Strawberry Basil Cake. This moist, flavorful strawberry basil cake recipe is made with fresh strawberries, basil and olive oil. It is generously topped with strawberry basil mascarpone whipped cream!

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This strawberry and basil cake is the best cake to make for the spring or summer. It is full of natural fresh strawberry and basil flavor. It is topped with creamy and refreshing mascarpone whipped cream!
Seeing that it’s strawberry season, I wanted to make a seasonal strawberry version of my Lemon Rosemary Olive Oil Cake. It is the best cake to make when basil and strawberries are in season!
If you’re looking for another delicious olive oil cake, try my Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Strawberry cake- This cake is tender, moist and delicious. It is made with both fresh and freeze dried strawberries.
- Olive oil– Olive oil adds moisture and a delicious fruity taste.
- Strawberry basil mascarpone whipped cream- The whipped cream is light and fresh tasting. It is made extra creamy and rich from the mascarpone cheese!
- Easy recipe- This cake comes together quickly and is very easy to decorate.

INGREDIENTS
Below are useful notes about some of the ingredients. See recipe card below for full list of ingredients.
- Basil: Fresh basil adds a lovely, unique flavor and just makes this cake even more of a treat!
- Strawberries: We use fresh and freeze dried strawberries.
- Mascarpone: Mascarpone cheese is a very creamy cheese made primarily out of cream. It’s similar to but richer than cream cheese.


INSTRUCTIONS
Below are directions on how to make this basil cake. Please see recipe card for detailed instructions and baking time.
Step One- Combine dry ingredients. Whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Step Two- Grind the freeze dried strawberries. In a food processor, blend the freeze dried strawberries to a fine crumb. Stir them into the dry ingredients.


Step Three- Pulse the fresh strawberries. Pulse strawberries 3-4 times in a food processor.
Step Four- Chop the basil. Finely chop the basil. Set aside.
Step Five- Beat the sugar, eggs and lemon zest. Beat on medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer using a whisk attachment until thick, fluffy, and pale.


Step Six- Add the olive oil. With the mixer still running, pour the olive oil in. Add the chopped basil and beat until combined, about 2 minutes.
Step Seven- Add strawberries and dry ingredients. Reduce speed to low. Add the fresh strawberries alternatively with the dry ingredients.
Next, pour the batter into a 9 by 9 inch round baking pan.

Step Eight- Bake the cake. Bake 30-34 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Place the pan on a rack and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove cake from the pan and allow to cool completely on the rack.
Once cooled or before serving, dust with powdered sugar or top with mascarpone whipped cream.
INSTRUCTIONS- MASCARPONE WHIPPED CREAM
Step One-Whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract on high speed until you have soft peaks.
Step Two- Add the basil and mascarpone cheese. Add the basil and mascarpone cheese and whip til just medium peaks form. Add the strawberry puree and beat until just before stiff peaks form.

MASCARPONE WHIPPED CREAM
This whipped cream is the same delicious filling from my Pomegranate Mascarpone Whipped Cream Cake Roll. This whiped cream is:
- EASY TO MAKE: It’s similar to making regular whipped cream. It takes minutes and the mixer does the work!
- VERSATILE: In addition to being the perfect filling for a cake roll, it would be delicious served with some fresh fruit.
- CREAMY YET LIGHT: It’s creamy and indulgent and also light and refreshing!
- PERFECTLY SWEET: It’s great for people who like their desserts a little less sweet. That said, you can easily add a bit more powdered sugar if you want to sweeten it.



STORING
Store cake in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature. If cake is frosted, it should be kept in the refrigerator.
FREEZING
The unfrosted cake can be frozen. Wrap leftover slices or the whole cake in two layers of plastic wrap. Next, wrap it in a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Allow the whole cake to come to room temperature for about 2 hours before serving. Individual slices can be warmed in the microwave.

There’s nothing not to love about this Strawberry Basil Cake. It’s flavorful, refreshing and rich and moist. This cake is hinted with basil and fresh strawberries and lemon and topped with Mascarpone Whipped Cream. It’s the perfect summer dessert or the perfect dessert when you’re dreaming about summer days.

