A Summer Family Recipe: Basil Chocolate Cake

I’ve known and loved this cake for at least 25 years! It was one of my mom’s signature summer desserts. She loved whipping it up to show off the many varieties of basils she grew in her garden, often using a mix of cinnamon, Genovese, and purple basils. The recipe calls for a whole whopping cup of chopped basil! You can use any variety, so long as it’s fresh, fragrant, and chopped very finely, it will add the most exquisite perfume and depth of flavour to this rich and moist chocolate cake.

To this day, whenever I make this recipe and smell the aromatic chocolate and basil wafts of goodness that mingle and meander through the house as it bakes, I immediately feel my mom’s presence around me.

Although this cake doesn’t use a leavener, the egg whites do give it an elegant lift. But it’s not a fluffy cake and will not rise very much. Its texture is similar to a brownie, though not quite as dense, sweet, and chewy. There’s no flour in this cake. It gets its bulk from ground almonds and a bit of cornstarch so it somehow manages to be rich and satisfying but also relatively light. And a little bonus for those who care is that this cake is entirely gluten-free!

Chopping the basil for this recipe does require a bit of love and attention, as fresh herbs usually do. If you’re not sure how to ‘chiffonade’ basil, I recommend watching this helpful little video. You want to make sure your basil leaves are clean and fully dry, then make tidy stacks of leaves, rolling them like a cigar, and slice across with a very sharp knife so you get thin delicate shreds of basil. Afterwards, I cheat a bit and give a few quick chops across the strands so that they aren’t too long and stringy. Stringy basil in a cake is not so appealing. Basically, you want to chop the basil as finely as possible without mangling it. You definitely don’t want it to turn black or lose its delicate aromatic oils.

This cake is delicious simply served with a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar and some fresh basil leaves as a garnish, but you can also pour a ganache over it for a more decadent dessert, or pile on some whipped cream and fresh berries. I’ve also served it with strawberry coulis, or a generous scoop of zesty berry sorbet. It pairs well with so many things. I find myself returning to this recipe again and again because it has few ingredients, is easy to make, and always elicits an enthusiastic reaction, no matter how it’s served. The basil just sings through! Enjoy!

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series has been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards for Best Video Webcast (On Location). In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine's Best Food Blog award in the video category.