Strawberry basil cake is a yummy summer dessert. It’s sweet from strawberries and fresh from basil, making it great for summer. The cake has layers flavored with strawberries and frosting made with basil-infused whipped cream and strawberry buttercream. It’s ideal for special occasions and for those who want to try something different and tasty.
Strawberry Basil Cake Ingredients
Flour : The flour, baking powder and salt were the base ingredients that gave the cake structure and held it all together.
Eggs: When cracking in the eggs, I knew they would act like glue to bind everything and keep the cake from being dry.
Sugar: I added sugar not only for sweetness but because it helps the cake stay tender as it bakes.
Olive oil : Pouring in olive oil kept the cake moist so it wasn’t dry when done. Its flavor blended perfectly too.
Lemon Zest : Grating lemon zest brightened things up with a hint of citrus to match the berries and basil.
Basil : Fresh basil leaves gave an amazing herby aroma that went so well with the strawberries.
Strawberries: Of course I added real strawberries so every bite had that sweet strawberry juice.
Mascarpone Cheese: The mascarpone cheese in the frosting made it extra creamy and balanced out the bold tastes.
Berries: Freeze dried berries intensified the strawberry flavor without making the frosting runny.
Whipped cream, Powdered sugar and Vanilla came together into the richest, smoothest frosting to top it off.
How I Made Strawberry Basil Cake
I started by mixing together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt. I blended up some dried strawberries in the blender until they were like crumbs and added those to the mix.
Next, I chopped up a handful of fresh strawberries and put them in the blender for a few quick pulses so they were chopped but still had some texture. I set those aside for later.
I pulled out my big bunch of basil and carefully chopped the leaves, being sure to keep them separate from the strawberries so they stayed bright green.
Cracking the eggs into the mixing bowl, I started beating them with the sugar and some freshly grated lemon zest. The electric mixer whipped it all up into a light and fluffy pale yellow mixture.
Drizzling in the olive oil while mixing kept everything smooth. I stirred in the chopped basil and let it mix for a couple minutes to distribute the flavor.
Time to add the berries! I gently folded in the fresh strawberries first so they didn’t get smushed. Then I stirred in the dry ingredients mix until just combined.
The batter went into a round cake pan and into the oven it went. About 30 minutes later, the toothpick test showed it was perfectly baked!
After cooling, I sprinkled a bit of powdered sugar on top just before serving slices. The fresh basil and strawberry flavors really shone through – it was a big hit!
Mascarpone Whipped Cream
I wanted to make a delicious mascarpone cheese frosting to go with my strawberry basil cake. First, I took out the mixer and added heavy cream, powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla extract.
As the mixer whipped everything together, the cream started getting fluffy and doubled in size. It smelled so creamy and sweet.
Next, I ripped up some fresh basil leaves and tossed them in. The mascarpone cheese went in too to give it a nice thick texture.
While it blended together, I mashed up some fresh strawberries in the blender until it was smooth. I slowly poured the bright red puree into the mixing bowl.
Watching the pale green frosting change colors was so cool. Soon pink swirls appeared throughout as it incorporated the berries.
After a few more minutes of beating, it had thickened up nicely into a spreadable consistency. I couldn’t wait to slather big dollops onto my fresh baked cake layers.
The sweet mascarpone paired perfectly with the tart berries and herby basil. Taking a big bite, all the flavors blended so well together – it was absolutely delicious!
More Strawberry Cakes
More Strawberry Recipes
Strawberry Basil Cake
Equipment
- 9-inch baking pan to bake the cake in.
- Nonstick Baking Spray for greasing the baking pan.
- Parchment Paper to line the bottom of the baking pan.
- Food Processor to blend the freeze-dried strawberries, chop the fresh strawberries, and pulse them.
- Electric Mixer with Whisk Attachment to beat the sugar, eggs, and lemon zest and to mix in the olive oil, basil, and other ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1 2/3 tsp baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1/3 cups extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 zest of lemon
- 3/8 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp fresh chopped basil
- 3/4 ounce freeze-dried strawberries
- 3/8 cups fresh strawberries hulled and pulsed in food processor
For the Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- 3/4 cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 6 tbsp powdered sugar, and 1-2 tsp to taste
- 3/8 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 3 tbsp pureed fresh strawberries
- 5 1/4 ounces mascarpone cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper, then spray again.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together, and set aside.
- Blend the freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor until they become a fine crumb. Mix them into the dry ingredients.
- Pulse the fresh strawberries in the food processor 3-4 times until you have small and medium pieces.
- Finely chop the basil and set it aside.
- In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, eggs, and lemon zest until the mixture is thick, fluffy, and pale, about 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the olive oil while continuing to beat on medium-high speed. Add the chopped basil and beat for another 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, and add the fresh strawberries alternately with the dry ingredients, ending with the dry ingredients.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay).
- Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and allow to cool completely on the rack.
- Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar or top with mascarpone whipped cream before serving.
Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on high speed until soft peaks form.
- Add the basil and mascarpone cheese, and continue to whip until you have medium peaks.
- Add the strawberry puree and beat until the mixture is almost stiff.Taste and add more basil if you want a stronger flavor.