). The compote should set under the action of the pectin. Once set, transfer to a jug and blend with a hand blender.

Place in a piping bag without a nozzle and set aside in the fridge until assembly.

Soak the gelatine sheets in very cold water.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture turns pale.

Add the cornflour and mix.

Bring the milk to the boil with the vanilla seeds and pod in a large saucepan. Pour three-quarters of the milk into the bowl in a steady stream, whisking constantly, then pour everything back into the saucepan containing the remaining hot milk.

Whisk over a medium heat until the cream thickens, for about 2 minutes.

Add the rehydrated gelatine and the butter cut into pieces and mix.

Pour into a wide dish, cover with cling film pressed directly onto the surface and refrigerate.

Once the crème pâtissière is thoroughly cold, remove from the fridge and work it with a whisk until smooth (you can whisk it in a stand mixer at full speed for one minute).

Whip the cream with the mascarpone to a soft chantilly (neither too firm nor too loose) and fold it into the crème pâtissière in 3 additions using a spatula.

Place the diplomat cream in a piping bag without a nozzle. Set aside in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.

Combine the eggs with the sugar and heat over a bain-marie, whisking the mixture. Bring to 50–55°C / 120–130°F.

Remove from the heat source and continue whisking in the stand mixer until cooled.

Gently fold in the sifted flour and cornflour mixture in 2 or 3 additions using a rubber spatula, being careful not to deflate the batter.

Place the génoise batter in a piping bag without a nozzle and pipe 2 discs of 22 cm (8.7 in) diameter onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (until golden). The génoise should be lightly golden.

Leave to cool on a wire rack (take care to peel off the baking paper gently).

In a small saucepan, bring the citrus juices, water and sugar to the boil.

Leave to cool.

Wash and hull the strawberries.

Line an 18 cm (7.1 in) diameter, 6 cm (2.4 in) deep pastry ring with acetate and place on your serving plate (as it will be impossible to move the fraisier once assembled unless you have placed it on a cardboard presentation circle).

Trim the 2 génoise discs so they are slightly smaller than the ring — this way the génoise won’t be visible.

Place the first génoise disc at the bottom of the ring and soak generously with syrup using a pastry brush (the visible side only).

Select strawberries that are even and of the same size (otherwise, simply trim them a little). Cut some of the strawberries in half (for the border) and the rest into quarters.

Arrange the strawberry halves around the inside of the ring (cut side facing the ring). Press them together tightly.

Begin by piping vanilla diplomat cream between each strawberry half. Ideally, smooth everything with a small spatula to ensure there are no gaps.

Then cover the first génoise disc with vanilla diplomat cream.

Arrange the strawberry pieces over the diplomat cream then pipe strawberry compote into all the gaps and a little over the strawberries.

Cover everything with diplomat cream, smooth with a spatula then add the second soaked génoise disc. Press down lightly to bring up a little cream.

Add the remaining diplomat cream in a thin layer and smooth with an offset spatula. Set aside in the fridge for at least 3 hours (you can make it the day before).

Photo for reference only — this is an older fraisier 🙂

Whip the vanilla ganache with an electric mixer until soft. Place in a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 125 petal nozzle if you wish to recreate the same decoration as mine. You can equally use a 14 mm round nozzle and pipe balls of whipped ganache.

Carefully pipe overlapping semicircles of vanilla whipped ganache.

Fill the centre with whipped ganache and a little strawberry compote (if any remains) then add fresh strawberries (whole or cut, according to taste).

Set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.