Say hello to this fragrant and vibrant revamped version of the humble poke cake. We’ve topped our Summer Berry Flag Cake base with strawberry gelatin powder to bring that familiar strawberry flavor. But to really bring that “Wow” factor, we also mixed in fresh roasted strawberries for additional texture and depth. And finally, basil made perfect sense to help brighten things up and add a beautiful pop of color. Top this cake off with your own homemade whipped cream or keep it easy by simply folding the basil mixture into store bought whipped cream. Pro tip: chill your mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before whipping the cream to help speed up the process.
Roasted Strawberry & Basil Poke Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream, room temperature
- ½ cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (7 ½ oz) all purpose flour
- 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters
- 3 oz strawberry gelatin powder
Whipped Cream
- 1 ½ cups lightly packed fresh basil
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Directions
1) Grease a Suvie pan with butter and line with parchment. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, combine ⅔ cup sugar, 4 tbsp butter, 2 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt. Mix on low speed to incorporate and then increase speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
2) With the mixer still running, add one egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract, mixing until fully incorporated.
3) In a separate bowl, whisk together ¼ cup sour cream and ½ cup heavy cream. Reduce mixer speed to low and add ¾ cup flour followed by half the sour cream mixture, letting each incorporate before adding the next. Repeat with another ¾ cup flour and the remaining sour cream mixture until incorporated.
4) Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Add 1 lb quartered strawberries to another Suvie pan. Insert cake pan into the bottom and the strawberries into the top of your Suvie, input settings, and cook now or schedule.
Suvie Cook Settings
Bottom Zone: Bake at 350°F for 1 hour
Top Zone: Bake at 350°F for 1 hour
5) After the cook, remove the pans from your Suvie, stir 3 oz gelatin powder into the strawberry mixture, and lightly mash strawberries.
6) If the top of the cake is darker than preferred, use a knife to scrape away dark bits. Using a straw or the bottom of a wooden spoon, poke holes about an inch apart and halfway down into the cake. Pour the strawberry mixture over the cake, spreading it evenly to disperse the mixture into the holes. Allow the cake to cool in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
7) While the cake is cooling, pulse 1 ½ cups lightly packed fresh basil and ⅓ cup granulated sugar in a food processor until the mixture looks chunky and wet, about 10 seconds.
8) In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat together the 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream and basil mixture on medium speed until creamy and light, about 1-2 minutes.
9) To serve, divide strawberry cake between plates and top with basil whipped cream.
Nutrition
Nutritional Information per serving (6 servings per recipe): Calories 686, Total Fat 42.8g, Total Carbohydrates 72.2g, Total Sodium 247.7mg, Total Protein 5.4g