I love a good berry dessert. Those of you who’ve been following this blog for a while know this. I make a mean strawberry cheesecake, and I’m all about that fancy multi-tiered fresh berry cake life.
Plus, Monday is Memorial Day, and we (in Jersey/NYC) have already had a couple of 90 degree days, which means A. It’s basically summer. (Yay!) And B. A berry dessert is practically obligatory at this point.
This berry cake recipe is my favorite ode to berries yet. Because (you read it right), there’s basil in it. For those of you who haven’t yet discovered how good basil goes with fruit like lemons and fresh berries, let this basil berry cake recipe be your introduction.
A Surprisingly Delightful Combination
The combination of the fresh basil leaves—which are pulverized into the sugar and basically dissolve into the cake—and the raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries just screams summer. It conjures images of outdoor barbecues, drinks by the pool, and vibrant summer herb gardens.
This berry cake isn’t overly sweet or rich, making it the perfect end to a light (or not so light…) summer meal. There’s a zing of citrus from the lemon zest, as well as the freshness of the basil and fruit. And the apricot jam glaze at the end gives the cake that lovely shine that dreams are made of.
(Side note: If you’re the type of person who isn’t all that fond of fresh berries, I won’t hold it against you––weirdo. Just check out this Lemon Basil Cake recipe, which might be more up your alley).
Here’s how to make it.
Basil Berry Cake Recipe Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan. Cut a circle of parchment paper that matches the bottom of the pan, and place in the pan.
In a food processor, add the sugar, basil leaves, and lemon zest.
Turn on the food processor and continue to run until the basil and lemon zest is fully incorporated with the sugar, and there are no visible leaf pieces.
Set aside 1 tablespoon of the sugar…
And add the rest to the bowl of a mixer, along with the softened butter, baking powder, and salt.
Beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each time until thoroughly combined. Beat in the vanilla.
Stir in the flour on low speed, being careful not to overmix. You will end up with a smooth, thick batter.
Spread the batter evenly into your prepared pan––it will be a fairly thin layer.
Sprinkle the berries over the cake, and lightly press into the batter.
Sprinkle the cake with the remaining sugar.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool slightly.
While the cake is cooling, warm up the apricot jam in the microwave or in a small saucepan until warm. Brush the top of the cake gently with the warm jam, giving the cake a nice shine.
Serve warm or at room temperature––either on its own, or with whipped cream and fresh berries.
Basil Berry Cake
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 12 basil leaves
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup softened butter (1 stick, 113g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups mixed berries (such as raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries; if using strawberries, cut into smaller chunks)
- ¼ cup apricot jam
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan. Cut a circle of parchment paper that matches the bottom of the pan, and place in the pan.
- In a food processor, add the sugar, basil leaves, and lemon zest. Turn on the food processor and continue to run until the basil and lemon zest is fully incorporated with the sugar, and there are no visible leaf pieces.
- Set aside 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and add the rest to the bowl of a mixer, along with the softened butter, baking powder, and salt. Beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each time until thoroughly combined. Beat in the vanilla.
- Stir in the flour on low speed, being careful not to overmix. You will end up with a smooth, thick batter. Spread the batter evenly into your prepared pan––it will be a fairly thin layer. Sprinkle the berries over the cake, and lightly press into the batter. Sprinkle the cake with the remaining sugar.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool slightly.
- While the cake is cooling, warm up the apricot jam in the microwave or in a small saucepan until warm. Brush the top of the cake with the warm jam. Serve warm or at room temperature––either on its own, or with whipped cream and fresh berries.
nutrition facts
It’s winter but on the cusp of spring here in Wisconsin and I’ve been itching for some summertime flavors. Plus I bought way too much basil at the Asian market. With this recipe I found the batter to be very very dense. Sure using bread flour didn’t help with the thickness. Fresh berries are out of season and on the expensive side at the moment which worked out great for the moisture from the frozen fruit helped make the cake light after baking. All in all, I loved the recipe and will be making this cake more often.
Hi Sydney, the bread flour would definitely make the cake dense, though the batter is generally denser than average.
So excited to try this! Can we substitute frozen berries in this recipe? Will it be too wet?
Hi Sue, you should be able to use frozen berries. No need to thaw before adding to the batter.
So fresh, so beautiful, so delicious! The basil really made this berry cake special!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Yolanda! It really is a special and unique cake. :)
I have a wonderful huge bush of Basil this year. First time ever that I have gotten to grow this well. It will be great in this and I have some delicious Orange Marmalade I’m going to try for the glaze.
Sounds great, Judy!
Can I use frozen berries?
Hi Sandy, frozen berries should work here! No need to thaw in advance.
It’s really easy to make and delicious. Thanks for this great recipe!
You’re welcome, May!
I made this yesterday using Persian Basil and it was so good. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoyed this cake. :)
Hi, this looks great. I do not have a springform pan. What else can it be baked in?
Hi Georgeann, you can bake this in a well-greased 9-inch pie dish!
Made this to take on Sunday and it was a hit! The basil was very subtle, no one could figure it out, but added just that little something. Everyone loved that it wasn’t overly sweet too. Thank you!
You’re so welcome, Kavi!
Hi! Would mint do well in place of basil for this recipe?
Hi Sue, I haven’t tried it, but I’d be concerned that the mint would be quite strong in this recipe, especially in the quantity called for. You could try it with a small amount of mint and experiment!