Basil? In a cake? But why Mads? Why??
And to that I say, why the heck not. It sounded good and weird and there is nothing we love and support more then things that are weirdly-good and goodly(?)-weird. Like this cake! My Strawberry Basil Spoon Cake.
This herb-alicious cake was inspired by the absolutely astronomical amount of basil my mom harvested from her patio garden this year. You can only make so much pesto before you can’t even handle the sight/smell of pesto anymore. Well, that isn’t entirely true. I am basically always down for pesto-infusions, but I did truly feel that this basil was meant for something greater. And by greater, I mean a sweet, not savory, cake.
Yes, a sweet basil cake. With strawberries. A cake so magically gooey and spoonable that you don’t even need a knife to slice it. It is messy, a lot like this year. Jk, nothing could be as messy as this year! (lolololcrysighlol) It is meant to be served warm and finished with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, the cool & warm creating a medley of flavor and texture in your mouth. It really sings. Or as the kids say these days, “it slaps.” (I am a mere 23 years old and just aged myself tremendously with that dad joke. Sigh.)
When I imagine this cake in it’s most perfect setting, I picture a wonderful mid-summer garden party; full of well-dressed, flower-adorned, expert gardeners nestled around tables draped in white linen, afternoon tea in one hand and finger sandwiches in the other. I can’t for the life of me explain why this is the vision that comes to my mind, but I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that my well-dressed, flower-adorned, expert gardener of a grandmother would probably quite enjoy this cake. If you are reading this Grandma Susan, I can’t wait to make it for you!
Despite the simplicity of this cake and it’s ingredients, the flavor combination is one that I have never had before and now can’t imagine my life without. I am hereby declaring that all baked goods should be herb-infused. NOT that kind of herb (winkwinknudgenudge), I am talking rosemary, thyme, basil, heck, maybe even cilantro. Ok, maybe not cilantro. But, know that the thought has been put out there, I feel the need to give it a try. See the rabbit holes of R&D I go down for you? All I can say is, you’re welcome. Or better yet, thank you. Thank me? Thank somebody.
Alright, enough garden party day-dreaming, it is cake time people. CAKE TIME. Let’s get to it.
Strawberry Basil Spoon Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅔ cup coconut or brown sugar
- ½ cup half & half (non-dairy)
- ¼ cup basil, chopped
- zest of 1 lemon
Strawberry Topping
- 1-1½ cups fresh strawberries, sliced
- ¼ cup coconut or brown sugar
- ½ lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Coat a pie dish or 8×8 square pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the olive oil, ⅓ cup coconut (or brown) sugar, half & half and the zest of 1 lemon.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry. Mix until just combined, and then add in the chopped basil. Mix until the basil is evenly dispersed throughout the cake batter.
- Make your strawberry topping. Slice up an entire container of strawberries. The yield for this is about 1 to 1½ cups. Add the strawberries into a small bowl and mix in ¼ cup of coconut (or brown) sugar and the juice of ½ a lemon.
- Pour the cake batter into the greased dish/pan, making sure to spread it out evenly. Spoon the strawberry mixture over the top of the cake batter, again, making sure to spread it out evenly.
- Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges appear golden brown. It is pretty challenging to do the toothpick test with this cake because it is so moist, but keep an eye on the browning of the edges of the cake. Golden brown is the goal.
- Remove the cake from the oven, grab a big ol' spoon, and messily scoop it into a bowl. Top with a heap½ of vanilla ice cream, and enjoy!
Notes
- If you do not have half & half on hand, you can make a homemade sub. Simply combine a 1/2 cup of almond milk with a 1/2 tbsp of white vinegar. Let sit for 10 minutes so it can ~curdle~, and then mix into your wet ingredients. It is going to look funky, but it works. Promise!
- I made this recipe using non-dairy half and half and topped it with a scoop of Oatly vanilla ice cream. If you have not had Oatly ice cream, then you need to go and procure some ASAP.
If my overly elaborate explanation of this cake doesn’t accurately portray how much joy it brings me, than I have truly not done it the service it deserves. I have been baking this cake about every other week since I created it. That is a lot of basil. And a lot of strawberries. And a lot of ice cream. The three pinnacles of summer. How great is that?
So, run out to your little garden, (or grocery store) snip up some basil, and get to baking. And as always, tag me in all your creations over on the ‘gram at @mads.eatz
Have a wonderful long weekend! I sure hope this cake makes an appearance at your socially-distance celebration.
XOXO – Mads