Fraisier-A Classic Strawberry Marzipan Gateaux- Banh Bong Lan voi Kem Dau

To make this cake:  need 10-inch round Genoise cake, 1lb strawberry, simple syrup, creme mousseline, 7 oz marzipan, and 9-in springform pan.
Classic Genoise (Basic French Sponge Cake)
   1 cup cake flour
   4 large eggs
   1/2 cup +2 Tbs sugar
   2 Tbs butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 350 oF.  Butter a 10x2-in round cake, and lightly dust with all-purpose flour.  Make sure butter and flour cover all the bottom and side.

1. Combine eggs and sugar in a bowl. Put the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until warm to 120 oF about 5 minutes. 
2. Remove from the saucepan, dry the bottom. Beat on medium-high speed with the whisk attachment until cool about 4-5 minutes (20 minutes with hand held mixer) or until the ribbon stage.  When the beater is lifted, the mixture fall atop on the surface.  Mixture should triple in volume and be thick and light.
3. Reduce the mixer speed to medium.. Beat about 2 minutes longer to stabilize the eggs.
4. Sifting the flour over the beaten eggs and folding with a wide rubber spatula. Folding /quick and gentle at the same time. Cut down in the center with the spatula, and lift the batter from the bottom, and turn the bowl while folding the batter. 
5. In a small bowl, stir in 1/4 of the cake batter into the butter until smooth and fold this mixture back into the batter.
6. Gently pour the batter into the prepare pan and smooth the top.  Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the tookpick insert in the center comes out clean.
7. Let cool for 5 minutes in the cake pan and then turn out onto a cake rack.  Trim the edge to fit into 9-in springform pan snuggly.  Then slice into 2 layers.

Simple syrup
   1/3 cup sugar
   1/3 cup water
   1 Tbs  Kirsch or any flavor fruit Brandies of your choice.
In a small sauce pan combine the sugar and water, bring to a boil over medium high heat. And remove from the heat as soon as sugar is dissolved.  Le the syrup cool to just slightly warm, and add the flavor.

Creme mousseline
   2 1/2 cup whole milk
   2 Tbs vanilla extract
   2 eggs
   2 egg yolks
   1/4 cup+2 Tbs cornstarch
   1 and 3/4  cups butter, cubed
   1/2 cup  and 2 Tbs sugar
   2 Tbs Kirsch
In a saucepan bring milk to a simmer (tiny bubbles around the edge), add vanilla extract.  In a large bowl, beat sugar, egg and egg yolks until smooth.  Add cornstarch and continue whisking until smooth.  Pour   hot milk slowly to the egg while whisking.  Then pour the mixture into a clean saucepan.  Over medium high heat, stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture boils and thickens.  Remove from heat, continue stirring until the steam disappears.  Then pour  into a bowl, let it cool with a plastic film cover on the top.  This is the pastry cream.  Beat butter into the pastry cream with the whisk attachment, about 1/3  of butter at a time.  Add flavor.
Marzipan
   1 (8oz) can  marzipan paste
    2 cups confectioners'sugar
    3 Tbs light corn syrup
Break up the marzipan paste into small pieces in a large bowl, add 1 and 3/4 cups sugar, and 3 Tbs corn syrup.  Knead them until smooth and you can form it into a ball without cracking.  If it is too sticky add a little more sugar, if too dry add a little more corn syrup.  Color it with food color. It yield more than we need for this recipe but you can wrap it tightly and put it into a container.  You can roll, cut, shape them  and eat them like candies.
Strawberries
   Slightly rinsed and dried on paper towels.  Select 12 of same size and trim the bottom flat at the same  height, cut into half vertically. Save some for decorating on the top.  Cut the rest into small pieces.
To assemble the cake 
Put one of the cake layers into the springform pan. Brush with 1/2 of simple syrup.  Arrange the halved strawberry around the side.  Spread a layer of the creme on the cake and against the strawberry.  Put chopped strawberry in the center.  Add more creme mousseline on the top of strawberry and press down to fill any gap.  Place another layer on top and brush with 1/2  syrup. Spread a thin layer of creme mousseline on the top of the cake to hold marzipan layer in place.  Roll marzipan into a thin layer on a surface dusted slightly with confectioners' sugar and roll it onto rolling pin.  Place it on the top of the cake like you make pies.  Use a knife to trim marzipan around the cake.  Decorate the top as you like, chill for 4 hours at least.

 Release the springform and  lift the cake up out of the pan.  Remove the gateau from the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before serving. Cover the leftover cake lightly with a plastic or foil tent and refrigerate up to 3 days.