Strawberry Basil Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- zest of 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup fresh basil one bunch, finely chopped
- 1 ounce freeze-dried strawberries ground to a fine crumb
- ½ cup about 2 1/2 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and pulsed in a food processor
FOR THE MASCARPONE WHIPPED CREAM
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
- ½ cup plus 1-2 tablespoons to taste powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh basil finely chopped (don't chop until just before using)
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh strawberries pureed
- 7 ounces mascarpone cheese drained, cold
FOR SERVING
- Strawberries whole or chopped (Serve on top of or alongside cake), optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Spray again.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a food processor, blend the freeze dried strawberries to a fine crumb. Stir the ground freeze dried strawberries into the dry ingredients.
- Add the fresh strawberries to a food processor.* Pulse 3-4 times. You should have some small and some medium pieces.
- Finely chop the basil. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer using a whisk attachment on medium speed, beat the sugar, eggs, and lemon zest until thick, fluffy, and pale, about 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the olive oil with the mixer on medium high speed. Add the chopped basil and beat until combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add the fresh strawberries alternatively with the dry ingredients, ending with the dry ingredients.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan. Bake 30-34 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake (a few crumbs are okay).
- Place the pan on a rack and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove cake from the pan and allow to cool completely on the rack.
- Once cooled or before serving, dust with powdered sugar or top with mascarpone whipped cream.
MASCARPONE WHIPPED CREAM
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract on high speed until you have soft peaks.
- Add the basil and mascarpone cheese and whip til just medium peaks form. Add the strawberry puree and beat until just before stiff peaks form. Taste test. Add more basil if stronger if you prefer a stronger basil flavor.
TO ASSEMBLE THE STRAWBERRY BASIL CAKE
- Spread the mascarpone whipped cream on top of the cooled cake. Top with additional whole or chopped strawberries, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Alexandra R
I made this cake for my sister’s birthday after she said she wanted a plain victoria sponge but I refused to bake something so boring! It’s quite easy to make, and the basil is such a great addition. I made double the amount and made a two-layer cake and there was way more than enough frosting to sandwich it together and then frost the top. I dusted with powdered strawberries (bought online rather than making my own from freeze dried strawberries), some chopped fresh strawberries I’d let soften in their own juice and a spoon of sugar, and some dried food-grade mini roses. I also served with optional balsamic glaze which really complimented the strawberry/ basil flavour.
Natalie
Hi Alexandra, Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and for making this cake! I’m so happy you enjoyed the basil. I agree it’s such a yummy addition. Love hearing your recipe notes as well! Have a fantastic week 🙂 Natalie
Leona Grzy
this cake was easy to make and so delicious! if you’re looking for something not too sweet, this is the one. it was a crowd pleaser and didn’t last very long!
Natalie
Hi Leona, Thanks so much for making this cake and for taking the time to comment. I’m so happy it was a big hit and love to hear it didn’t last long 🙂 Have a great rest of your week! Natalie
Steph
Amazing cake! Love the strawberry basil mix they go very well together.
My first time baking with Basil but for sure will not be my last time. Thank you for the recipe, I’ve been enjoying this delicious cake with Coffee 🙂
Natalie
Hey Steph, Yay!! So happy you loved this strawberry basil cake and that you enjoyed baking with basil! It’s so yummy with the strawberries. And delicious with coffee as you know 🙂 Have a great rest of your week! Natalie
CG
I made this cake yesterday without the topping and just dusted it with powdered sugar. The cake itself was lovely, very nice texture with a slightly crispy edge. It tasted strongly of lemon, and not at all of strawberry or basil, though! Maybe those flavors come through more strongly in the topping. I will try making it again and decreasing the lemon zest and increasing the basil and strawberry. One other note: I made it in a 9″ cake pan because that’s all I had and it puffed up above the rim when baking. I would think an 8″ pan would overflow.
Natalie
Hi CG,
Thanks so much for your feedback. I’m happy you enjoyed the texture of the cake and really appreciate your feedback. I’m sorry the strawberry and basil flavors didn’t come through. I have been wanting to retest this cake and just got some basil yesterday! I will be retesting it to check the strawberry/basil flavor this week! I am considering increasing the amount of strawberries and basil and also adding some freeze dried strawberries. The 8 inch pan has worked for me but I will keep your feedback in mind about the pan size when remaking this. Thanks again for making it and for taking the time to comment. Have a great rest of your weekend 🙂 -Natalie
Natalie
Hi Anna, I’m so happy you’re planning to bake this strawberry basil cake today!The reference to rosemary is a typo, so there isn’t any needed for this recipe. Sorry about that. I will delete that now. Thanks so much for pointing that out! Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂 Natalie
Joan
Best Strawberry basil cake you can ever make!
I made it for my mom’s birthday and it was an instant hit with everyone.
Will definitely be making it again soon. Thank you for the recipe
Natalie
Hi Joan! Thank you so much for making this strawberry basil cake! I’m thrilled everyone enjoyed it 🙂 Natalie
Natalie
I’m so sorry about that and can definitely see how those directions were confusing! I just fixed that mistake in the recipe. Appreciate you pointing that out and please let me know if you have any other questions! Natalie