I whisk the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. With the mixer on low, I gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing just until the flour disappears. Overmixing at this stage leads to a tough cake. I scrape the bowl one final time to ensure everything is combined. The batter will be very thick and luxurious.
Now for the fun part: creating the swirls. I pour about one-third of the plain batter into my prepared pan and smooth it. I dot half of the strawberries and pineapple over this layer. I repeat with another third of batter and the remaining fruit. I top it all with the final third of batter. Then, I take a butter knife and gently swirl it through the batter in a zig-zag pattern just a few times—no more than 4-5 passes. Over-swirling will muddy the colors. I bake for 80-90 minutes, until a long toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. The smell is heavenly.
Pro Tips for Best Results
Truly room temperature dairy is everything. I leave my butter, cream cheese, and eggs out for at least 2 hours before baking. Cold ingredients won’t emulsify properly, leading to a dense, possibly curdled batter that bakes up heavy. I’ve tried to rush this, and the texture was noticeably more coarse. Patience here rewards you with a sublime, fine crumb.
Drain your fruit like it’s your job. Excess liquid from the pineapple or juicy strawberries is the enemy of this cake’s structure. It can create wet, gummy streaks and even prevent the center from baking fully. I press the pineapple in a sieve and then between layers of paper towels. For the strawberries, after macerating, I drain the syrup that pools at the bottom of the bowl before tossing them with flour.
Don’t overmix once the flour is added or when swirling. Mix the flour on low speed just until it’s incorporated. A few streaks are okay. When swirling the fruit, use a light hand. Your goal is a pretty marbled effect, not a homogenous pink batter. Overmixing in either case develops gluten and can make the cake tough and the fruit distribution muddy.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The most common mistake is not draining the pineapple thoroughly enough. That little bit of juice seems harmless, but it can sink to the bottom of the pan and create a soggy layer. I learned this the hard way with my first attempt. Now, I’m relentless with the paper towels. Dry fruit is key to a perfect, moist-but-not-wet texture throughout.
Using a dark-colored pan or baking at too high a temperature can cause the cake to over-brown or even burn on the outside before the inside is done. A light-colored tube pan and a low, slow oven (325°F) are essential for this dense cake. If you only have a dark pan, tent it loosely with foil halfway through baking to prevent the top from getting too dark.(See the next page below to continue…)