Moist Raspberry Swirl Cake

During our spring retreat up in the San Juan Islands, we stayed in a tiny rental cabin with an open-concept kitchen and the kind of windows that made every sunrise feel like a painting. It was just four of us: my cousin Elaine, our friends Tomás and Mira, and me each with wildly different tastes in food and music but united by a shared obsession with late-night baking. After a long afternoon of kayaking and exactly one sunburn later, we decided to bake something light, fruity, and celebratory. That’s how Raspberry Swirl Cake came into the picture.

Elaine, who had brought raspberry preserves in a mason jar from a local farm stand, was insistent it be used before breakfast. Tomás voted cake, Mira voted coconut, and I remembered I packed coconut milk and shredded coconut for “emergency baking.” The little oven in that cabin didn’t look promising, but we made it work.

We took turns swirling jam into the thick, pale batter while Stevie Wonder played through someone’s portable speaker. The whipped cream went on just before midnight, and we each had a slice while wrapped in fleece blankets under dim string lights.

The Raspberry Swirl Cake turned out golden and soft with a ripple of tart-sweet raspberry in each bite and a cool, creamy topping that made it feel indulgent but fresh. I’ve made it several times since, but the first one made with a pieced-together spatula and laughter is the version I hold onto the most.

Short Description

Raspberry Swirl Cake is a moist, tender coconut-infused cake with ribbons of sweet raspberry preserves, topped with whipped cream and shredded coconut for a fruity, tropical finish.

Key Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup unsweetened butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup raspberry preserves, warmed slightly for swirling
• 2 cups stabilized whipped cream
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut (for garnish)

Tools Needed

• Mixing bowls
• Hand or stand mixer
• 9-inch round cake pan
• Rubber spatula
• Whisk
• Cooling rack
• Small saucepan (for warming preserves)

Cooking Instructions

Step 1: Prep the Oven and Pan

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9‑inch cake pan to prevent sticking.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

Step 3: Cream Butter and Sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy about 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 4: Add Eggs and Coconut Milk

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated. Pour in the coconut milk and mix until smooth.

Step 5: Combine and Fold

Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Stir just until combined, then gently fold in the shredded coconut using a spatula.

Step 6: Swirl in Raspberry

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Spoon the warmed raspberry preserves over the surface and use a knife to gently swirl them into the batter in a figure-eight motion.

Step 7: Bake

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is lightly golden. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 8: Frost and Garnish

Once fully cooled, spread the stabilized whipped cream evenly across the top. Sprinkle with sweetened shredded coconut for garnish.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Balanced sweetness with a fruity, tropical twist

Easy to make with simple pantry and fridge staples

Moist texture thanks to coconut milk and shredded coconut

Beautiful, marbled look with minimal effort

Perfect for birthdays, brunches, or potlucks

Mistakes to Avoid & Solutions

Too dry or crumbly
Check your baking time. Overbaking dries the cake out. Test at 30 minutes.

Sunken middle
Make sure your baking soda is fresh. Expired leavening agents can lead to sinking.

Preserves sinking to the bottom
Don’t over-swirl. A gentle figure-eight keeps them marbled, not blended.

Dense texture
Use room-temperature ingredients to help the batter mix more evenly.

Whipped cream sliding off
Wait until the cake is completely cooled before frosting, or the cream will melt.

Serving and Pairing Suggestions

Serve chilled or at room temperature with a fruit tea or iced coffee

Slice into squares and arrange on a brunch dessert board

Top with fresh raspberries for extra color and texture

Add a drizzle of raspberry coulis for plated presentation

Pair with a glass of rosé or sparkling lemonade at garden parties

Storage and Reheating Tips

Store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days

Keep the whipped topping intact by storing in a cake container or tented foil

Not recommended for freezing once frosted, but the unfrosted cake can be frozen up to 2 months

Thaw frozen cake overnight in the fridge and top with cream just before serving

Reheating not needed—this cake is best served cool or at room temperature

FAQs

1. Can I use fresh raspberries instead of preserves?
You can, but fresh berries won’t swirl as easily. Mash them lightly with sugar and a splash of lemon juice before using.

2. How do I stabilize whipped cream?
Use gelatin, cornstarch, or instant pudding mix to stabilize whipped cream, so it holds up longer on cakes.

3. Can I make this dairy-free?
Yes, use plant-based butter and coconut whipped topping. The coconut milk in the batter is already dairy-free.

4. What if I don’t have coconut milk?
Substitute with whole milk or almond milk, though the cake may lose a bit of its signature richness.

5. Can I double this for a layered cake?
Absolutely. Just bake in two separate 9-inch pans and double the cream and preserves for the center and top.

Tips & Tricks

Warm the preserves just enough to make them spreadable, not hot

Let the cake cool fully before adding any topping

Use a cake knife or offset spatula for smooth whipped cream application

A light dusting of powdered sugar under the coconut can make it look snow-dusted

Toast the shredded coconut for a nuttier flavor twist

Recipe Variations

Lemon Raspberry Swirl Cake
Add 1 tsp lemon zest to the batter and replace coconut milk with whole milk. Swirl with raspberry as usual and top with lemon glaze instead of whipped cream.

Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Cake
Add ¼ cup cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and fold in ½ cup mini chocolate chips before baking.

Almond Raspberry Swirl Cake
Replace shredded coconut with ½ cup ground almonds and add ½ tsp almond extract to the batter.

Raspberry Cream Cupcakes
Divide the batter into cupcake tins and reduce baking time to 20–22 minutes. Swirl preserves on top before baking and frost with piped whipped cream.

Gluten-Free Raspberry Swirl Cake
Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and check doneness early, as gluten-free cakes can bake faster depending on the flour.

Final Thoughts

We didn’t know how the oven would hold up in that island cabin, but Raspberry Swirl Cake surprised all of us with its golden crust, silky crumb, and pockets of bright raspberry tucked throughout. Elaine still texts me every few months asking if I’ve baked “the swirl cake” again, and Mira recreated it for her birthday using wild berries from her backyard. The memory of that late night barefoot, messy, and full of joy still clings to this recipe.

No matter how many cakes I’ve tested since, this one always carries the scent of ocean air, raspberry steam, and music echoing through wood-paneled walls. It’s meant for sharing. And even better when someone else does the dishes.