Basil olive oil cake is an amazing fresh twist on the classic Italian olive oil cake. This olive oil cake has sweet basil that is added to the batter which lends a beautiful aromatic flavor to the cake without overpowering it. This cake is moist and delicious and the perfect cake to make when you have an abundance of basil.
This cake is my go-to cake that I make for any special occasion.
The inspiration for this cake came from an Italian restaurant I visited years ago where I live. There were three desserts on the menu and this one seemed so interesting! I mean olive oil cake (which I definitely don't eat enough of) plus basil? I couldn't predict how amazing this cake would be until I tried it.
The basil itself just lends a slight sweet aromatic flavor and it really helps tame the olive oil flavor that you normally taste in olive oil cake. I thought this combination of flavors was brilliant.
So I asked a friend for her olive oil cake recipe, tweaked it a bit, and came up with this recipe. Of all the trials, I prefer this version where the basil is blended with the wet ingredients in the blender so it is infused into all of the cake.
Let me show you how easy it is to make!
Why Add Herbs Like Basil To Cake
If you are not familiar with adding fresh herbs to cake batter (or cake) then you are in for a treat! Italians have been doing this for centuries. In fact, a very popular olive oil cake they make with herbs is with fresh rosemary.
Adding fresh herbs to the cake batter before baking the cake imparts a light floral or woody note (depending on the herbs you use) and it really elevates the flavor of the cake.
For this cake, fresh basil is added to the cake batter which has a beautiful floral, almost sweet note that it adds. If you have not tried working with herbs in your baking, I highly recommend starting 🙂
Ingredients And Substitutions
- All-purpose flour
- Olive oil: Regular olive oil I found to work best since it has a milder flavor. If you love the taste of olive oil, use extra virgin olive oil.
- Fresh basil: I use Italian basil.
- Milk: Whole milk works the best.
- Eggs: Large eggs are best for this recipe.
- Lemon: Lemon helps brighten the flavor of the basil and the cake.
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Whipped Cream: Heavy cream and powdered sugar
Preparation
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Add all of your wet ingredients into a blender and blend well.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Add all of your dry ingredients into a separate bowl.
- Combine: Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until incorporated.
- Add batter to cake pans: Pour into prepared cake pans.
- Bake: Bake and then cool
This cake is so easy and I promise, anyone can make this recipe. It is such an essential recipe to have in your repertoire.
Other Herbs To Try With Olive Oil Cake
Returning to what I discussed at the beginning of this post, many fresh herbs taste delicious with this cake. Here are some ideas to try after making this version with basil:
- Rosemary: Fresh rosemary is a classic herb for olive oil cake which lends a woody and earthy note.
- Fresh thyme: Much like rosemary, fresh thyme is a wonderful addition to this type of cake and it also plays off lemon in the recipe.
- Herbs de Provence: This is a delicious floral blend that goes really well with olive oil and one I adore.
- Lavender: Lavender is perfect for an olive oil cake. It lends a sweet floral note to it and it pairs well with the flavors.
Storing
Olive oil cake is a very moist cake so I prefer to only let it sit out on the counter for one day. After that, it is best to refrigerate it covered. It lasts for up to one week in the fridge.
You can also freeze the olive oil cake. Just wrap it well in some plastic wrap. I like to double-wrap to prevent any issues with freezer burn. Freeze the cake for up to 2 months.
Tips
You can use whatever olive oil you have on hand and it will turn out great. I like a regular mild olive oil for making olive oil cake which you might see sold as everyday olive oil or not labeled extra virgin.
You can leave olive oil cake on the counter under a cake dome for the first day and then place it in the fridge after that. Olive oil cake will last for a couple days in the fridge.
More Italian Desserts
If you love this basil olive oil cake, you may also love these Italian desserts:
Basil Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
Basil Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ⅓ cups regular or extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 11 large basil leaves course chopped.
- 3 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- zest of 1 lemon
Whipped Sweet Cream
- 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar
Instructions
Basil Cake
- Pre-heat the oven to 350° F.
