A sweet and fruity dessert: Fraisier ! Very light with its vanilla diplomat cream, its gariguette strawberries and its soft sponge cake. Like at the pastry chef's, but homemade is even better! We prepare it for special occasions or for pure indulgence...
What you will like about this strawberry recipe
- flavors : the sweet alliance of gariguette strawberries and vanilla in this light and delicious strawberry cake!
- texture : smoothness in every bite thanks to the diplomat cream, softness thanks to the two sponge discs, and fresh fruit thanks to the cut strawberries.
- difficulty level : this strawberry cake is not very complicated to make, you just have to follow the different steps. You can make the sponge cake and the syrup in advance. For the diplomat cream, I advise you to prepare it just before assembling the strawberry cake. On the equipment side, you need a adjustable pastry ring.
Choose your ingredients wisely
- strawberries : for my desserts, I exclusively use the French gariguette strawberry. It is very tasty, delicately sweet (but not too much) and its shape is always beautiful! So ideal for desserts where it is put in the foreground.
- vanilla : I recommend a nice vanilla pod to make the diplomat cream. If you want a cheaper option, vanilla powder (baking section) is also suitable. In the sponge cake, I put natural vanilla extract (baking section also).
- eggs : for the sponge cake, you need large eggs, this is important to have the required egg mass.
How to make a strawberry plant?
- We carry out the fluffy sponge cake
- We prepare the soaking syrup for the sponge cake
- We carry out the vanilla pastry cream
- We place it in the fridge
- We add the whipped cream to create diplomat cream
- We proceed to assembly of the milling cutter
- We place it in the fridge so that he behaves well
- There is no more eat well chilled !
NB: the complete list of ingredients and the detailed recipe are given at the bottom of the page.
My tips for successfully growing your strawberry plant at home
- Use a kitchen thermometer to make the sponge cake : this ensures that it is properly cooked and soft when eaten.
- don't be afraid of the consistency of the pastry cream once it comes out of the fridge : it is gelatinous and that is normal. By whipping it we find its creamy texture, and it will hold very well once transformed into diplomat cream.
- don't forget the rhodoid film placed inside the pastry circle : to allow you to unmold the strawberry plant more easily.
- lightly stroke the sides of the unmolded strawberry with a spatula : you will have a very smooth result to serve your portions afterwards.
How to properly store your strawberry plant?
The homemade strawberry plant, once assembled, can be stored up to 2 days in the refrigerator, under an airtight cover or cling film, to prevent it from taking on odors from the fridge.
Its shelf life is reduced compared to other desserts because it contains egg yolks (in diplomat cream).
Other recipes to try
If you like desserts made with spring/summer fruits, I advise you to take a look at these other recipes from the blog:
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry tiramisu
- Light strawberry mousse
- Layer cake strawberry vanilla whipped cream
- Peach Melba
- No-Bake Raspberry Cheesecake
If you make this strawberry cake, don't hesitate to rate the recipe below and tag @liliebakery on Instagram so I can see your beautiful homemade strawberries!
Easy and Light Strawberry Maker
A fruity and airy dessert that smells good on sunny days! We love its light and vanilla diplomatic cream, its soft sponge cake and its juicy fresh fruits...
Home
Ingredients
Genoese
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 95 g granulated sugar
- 65 g all-purpose flour T45
- 40 g cornstarch
- 0,5 cc natural vanilla extract
Soaking syrup
- 50 g water
- 20 g granulated sugar
Vanilla diplomat cream
- 400 g semi-skimmed milk
- 1 vanilla pod or vanilla powder
- 4 egg yolks
- 65 g granulated sugar
- 35 g cornstarch
- 4 gelatin sheets Vahine (1,90 grams per leaf, 200 blooms)
- 35 g diced soft butter
- 170 g heavy whipping cream 30%
- 120 g mascarpone
Interior & Decor
- 650 g gariguette strawberries
- 100 g heavy whipping cream 30% very cold
- 35 g mascarpone very cold
- 12 g icing sugar
Prepare in advance
Genoese
- Preheat the oven to 190° traditional heat. Grease a rectangular silicone sponge cake mold (27x37cm) and place it on a baking tray (as I did) or use a silicone sheet/baking paper on a rimmed baking tray.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and powdered sugar for 30 seconds. Then place the container over a bain-marie and continue to beat until the temperature of the eggs reaches 54° (this takes about 5 minutes).
