Strawberry Compote Cream

Make the compote part of this recipe (Step 1) while the pâte à choux circles are baking and/or cooling, but do not finish the cream until you are ready to assemble the cakes in Step 5 of the main recipe. You may want to increase the amount of sugar if the strawberries are not at their peak.

If you do not have strawberries or prefer not to use them, you can substitute blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries with excellent results. You should, of course, change the name of the cake