For me, this basil and olive oil cake is the definition of summer.
It had been a while since I was thinking of incorporating this herb into a cake, seeing how it pairs so nicely with fruits in desserts. The result is subtle and extremely delicious. Plus it is not too heavy which is perfect for a hot summer day. I served it with some roasted balsamic strawberries and the combination was great, but it also pairs very nicely with some mascarpone whipped cream and fresh fruits such as peaches and raspberries.
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
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. Let the cake cool for about 10 to 20 minutes and top with some icing sugar before serving.