- Remove from the heat, add the vanilla. Pour everything into the mixer bowl (or continue with the electric mixer) and whisk on high speed until the temperature drops to 25°.
- Sift the flour and cornstarch then add to the dough. Mix with a spatula/spatula to incorporate the powders without breaking the airy side of the eggs.
- Pour the dough onto the sponge cake tray. Smooth and bake for around 15 minutes: the sponge cake is cooked when it is golden brown and springs back slightly when touched.
- Let the sponge cake cool then unmold it. With the pastry circle set to 18cm, cut a first disk of sponge cake. Then, setting it to 17cm, cut a second disk of sponge cake. (Keep the leftover sponge cake on the plate to enjoy at coffee time :)
Soaking syrup
- In a saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil for 1-2 minutes. Leave to cool until later.
Vanilla diplomat cream
- Soften the gelatin sheets in cold water.
- In a saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla pod seeds, with the pod, until boiling.
- Separately, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch for 1 minute. Pour in half of the hot milk while whisking vigorously (to avoid cooking the eggs).
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and continue cooking over medium heat, whisking constantly. The mixture will thicken in about 1 minute. We obtain a pastry cream.
- Remove from the heat, add the diced butter and the drained gelatin. Whip until you have a thick, smooth custard with no lumps. Remove the pod.
- Pour this cream into a large bowl and cover with film on contact (to prevent a skin from forming on the surface). Refrigerate 2 hours.
- Take the pastry cream out of the refrigerator and whisk it to loosen it: it is compact because of the gelatin but it becomes smoother again when whipped.
- In the mixer bowl, whisk together the liquid cream and mascarpone to obtain a soft but sturdy whipped cream.
- Using a spatula/spatula, incorporate the whipped cream into the pastry cream in 3 batches: you obtain a diplomatic cream. You can use it straight away for assembling the milling cutter (this is what I recommend).
Assembly of the strawberry plant
- Place the pastry circle set at 20cm on your serving dish. Place a rhodoid film inside for easy release. Place the 17cm sponge cake in the center (golden side down). With the soaking syrup, soak the sponge cake with a brush.
- Cut around twenty strawberries in half, and arrange them vertically inside the circle, flat side against the circle.
- Put the diplomatic cream in a large piping bag and fill the space between the strawberries with cream then add a dose of cream to the sponge cake. With a spatula, smooth the cream to remove air bubbles.
- Cut approximately 220g of strawberries into cubes. Garnish the center of the strawberry with these strawberry pieces.
- Place a layer of cream on the strawberries then place the 18cm sponge cake, packing it down a little. Brush the sponge cake with the syrup.
- Place a final thin layer of cream and smooth everything well. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, overnight is better.
- Unmold the circle, remove the rhodoid film. Run a spatula around the edges of the strawberry to smooth it if necessary.
- Make the decorative whipped cream by whisking together the cream, mascarpone and icing sugar. Pipe this whipped cream onto the unmolded strawberry tray, leaving room for the strawberries. Decorate by adding cut strawberries in the center.
- Serve well chilled.
Notes
The homemade strawberry plant, once assembled, can be kept for up to 2 days in the refrigerator, under an airtight cover or cling film.
How to adapt the ingredients to the size of your mold? The volume calculation is mandatory…
- Calculate the volume of my mold (dimensions given in my recipe)
- Calculate the volume of your mold
- Divide the volume of your mold by the volume of my mold
unbelievable
Thank you Cécile!
Bravo super beautiful, very well explained
Can we make this strawberry cake in a 3-tier cake?
Thank you
Hello Martine, thank you! Yes it is possible, so you would have to make 3 different sizes of strawberry cakes. It will be necessary to do a volume calculation from my basic recipe to adapt the other 2 sizes.
1/ Calculate the volume of my mold (dimensions given in my recipe)
2/ Calculate the volume of your mold
3/ Divide the volume of your mold by the volume of my mold
= you obtain the number by which to multiply each of your ingredients.
