Strawberry Basil Cake Recipe

Written on 06/23/2025


Ingredients
For the Cake:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup freeze-dried strawberries, finely ground

1 ½ cups fresh strawberries (about 2.5 oz), pulsed in a food processor (with a mix of small and medium pieces)

¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

Zest of 1 lemon

½ cup olive oil

For the Mascarpone Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream

½ cup powdered sugar (plus an additional 1–2 tablespoons, as needed)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

7 oz mascarpone cheese

Extra strawberries for topping (optional)

Instructions
Preheat the Oven:
Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and allow it to preheat.

Prepare the Cake Pan:
Lightly coat a 9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray again to ensure easy release.

Mix Dry Ingredients:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground freeze-dried strawberries.

Prepare the Fruit and Herbs:
Pulse the fresh strawberries in a food processor until they are chopped into small and medium-sized pieces. Finely chop the basil and set aside.

Mix Wet Ingredients:
In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the sugar, eggs, and lemon zest until light and fluffy.
While mixing, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, blending until fully incorporated (about 2 minutes).

Combine the Mixtures:
Reduce the mixer speed to low. Alternate adding the strawberry mixture and the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, starting and ending with the dry mix. Stir just until combined.

Bake:
Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for around 34 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool completely in the pan.

Make the Mascarpone Whipped Cream:
In a mixing bowl, beat together the heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and mascarpone until smooth and fluffy.

Serve:
Once the cake is cooled, dust with powdered sugar and generously top with the whipped mascarpone cream. Garnish with additional fresh strawberries if desired.