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Home ❯ Recipes ❯ Dessert & Sweets ❯ Basil Berry Cake

Basil Berry Cake

Sarah

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Sarah

69 Comments
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Updated: 7/18/2025
Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com
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. Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com

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). Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com 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. Basil Berry Cake In a food processor, add the sugar, basil leaves, and lemon zest. Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com 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. Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com Set aside 1 tablespoon of the sugar… Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com And add the rest to the bowl of a mixer, along with the softened butter, baking powder, and salt. Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com Beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each time until thoroughly combined. Beat in the vanilla. Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com Stir in the flour on low speed, being careful not to overmix. You will end up with a smooth, thick batter. Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com Spread the batter evenly into your prepared pan––it will be a fairly thin layer. Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com Sprinkle the berries over the cake, and lightly press into the batter. Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com Sprinkle the cake with the remaining sugar. Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com 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. Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com 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. Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com Serve warm or at room temperature––either on its own, or with whipped cream and fresh berries. Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com Basil Berry Cake, by thewoksoflife.com

Recipe

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4.96 from 23 votes

Basil Berry Cake

This berry cake is my favorite and shows how good basil goes with fruit like lemons and fresh berries, let this basil berry cake recipe be your introduction
by: Sarah
Serves: 8
Prep: 30 minutes mins
Cook: 35 minutes mins
Total: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

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

Calories: 270kcal (14%) Carbohydrates: 36g (12%) Protein: 3g (6%) Fat: 13g (20%) Saturated Fat: 8g (40%) Cholesterol: 71mg (24%) Sodium: 191mg (8%) Potassium: 103mg (3%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 22g (24%) Vitamin A: 465IU (9%) Vitamin C: 1.1mg (1%) Calcium: 37mg (4%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
Nutritional Info Disclaimer Hide Disclaimer
TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.
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Sarah

About

Sarah
Sarah is the older daughter/sister in The Woks of Life family. Creator of quick and easy recipes for harried home cooks and official Woks of Life photographer, she grew up on episodes of Ready Set Cook and Good Eats. She loves the outdoors (and of course, *cooking* outside), and her obsession with food continues to this day.
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