Strawberry Basil Upside Down Cake #SundaySupper

Sweet strawberries, fragrant basil and a tender cake makes Strawberry Basil Upside Down Cake the perfect sweet ending to any meal this summer. 

Strawberry Basil Upside Down Cake #SundaySupper #GalloFamily from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.

I know it’s still early spring and all I’ve been talking about the last few weeks is the glory of the buds on the trees, flowers coming out the ground and spring vegetables popping up everywhere.  However, let’s be real, summer is going to be here very soon and that’s the true bounty for any food lover.  Strawberries, tomatoes, zucchinis, blueberries, cherries, corn, backyard barbecues – it’s the best time of year to eat and be merry.

I’m an impatient person though and I don’t really want to wait until June 21st – so I’ve decided that I’m going to make May 9th, Gallo Family Vineyard’s National Moscato Day my first celebration of summer.

Just hear me out for the reasons why this day works for summer celebrations.

Strawberry Basil Upside Down Cake | girlinthelittleredkitchen.com

To me, Moscato is a summer wine, it’s light, it’s sweet, it’s served chilled and you have a choice of 3 – Red, White or Pink to suit every persons taste.  Despite being on the sweet side, a glass is perfect with dinner or dessert.  Enjoy it with something spicy to calm your taste buds, or dessert outside on the porch like this easy to prepare Strawberry Basil Upside Down Cake.

This cake just says summer, it says I’ve been outside picking strawberries all day, grabbed some basil from my garden and now I’m relaxing at the end of the day with a big slice and a glass of wine.  I personally found Red Moscato to be the perfect pairing to go with this cake.

Red Moscato is medium-bodied with a berry finish, it isn’t too sweet, which is personally my preference.  It’s how I like my desserts too – just a touch of sugar, let the fruit be the star of the show.  That can be grapes in wine or strawberries in cake.

Strawberry Basil Upside Down Cake | girlinthelittleredkitchen.com

If you’ve never baked an upside down cake before, I hope you’ll let this one before your first go! There’s nothing to be afraid of, just grease your pan well and release everything while it’s still slightly warm.  I promise you’ll have a cake as gorgeous as this!

What I really love is the ease, the batter takes no time at all, there’s no decorating and in a little over an hour you can be sitting down to dessert! How often do you get to say that when you bake a cake?  Not very is my guess.  This is the cake for people who hate to bake cakes (I’m one of those).

Strawberry Basil Upside Down Cake | girlinthelittleredkitchen.com

Strawberry Basil Upside Down Cake
Save Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 cups sliced strawberries
  • 2 tablespoons basil cut into chiffonade
  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • For the whipped cream
  • 1/2 cup cold heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Red Moscato Wine

Instructions

  1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place 2 tablespoons of butter in a 9 inch round cake pan and place it in the oven until it melts, about 2 minutes. Remove it from the oven and using a pastry brush - brush the butter around the sides of the pan and the bottom.
  3. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of brown sugar evenly across the bottom of the pan.
  4. Arrange the sliced strawberries on the bottom of the pan and then sprinkle the chiffonade basil on top of the strawberries.
  5. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt - set aside.
  6. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and sugar - about 2 minutes. Add the eggs in 1 at a time until combined and then vanilla extract.
  7. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in half the flour, mix until combined, half the milk and repeat.
  8. Gently pour the batter over the strawberries, making sure not to move them around too much. Using a silicone spatula or spoon spread the batter into an even layer. Tap the pan hard on your counter to get out any air bubbles and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (check at 25 minutes).
  9. Let the cake cool in the pan until it is luke-warm but not completely cool.
  10. To remove the cake from a pan, take a butter knife and run it around the outside of the cake to release it from the sides.
  11. Take your cake stand or serving platter and put it upside down on the cake pan and then flip. Give the bottom some taps before lifting up. The cake should release without any problems.
  12. Before serving make the whipped cream.
  13. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment add the heavy cream, confectioners sugar and Moscato. Whip on high until the cream has formed stiff peaks - about 2-3 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on your mixing bowl, so that the cream doesn't over whip.
  14. Store leftover cake in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
Recipe Type: Dessert
https://girlinthelittleredkitchen.com/2015/05/strawberry-basil-upside-down-cake/

Strawberry Basil Upside Down Cake | girlinthelittleredkitchen.com

For more great recipes to celebrate Moscato Day check out what #SundaySupper is making and Gallo Family’s Moscato Day blog post!

You can also visit Gallo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.  Make sure to check out their store locator too in order to find a location near you to purchase your favorite bottle.GFV Logo 2015

 

 

Strawberry Basil Upside Down Cake | girlinthelittleredkitchen.com

Share:
Little Red Kitchen Bake Shop

14 thoughts on “Strawberry Basil Upside Down Cake #SundaySupper

  1. Renee

    I really could not wait to see this recipe. I love the flavor combo of strawberry and basil. Plus it’s strawberry season here and my basil plants are starting to grow nicely. I get to use them both in a dessert and it’s so great!

    Reply
  2. Nichole

    …meanwhile in Florida it has felt like ‘summer’ for a month now and I could drink all the Moscato wine to try and cool down, lol. Your upside down cake looks SO good, Susan! I love anything with strawberries and basil!

    Reply
  3. Chris

    Ah, lovely cake. I love strawberries and I’d say, basil goes fine with them. On my way to work I always pass by a strawberry field. I can’t wait until it’s ready for picking.

    Reply
  4. Marion@LifeTastesGood

    You made my day with this recipe, Susan! I adore strawberry and basil together and don’t even get me started on my love affair with upside down cakes! I never thought to put them together! Thanks for sharing this stroke of genius! yummm

    Reply
  5. Shaina

    I’m jealous that you can walk outside and pick strawberries and basil. I need a green thumb! This cake is just perfect, I can practically taste it through the screen!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *