Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and sugar to a bowl and whisk with a mixer until soft peaks form. Add the mascarpone to the mixture and keep whisking until well combined. Refrigerate the mascarpone cream while you’re preparing the French toast.
Wash, decrown, and cut the strawberries in half. Let them dry on a paper towel and put them aside.
Whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl, big enough to fit at least one slice of bread.
Slowly melt salted butter in a pan on low heat.
Place the first two slices of bread in the egg mixture. Let each side of the slices absorb the mixture, but make sure that the bread doesn’t turn soggy. The amount of egg it can absorb depends on the firmness of the bread. This is why a firm or slightly stale bread is ideal.
When the butter is fully melted and starts bubbling, turn up the heat to medium. Add the two slices of bread with the egg mixture to the pan. Cook them for about 2 – 2,5 minutes on each side until just slightly golden brown.
Place the other two slices of bread in the egg mixtures and repeat the process of letting them absorb and cook.
Place the French toasts on (two) plates and decorate them with a big serving of mascarpone cream, fresh strawberries and finish off with pouring some maple syrup.
Serve immediately. Even though the mascarpone cream is delicious to eat while it’s melty, the dish won’t stay pretty for all too long. Enjoy!