Ingredients
– 15 cl of extra virgin olive oil
– 15g of basil leaves
– 4 tbsp of mascarpone cheese
– 2 eggs
– 150g of white sugar
– the juice of 1 lemon
– 150g of all purpose flour
– 1 tbsp of baking powder
– 100g of almond powder
For the balsamic roasted strawberries :
– 450g of strawberries
– 2 tbsp of brown sugar
– 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 180°C. Brush a pan with a bit of olive oil and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, add the olive oil, the basil leaves and the mascarpone cheese and blend with an immersion hand blender for about 4 minutes until smooth. Then, whisk in the eggs, the sugar and the lemon juice. Finally, mix in the flour, almond powder and baking powder until everything is well combined.
3. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for about 40 minutes. To make sure the cake is completely cooked, insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake – if it comes out clean, it is ready.
4. Leave the oven on and increase the temperature to 200°C.
5. Rince the strawberries, remove their stalks and cut them in half. Add to a baking tray and cover with the sugar and balsamic vinegar. Mix well to coat and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Let the roasted strawberries cool for about 15 minutes before serving them with the basil and olive oil cake.