Goodbye :)
Super good, on the other hand for the cutting for me it was not consistent enough. Can we cool the preparation in a container to bring it down to 25 degrees, because the process is long. Thank you for your recipe I will tackle the strawberry charlotte, can you give me the ingredients for 12 people thank you
Hello Brigitte, I'm glad you like this strawberry cake! For the 25 degrees, you're talking about the sponge cake I imagine? You don't have to cool the container, because it's not whipped cream. You just have to use either the food processor or the electric mixer and take the temperature from time to time while continuing to whip. See you soon :)
I made this strawberry plant last Saturday for a birthday and all the guests were delighted! Bravo and thank you for this perfect recipe, not complicated to make but take into account that the steps are long, I made it the day before and all that remained was the whipped cream for the decoration and the strawberries on top to make at the last moment . It was perfect
Thank you Roxane for your feedback! Glad you like the result and so do your guests! See you soon :)
Thank you for that great recipe. As good as it is beautiful! I amazed my guests. I love your blog and I’m sharing it! THANKS
Thank you very much Aurélie! It's great that you're passing the message on to your loved ones, I'm always happy to have new readers :) See you soon
A real delight! My guests loved it, thank you.
Do you think I could replace the strawberries with raspberries next time? Sugar-wise, it would be fine. Thanks in advance.
Hello Sandra, I have never replaced strawberries in a strawberry cake, I can't answer you... See you soon :)
Thank you for sharing,
This is the second time I've made it! ;)
Thank you very much Audrey for your feedback! :) See you soon
Bonjour,
Can we do it the day before? And decorate it the same day?
Hello Aud, to answer you, yes it is very good to do it the day before. On the day you add the whipped cream and the strawberries for decoration, it will be perfect! See you soon :)
Magnificent recipe, my diplomat cream was just a little too set... overheated I suppose but delicious
Thanks for the recipe. She's just perfect.
Thank you Julie for your message! Glad you like this strawberry plant so much. See you soon :)
Very good recipe which was very successful!!! I will do it again without problem.
Many thanks for the recipe
Thank you very much Martine! Glad you like this strawberry plant! See you soon :)
Hello, I would like to make it but I have a question: the whipped cream that we add on top is the rest that we didn't put in it or do we have to make a new one, sorry, I'm a beginner, thank you
Hello Marion, so to answer you, no the whipped cream for decoration is another whipped cream (the quantities are specified in the recipe). See you soon :)
Hello Lili, I made your strawberry cake recipe, everything went well and we're eating it tomorrow, but I couldn't find any rhodoid paper at home so I used cellophane paper to put everything around my circle, is it still good or will there be a problem when unmolding?
Merci de votre réponse
Hello Eva, so the rhodoid is much more rigid than the cellophane film which sticks to it and creases. When unmolding you will have I think a creased effect on the edge. I hope everything goes well for you... See you soon :)
I'm going to make this recipe for my son's birthday. Can I make it the day before and the decorations?
Hello Carolane, so yes you can prepare this strawberry cake the day before without any problem. The whipped cream decoration will be more beautiful on the day if you can. It's a shame that you rated my recipe by removing a star, without having tested it before however, see you soon!
Great cake thank you very much for sharing
Thank you very much Isabel! Glad you like this strawberry plant :) See you soon
Thank you for this very precise recipe that works beautifully. Except maybe the time, but I'm always slower than indicated.
The strawberry cake was beautiful when cut and very good for my son's birthday, Ilny, who is 8 days old.
I'm doing another one this weekend to really get my hands dirty, and no one is against it!
Thank you Isabelle! See you soon :)
Recipe made for Father's Day! A delight ! Thank you for your delicious recipes! A success every time!
Thank you very much Muriel! Glad your homemade strawberry plant was a success for Father's Day :) See you soon
Hello
I made the strawberry for Father's Day, we had a blast.
Very easy to make and very light!!! I would do it again without problem.
I follow you and I really like your recipes which I do not hesitate to make.
Thank you ❤️
Thank you very much Claudine for your comment and your rating! I'm glad you like the strawberry plant in any case. Thank you also for your loyalty to my blog :) See you soon
Hello, I would like to make this recipe with a 24 cm circle, is this possible? What quantity please
Hello Aurélie, to change the quantities from a mold of 20 (mine) to a mold of 24 (yours), you must calculate the volume of each (3,14 x radius x radius). Then divide your mold volume by my mold volume. This gives the number by which you must multiply each ingredient. You will also need to adapt the cutting sizes of each sponge cake disc. See you soon :)
Hello,
Is mascarpone essential in making diplomat cream? I don't have any...