- Oil, butter, or spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. You want a standard cake pan that is at least 2 inches deep.
- In a large bowl, sift your flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and powder.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ¾ cups sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Now, with a blender, add your olive oil, course chopped basil and milk and blitz on high speed for about 2 minutes until the basil is fully incorporated into the liquid and the olive oil milk mixture turns a light lime green.1 ⅓ cups regular or extra-virgin olive oil, 1 ¼ cups whole milk, 11 large basil leaves
- In another bowl, add your eggs and lemon zest and mix well.3 large eggs, zest of 1 lemon
- Now pour the basil mixture from the blender into this bowl and mix well. Next, add the dry ingredients; whisk until just combined
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and give it a light tapping (just lift the pan about an inch above the counter surface and drop it lightly) to get out any air bubbles.
- Bake for 1 hour, until the top is golden and a cake tester comes out clean. If you see any jiggle in the middle of your cake when pulling it out of the oven, add a few more minutes of cooking at a time until it is firm and set.
- Transfer the cake to a rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Invert your cake on to a plate and remove parchment paper on the bottom.
Whipped Cream
- With a hand mixer, stand mixer or whisk, mix your heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar (that has been sifted) until it starts to stiffen and form peaks at the tip of your whisk.1 cup of heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar
- Add a dollop to each slice of cake and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Fresh whipped cream: When I serve this cake, I love to serve it with fresh whipped cream that is only lightly sweetened with sugar to leave the natural cream taste intact. Anytime I make whipped cream (or a frosting), I will always only use a small amount of sugar.
- Powdered sugar: A light dusting of powdered sugar tastes great and makes a beautiful presentation.
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer hereTried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Sammy says
My family loved this!
Melissa Oleary says
Love hearing that!
Juliette says
I made it 5/19/23 this cake was so delicious and moist, I made homemade whipped cream with lemon juice to have with it! My in laws really love it.Thanks for sharing it.👍🏾👍🏾
Melissa says
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Crystal says
Love this recipe! But the metric conversion does not work for the flour.
Melissa says
Hi Crystal. Thank you for letting me know. I just fixed that so it should work now 🙂
Mary Arner says
I have a huge crop of basil growing in a pot on my apartment balcony. I was running out of recipes to try and use it, so came across this recipe for a basil olive oil cake. I made it and it was well received by my company. They raved about it! I did put a vanilla glaze on the cake instead of serving it plain. The only comment I have is that I thought it was a bit oily. Next time I might cut back on the olive oil a bit and use a cup rather than 1 and 1/3 cups. I did use extra virgin olive oil so maybe if I used the light version or regular olive oil it might be better. Melissa, if you have any suggestions for me, I'll await your recommendations! Thank you!
Melissa says
Hi Mary. I'm so glad you enjoyed it and found a great us to use up all of that extra basil you have 🙂
Olive oil cakes are traditionally more on the dense side but it sounds like your preference is to lighten up the amount of oil which is totally fine! You can decrease the amount of oil to 1 cup and just substitute another ingredient for the oil that you are taking out. You can use yogurt or sour cream as a great substitute for the amount of oil you take out of the recipe. It will taste great.
I hope this helps!
chrissy says
made this cake into cupcakes with whipped strawberry frosting. delicious!! beautiful texture and moist and so SIMPLE!! looking to make it dairy free for a friend who loved!!! any suggestions?
Kirsten Wood says
This cake was stunning! Absolutely delicious! I will absolutely be making it again!
Melissa says
Hi Kirsten.
I am so glad to hear that! It is a favorite around here too 🙂
Alicia Brower says
What if you wanted to use basil infused olive oil? Would you cut back on the fresh basil??
Melissa says
Hi. It is hard to know how much to cut back since I haven't tried the olive oil. I would say if the olive oil has a very pronounced basil flavor then cut the fresh basil in half.
I hope this helps 🙂