• Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk until well combined, then set aside.
• In your high speed blender or food processor, add in the olive oil, fresh basil leaves and milk. Blend for 30 seconds or until the basil is completely blended.
• In a large bowl, crack in the eggs and add the lemon zest. Whisk until the eggs are light and fluffy.
• Pour the blended basil mixture into the eggs and lemon zest. Mix until well combined.
• Next, take the flour mixture from earlier and add them to the bowl of wet ingredients. Fold everything together until there is no remaining flour and the mixture is smooth.
• Spray your 9 inch cake pan or springform pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into the prepared pan and let it settle itself into an even layer. You can help it along by lightly tapping your cake pan on the counter or a flat surface to level the mixture and pop any air bubbles left in the cake batter.
• Bake for 1 hour or until the surface is golden brown and a toothpick (or cake tester) inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
• Let the cake cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before either releasing from your springform pan or inverting from your standard pan.
• Optional: dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar for an even prettier presentation!

Optional toppings:

• Slice up fresh strawberries and toss with granulated sugar and fresh lemon juice. Let them macerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Add cold heavy cream to the bowl of a stand mixer (you can use a hand mixer and medium bowl as well) along with the powdered sugar.
• Using the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed to form soft peaks.
• Serve a dollop of whipped cream and strawberries on the side of your slice of cake.