Will the cream still hold?
Hello Laetitia, to answer you, yes it is really necessary, the mascarpone makes the preparations hold together because of its density. If it is mentioned in the recipe, do not remove it. See you soon :)
Hello, I don't often leave comments but it's impossible not to this time!
I made this cake yesterday for my husband's birthday, and what a success! Made with freshly picked strawberries, the recipe is very well explained, not too long to make, and the end result is just exquisite! I only had compliments, a big thank you for sharing this, my son has already asked me to make it again for his 8th birthday.
Thank you very much Hélène for your comment and your rating! Glad that you like the result of this homemade strawberry plant so much :) See you soon
Beginner, your strawberry cake is my first "real" pastry cake, a flawless one thanks to this perfectly well explained recipe, foolproof! I was entitled to "hats off" and "it looks like a cake bought in a bakery". Encouraging and makes me want to try lots of other recipes. Thank you very much!!
Thank you very much for your message Leïla! It's really great that your loved ones enjoyed it :) See you soon
A treat for the taste buds and the eyes! This is my first strawberry plant, thank you for this very detailed recipe. My family was amazed and I loved making it from A to Z!
Thank you very much Pauline! I'm glad you tried my recipe and that your whole family liked it! See you soon :)
Favorite creation and tasting! I have made this strawberry plant twice and each time it has its effect: both visually and in taste. The recipe is all in all quite simple to make, it is delicious without being disgusting. It's pretty, it's fresh. In short, perfect for the spring season!
Thank you very much Laura for your comment and your rating! Glad that its lightness pleases you and your loved ones! See you soon :)
Thank you for your recipe. I made it for my husband's birthday, I was a little stressed because it's my first time but it went very well, a success. I adapted it for a 22 cm mold and for the decoration, I made a strawberry mirror on top instead of the cream. Bravo
Thank you very much Bao! Glad you like this strawberry cake in any case, you were right to try it! See you soon for other recipes :)
Bonjour.
I made the recipe today (Friday) but I have to eat it only on Sunday finally. Won't the strawberries give off too much water? Is it better to freeze it?
Hello Marilyn, if your strawberry cake is made several days in advance, it is indeed better to freeze it to keep the flavor intact as well as the condition of the fruits inside. See you soon :)
Hello Lily,
Many thanks for your delicious and always very well explained recipes. And your photos are superb!
I would like to make a raspberry bush. Do you think I can start on the same basis by simply replacing the strawberries with raspberries?
Good night
Hello Sylvie, thank you very much for your message! Yes, you can replace the strawberries with raspberries in this recipe. The visual rendering will be different since the strawberries are larger when placed vertically on the edge of the mold :) See you soon
Hello !
Is it possible to make this recipe without a robot! Just with an electric mixer?
Thank you in advance.
Hello Sab, yes it is possible with a mixer, just a little longer than with a robot. See you soon :)
Hello
Thank you for your recipe, is it possible to put it in the freezer for a bit to reduce the 4 hour time in the refrigerator? Because I plan to make it tomorrow early afternoon to eat in the evening. Thank you for your answer. Kind regards
Hello Julie, to speed up the process you can try the freezer, but be careful it must not freeze if it is for the same evening. See you soon :)
Hello
Do you think we can freeze this dessert so we can prepare it in advance?
Thank you
Hello,
I have already made this recipe several times, which I love, but it seems to me that before it was sponge fingers instead of sponge cake,
Why this change?
Where can I find the recipe for the sponge cake that I personally prefer to the sponge cake?
Thank you very much
Hi Jennifer, I think you're confusing it with my Strawberry Charlotte recipe, because my strawberry cake is always made with sponge cake. See you soon :)
Dessert made today.
I didn't have Rhodoid but I had a springform pan, which turned out without any problems.
I did the calculation for proportions for a 24, perfect.
A recipe printed and which will be repeated.
Thank you very much for the step-by-step explanations.
