Fraisier Cake Roll

Before starting this Fraisier Cake Roll recipe, organise the necessary ingredients for the vanilla ganache.

For the vanilla ganache: (make the day before) Pour the whipping cream in a saucepan. Add the vanilla powder (or any vanilla flavouring method of your choice).

Combine well with a whisk.

Bring the whipping cream to a boil.

Soak the gelatine sheets in a large bowl filled with cold water. Immerse the gelatine sheets individually to prevent them from forming a compact block.

When the cream starts boiling...

... add the strained gelatin and combine with a whisk.

Pour the hot preparation over the white chocolate pistoles...

... and whisk gently, starting from the centre of the bowl slowly towards the sides of the bowl.

Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight, preferably.

For the Viennese sponge biscuit: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

Crack the whole eggs into the stand mixer recipient.

Add the egg yolks.

Add 105 grams of castor sugar...

... and beat with the whisk at high speed.

Beat for about 5 minutes, or until the preparation is foamy and tripled in volume. Stop the beater and set aside.

Place the egg whites in a separate bowl.

Beat the egg whites until foamy...

... then add 35 grams of castor sugar and beat again until stiff.

We've got a meringue at this stage. Set aside.

Sift the flour over the blanched egg preparation.

Gently combine with a rubber spatula.

Add the meringue...

...and fold gently with a rubber spatula. The biscuit preparation is now ready to use.

Place a Silpat baking mat over a Silichef XL perforated baking sheet. Pour the preparation over the mat...

... and spread using a cranked spatula...

... to an even thickness.

Bake in a fan-assisted oven preheated at 190°C (gas 5)...

... for 8 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

For the strawberry jelly: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

Stem 250 grams of strawberries, cut in half and place in a processor bowl.

Mix finely.

Transfer the strawberry purée in a saucepan.

Place the pan over medium heat to preserve the flavour of strawberries.

Add 3/4 of the castor sugar.

Combine the remaining 1/4 with the pectin NH coating.

Combine well with a spoon.

When the purée gets to 60°C, add the sugar and pectin mix and combine with a whisk.

Whisk until the preparation starts boiling.

Maintain at a gentle boil for 1 minute.

Transfer the purée into a large recipient and spread to a thin layer. Refrigerate so it cools down faster.

Stem 750 grams of strawberries and cut into thin slices.

Repeat with all strawberries.

Take the biscuit out of the fridge and place another Silpat mat on top.

Flip upside down on your kitchen worktop.

Carefully detach the biscuit from the bottom mat (now on top).

Place the mat back on the biscuit and flip again.

Gently detach the Silpat mat on top. The top layer of the biscuit might stay stuck to the silicone mat (as shown in the photo) but this won't affect the recipe.

Remove the ganache from the fridge and place in the stand mixer recipient.

Beat for a few minutes with the whisk.

The whipped ganache is now ready.

Place 3/4 of the ganache over the biscuit.

Spread with a cranked spatula...

... into a thin layer over the whole surface.

Arrange the strawberry slices into tight rows over the cream...

... making sure not to leave any gaps between the strawberries.

Leave a gap of 1 cm at the base and at the top of the biscuit.

Starting from the base, gently roll the biscuit. The biscuit is soft and easy to shape but also very fragile.

Roll the biscuit carefully...

... up to the other end...

... to create a regular sausage shape.

Tightly wrap the cake roll with cling film.

Refrigerate for at least 2 or 3 hours, or overnight if possible. Do not place in the freezer!

Fit a piping bag with a petit four nozzle Ø 16mm.

Place in a piping bag holder...

... and fill with the remaining cream.

Press on the bag so the cream comes right down to the tip. Set aside.

Take the strawberry jelly out of the fridge.

Transfer into a depp, narrow recipient.

Mix with a Bamix hand blender until smooth and homogeneous.

Pour the strawberry jelly in a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle Ø 5 mm.

A few hours later or the next day, remove the cake roll from the fridge.

Gently remove the cling film...

... to release the cake roll.

Melt some red glaze in the microwave and add a few drops of red colouring (optional) to enhance the red colour, then apply with a brush...

... over the surface of the cake roll.

Slice the cake roll with a knife with scalloped blade. Use your other hand to hold the slice in place every time...

... and transfer on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat mat.

Repeat the operation until you have sliced the whole cake roll.

Pipe a knob of strawberry jelly in the centre of each slice.

Cover the strawberry jelly with a knob of cream.

Arrange a strawberry (cut in half) on top of the cream...

... and place a whole strawberry next to it.

Pipe a small knob of strawberry jelly next to the strawberry. Reserve in the fridge until ready to serve.