Lemon Basil Cake with Strawberry and Cream Filling

Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease a 9×9 cake pan. Sift flour and baking powder, stir to combine and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar then add 1 egg at a time. Add vanilla.

Slowly add dry ingredients to wet mixture. Slowly stir in milk until combined.

Add lemon zest and basil and stir until just combined. Add mixture to pan and bake in oven for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.

Once the cake is cooling, prepare the filling. Mix chopped strawberries, chiffonade basil and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.

Right before you construct the dessert, prepare the whipped cream. Whip the cream with a stand or hand mixer. Add powdered sugar and vanilla (use specified amounts or make to taste).

To construct the dessert, cut the cake into 8 rectangles and halve each piece crosswise to cut the thickness in half. Add a thin layer of cream and strawberry mixture to one half of the rectangle and a layer of cream to the other half. Place the second half cream-side down on top of the strawberries. Top with cream and more berries.