Thank you very much Marion, I'm glad you like my strawberry cake! See you soon :)
Hello, thank you for your recipe, is it essential to soak the sponge cake?
Hello Marielle, yes because it makes it very soft. See you soon :)
Hello !
I'm two days away (it's Saturday afternoon, it's Thursday).
Is gelatin essential? Won't a classic, thick (well-cooked) pastry cream suffice? I'm asking because gelatin is pork-based, and my guests are on a Halal diet. Thank you for your help.
Hello Alia, my recipe is made with gelatin, I haven't tried without. See you soon :)
Thank you for this recipe. I'm going to try it this Easter weekend and I have no doubt it will be excellent.
However, a quick question is can I add a little lemon juice to the strawberries? I wouldn't want it to alter the taste of the cream or anything else.
Thanks for your help
Hi Nicole, if you add a tiny bit, it shouldn't affect the overall flavor. Otherwise, follow the recipe as is, that's what I recommend. See you soon :)
Delicious recipe, easy to excuse. Everyone was won over.
Thank you very much, Sylvie! I'm glad you like this strawberry cake! See you soon :)
Thank you again for your well-explained recipes.
Strawberry cake turned out really well, I didn't add any mascarpone, but you're right, it doesn't hold as well!
Thanks Marcela! I advise you not to change the ingredients for a great result :) See you soon
I made the recipe, everything was perfect, it was excellent. Just the cream stuck a little to the rodoid ribbon, it didn't have a smooth appearance. Do you have any advice? Thank you very much!
Hello Sarah, you can smooth it with a spatula and you're done :) See you soon
Great!!! Easy cake to make, and gorgeous too. Everyone thought it was delicious and beautiful! Thank you!
Great! Thanks Jennifer, see you soon :)
Hello, I don't have a rectangular mold for the sponge cake in your strawberry cake, but I do have two adjustable circles. Can I do it like this, please? Thank you very much ☺️
Hello Edwige, yes you can try in a circle instead on baking paper. The ideal is still a sponge cake mold. See you soon :)
Made this today. This is a great recipe! Well balanced in terms of sugar and fruit.
The biscuit is very soft
Thank you very much Stephanie! See you soon :)
This isn't the first recipe from your blog that I've tried and approved, but this one deserves a special mention! Made on Saturday for my son's birthday, it was a great success :)
Thank you for sharing and for your beautiful photos!
Thank you very much Aurélie! See you soon :)
Thank you so much for the recipe! Made this this weekend and it was much appreciated!
Your step-by-step photos, as well as the very detailed description, allow you to better understand and avoid making mistakes.
I love your blog. Thanks again!
Thank you very much Nathalie! Glad you like my content! See you soon :)
I followed everything step by step. The only difference: I used a homemade gluten-free mix for the sponge cake. And it worked really well. The strawberry cake was sublime, light, not too sweet. Perfect. Honestly, thank you and bravo!
Thanks, Héloïse! I'm glad your gluten-free version worked. See you soon :)
Strawberry cake made today. So light, everyone loved it. It was delicious. Will make it again.
Thank you Edwige! See you soon :)
A treat!! To be repeated!!
A delight, truly!
Pastry cream made two days before, cake made one day before, and candles planted on the big day! A success!
(I replaced the whipped cream in the decoration with a strawberry coulis icing, to avoid piping on the big day, and because I had a lot of strawberries to eat!)
Thank you for these beautiful recipes, very clear, and each one more delicious than the last!
Great! Thanks Delphine for your feedback, see you soon :)
Simple and tasty recipe!
Thank you very much Benjamin! See you soon :)
Perfect recipe, everyone loved it, thank you for this recipe
With pleasure, thank you Ludovic! See you soon :)
Excellent, I added an Italian meringue base, and changed the strawberries for blueberries, everyone loved it, the diplomat cream is to die for!! Thank you ☺️
Great! Thanks for your feedback Julie! See you soon :)
Thank you for this great recipe.
Thanks Lydia for your feedback! See you soon :)
Hello Lilie, thank you for this recipe. It seems complicated at first, but it is very well explained. The strawberry cake was delicious. I think it is the most beautiful cake I have ever made! Thank you again. Every recipe I try from your site is a success.
