Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Daring Bakers' July Challenge - Fraisier

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.

This month’s Daring Bakers’ challenge, fraisier, looked too pretty to be easy – but it was actually fairly straightforward: solidified pastry cream and fresh fruit, sandwiched between two layers of chiffon cake. I loved that this dessert featured fruit, as the season is booming right now.

I really liked the chiffon cake, which came out moist and extremely light. I wanted to make a lemon-flavoured version, but found out halfway through the mixing that I was out of lemons (which almost never happens). So, to add at least one personal touch, I made a chocolate filling.

I know, I know: I’m incredibly predictable. I put chocolate in everything. Even in the dead of summer, when chocolate is one of the least appropriate of all the flavours out there, I have to use it. I simply can’t help myself. Sure, I thought about using cardamom, or orange blossom – but no, it was chocolate that won out. In my defence, the resulting pastry cream was still quite light, and not too sweet.


I bought some beautiful strawberries from Île d’Orléans, as well as some wild blueberries, and raspberries. I had to use a slightly smaller mould than indicated in the recipe, so my cake was rather too high to be cut into two layers. So I cut out three layers, used two for the fraisier, then cut out smaller rounds out of the third layer, to make an individual-sized version with raspberries – I guess you could call it a “framboisier”?

I imbibed the cake layers with diluted maple syrup, instead of simple syrup. Finally, I iced the top of the larger fraisier with dark chocolate ganache, left over from making the chocolate pastry cream.

I have to say, this was a pretty ideal summer dessert: light, refreshing, and pretty as a picture (or, at least, it could have been, if my plastic wrap hadn’t left marks all over the filling). My thanks to Jana for challenging us to make this classic treat!


Please check out the Daring Kitchen to look at the challenge recipes, and don’t forget to look through the blog roll, to see some lovely fraisiers!

12 comments:

  1. Your challenge came out wonderful! The chocolate looks delish =D
    Happy Wednesday!
    ~Carolyn
    Cookin' for my Captain

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  2. mmm! Yours looks great! I made the chocolate chiffon cake for mine-- so don't worry, you're not the only one who couldn't resist adding chocolate!

    Ashton
    www.somethingswanky.com
    {Sweet Treats Thursday} Thu-Sun

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  3. Very nicely done. I also did a chocolate version, but also used chocolate chiffon for the layers. I WISH I had thought to top mine with ganache! That would have been over the top awesome. Well done.

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  4. Great job on your fraisier! I didn't know there was ever a season when chocolate isn't an automatic element... I agree that this is a perfect summer dessert. Thank you for sharing your creativity with us!

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  5. Wow - all those berries, chocolate ganache, maple syrup - that all sounds fantastic. Awesome job.

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  6. I would add chocolate to just about every dessert if I could! Chocolate is great and your fraisier looks delicious. Nice job on the challenge!

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  7. You're so funny with the chocolate! I'm just the opposite: I omit it even when it's called for. Your cake looks lovely despite all the chocolate, and those berries sound amazing!
    :)

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  8. Yummy, I love chocolate with fruits! Great job on this month's challenge!

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  9. Oh that looks so scrumptious,especially with the fruits from Li d'Orleans, great place for a foodie. And what do you mean chocolate is not summer ish lol. Good choice I say!

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  10. Val..I was going to go double chocolate on the Fraisier if I had been able to do it - everything is better with chocolate!! Not predictable - GOOD! Your Fraisier is beautiful to look at, and no doubt delicious to eat :)

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  11. Haha... what's wrong with putting chocolate into everything? Isn't that supposed to happen anyway..? lol. Love the look of your fraisier cake! I could have a slice of that right now please..

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  12. I should have tried the chocolate version, it looks delicious and chocolate always go well with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries!

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