BASIL BALSAMIC STRAWBERRY CAKE
A new trend I’ve been exploring lately has been the infusion of herbs in desserts. Combinations like this, balsamic strawberries and basil, or dark chocolate and rosemary, have an interesting duality to them because of the sweetness from something like fruit, and the savory and strong scent from the herbs. It’s definitely something different and a combo I haven’t done before, so I was kind of nervous when I tried this out for Father’s Day. But I wanted to do something different for my dad, and luckily, the outcome was better than expected, without an overpowering of basil or a sourness from the balsamic. Everything was balanced, and my father particularly enjoyed it, which was a plus!
Something I was especially concerned with was the basil, since I wasn’t sure exactly how much would be too much, and I didn’t know how to incorporate it without making it the main highlight. After a lot of browsing and consideration, I decided to infuse the whipped cream with basil by dropping some basil leaves in the heavy cream and letting it sit overnight. This gave the cream, the most abundant part of the cake, a hint of basil without distracting from all the other elements. As you can see from the above photo, I also got a little too excited and over-whipped this cream, so watch out for that and your final product will be much smoother than mine.
Basil Balsamic Strawberry Cake
Adapted from Alton Brown, My Recipes, and Fork Knife Swoon
Makes 1 two layer 9-inch cake
Angel Food Cake
1 ¾ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup cake flour, sifted
12 egg whites, room temp
1/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
Basil Balsamic Strawberries
2 pounds strawberries, hulled and halved
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons basil, chopped
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
Basil Infused Heavy Cream
1 cup heavy cream
3-5 basil leaves, torn
Basil Mascarpone Whipped Cream
8 oz mascarpone cheese
½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup basil-infused heavy cream
To make cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a food processor spin sugar about 2 minutes until it is superfine. Sift half of the sugar with the salt the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside. In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer. Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated. Carefully spoon mixture into a springform pan. Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least an hour before removing from pan.
To make basil balsamic strawberries: Gently toss strawberries, sugar, brown sugar, salt, and balsamic vinegar together. Let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature to release strawberries’ juices. Mix basil and lemon zest in, then cover and chill until use.
To make basil infused heavy cream: Stir together whipping cream and basil in a small bowl; cover and chill 8 to 12 hours. Before use, pour cream mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding basil.
To make basil mascarpone whipped cream: put the mascarpone, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk just until blended and smooth. Working with the stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it holds firm peaks. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir about one quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream with a light touch.
To assemble: Cut cake into two even layers, then spread a layer of basil mascarpone whipped cream on top of first layer. Arrange basil balsamic strawberries on top of whipped cream. Place second layer on top of first layer, and frost the cake as a whole.