Thank you very much Jana! See you soon :)
Just perfect ❤️
Thank you Magali! See you soon :)
Thank you very much for your recipes, which are always very well explained, and your photos make you want to make them all. I made my first strawberry cake, a success, it was delicious; I'm going to make it again soon for my children.
Great! Thanks Jojo for your feedback, see you soon :)
Hello, can I make the sponge cake 48 hours in advance? If so, how do I store it so it doesn't dry out and stays moist?
Hello, yes you can, but keep it well wrapped out of the fridge to prevent it from hardening. See you soon :)
Good evening, I made this recipe and my strawberry cake was a sensation!
On the other hand, where can I find a sponge cake mold as big as yours? I can't find one that size, so I tested it on a baking tray on baking paper, and the result wasn't great.
Thank you very much!
Hello Stephanie, thank you! At the top of the recipe card, there's a "my equipment" section where I've put the link to my sponge cake tray. See you soon :)
A huge success! A very well-explained recipe, with the right quantities, this strawberry cake was a hit with the whole family!
A fresh and light cake, approved by everyone.
Thanks for this recipe! :)
Thank you so much for your feedback! Glad you like it so much, see you soon :)
I LOVE your recipes, all well explained, perfect proportions, everyone enjoys it every time, both visually and in taste! A quick question for this strawberry cake: can I start the diplomat cream in the evening and leave it in the fridge overnight to finish it the next morning (instead of two hours)? Thank you for your answer
Hello Delphine, and thank you for your message! Yes, you can leave it in the refrigerator for a little longer than two hours. See you soon :)
Hello, I would like to make your strawberry cake for 20 people. Could you tell me which mold to use, please, thank you.
Hello, the calculation of the proportions if you use a different mold than mine is given at the bottom of the recipe card. See you soon :)
Light and airy strawberry cake!
Delicious, however I enjoyed it even more the day after tomorrow.
Using good strawberries that are already naturally sweet is a plus.
To do again!
Thanks for these recipes!
Thanks Emeline, I'm glad you like it! See you soon :)
Perfect!
Thank you Emma! See you soon :)
Hello
Can we do without mascarpone?
please
Hello, it's best to follow the exact recipe. See you soon :)
Just too good, my guests were happy to have a homemade dessert despite the fact that I messed up the final whipped cream, it didn't hold together, I couldn't pipe it and make pretty patterns, but it was very good despite that, otherwise, great recipe, I've already made the three chocolate one, very good and well executed, thank you again
Thank you Sylvie! See you soon :)
Thank you for this great, easy and delicious recipe.
The cherry cake was also very good.
Your recipes are to be followed with complete confidence.
Thank you so much ! Goodbye :)
Excellent!, I just replaced the mascarpone with crème fraîche!, digestion problem!!
I give it 5 stars even without having tested it, I plan to make it next week for my guests. The recipe is extremely well detailed and explained and for that alone I give it 5 stars. In addition, every time I test Lily Bakery recipes, everyone is a fan, especially the melting pancakes. Thank you for all these shared recipes and good luck
Oh thank you Mila, that's lovely of you! I'm delighted to have you among my followers! See you soon :)
Hello,
Can I make the sponge cake on Wednesday and assemble it on Friday?
Hello, yes, see you soon :)
Perfect recipe except for the whipped cream for decoration, it is always liquid, is this normal? 100g of liquid cream for 35g of mascarpone and 12g of icing sugar... has anyone else had this problem?
Hi Ana, so maybe whisk for longer or with a very cold whisk? See you soon :)
Excellent, unanimously approved by young and old alike. Thank you for this recipe and the explanations.
Thank you very much Véronique! See you soon :)
Hello,
I'm going to try this strawberry cake this weekend and I'd like to know if I can use frozen strawberries and if you have any advice on how to make it taste good and keep it well. Thank you very much for your help, it's a first for me.
Hello Agnès, I advise you not to use frozen strawberries, use fresh strawberries if you can still find them (unfortunately it's not really the season anymore). See you soon :)
Great, thank you so much for this superb dessert and it's really light :))
Thank you
Thank you very much Claire-Lise! See you soon :)
This strawberry cake is a killer and apparently wasn't big enough. Thank you very much, everyone loved it.
Thank you very much Agnes, see you soon :)