Swirled jam cake from Snacking Cakes: Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings (page 68) by Yossy Arefi

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Accompaniments: Vanilla bean whip

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

  • Eat Your Books

    Can substitute vanilla extract for vanilla bean paste.

  • RhymesWithPhone on May 23, 2026

    I have made the majority of this book, and this is one of my favorites. It tastes like what a Tastykake jelly krimpet aspires to (iykyk). The cake is simple and rich and you can use any jam, which gives a tart contrast.

  • rachel821571 on May 07, 2026

    Good no fuss cake. I used some homemade strawberry rhubarb rose jam. Also added lemon zest to the sour cream, and used half vanilla sugar to give it some extra flavor. Cook for 25-27 minutes! 35 would have been way too long for mine

  • rebecca_qjfvam on May 06, 2026

    I did not do a great job getting the jam swirled downwards which made the bottom half of my cake a tad dry…though over baking probably also contributed. The flavor of the cake was nice, despite my user errors. Mine was more a 3.5 stars, but I rounded up

  • eatswhilestanding on April 09, 2026

    Made with rhubarb compote. Quite plain, but good as a vanilla cake. Next time would put zest and spices and more jam.

  • jhavens on April 04, 2026

    This was really easy and delicious.

  • gootenbeez on April 02, 2026

    This is delicious! This book has still never let me down. Even the batter is insanely delicious. I used about 1/2c of a mixed berry spread and swirled vigorously haha Also I sprinkled some granulated sugar on top before baking because I knew I wouldn't remember to use powdered sugar.

  • babyapricot on April 01, 2026

    So good with strawberry rhubarb jam - use more than recommended and really swirl it - didn’t love it as much with cherry jam

  • IdleExpatter on March 26, 2026

    I can't believe this was ACTUALLY as easy as stirring some stuff in a single bowl, but it was! Great result too. Fluffy, tender, moist, and not very sweet. I made the suggested variant with the lemon zest, nutmeg, and blueberry jam, and we loved it. As the recipe notes, would be a great breakfast or brunch cake too.

  • rebeka_eveksv on March 17, 2026

    Loved the flavour of the cake, but my jam, too, sank to the bottom. So the bottom now is more moist than the top.

  • Katastrofe on March 09, 2026

    The jam sank to the bottom. It was ok but not something I’d bake again.

  • cklauber2 on March 04, 2026

    Used the Trader Joe’s guava spread and it was absolutely delightful.

  • patioweather on March 02, 2026

    Mine was a bit too soft to use the parchment lifting method, but it was delicious.

  • thebingelife on September 30, 2025

    This was good. I used blueberry jam but it wasn’t smooth (oops) and so it all sunk. Still yummy!

  • ccav on December 30, 2023

    Used marizpan strawberry jam, which may have not been the right consistency because it kind of melted into the cake a bit. Next time will choose a "heavier" jam and swirl to leave bigger swaths of jam.

  • jenmacgregor18 on July 09, 2023

    It was an easy cake, but I thought that it was rather plain. I used a heaping 1/3 c strawberry jam. The jam didn't really help much. Mostly just tasted like plain vanilla, which isn't my favorite. I did try a piece with some added raspberry jam and that was much better. I think I need a jam that's a bit tart... something with a stronger flavor to contrast with the vanilla. It was alright. As far as a sour cream-based batter, I prefer the sour cream muffins with raspberries or blueberries from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking.

  • cellenly on June 07, 2023

    Made 9" round w/ 1/2 w/ chunky jam and 1/2 with smooth jam. The chunky jam sank and didn't swirl well. The smooth jam swirled nicely. Both tasted great. A little dry, maybe cook 5 min less.

  • averythingcooks on November 20, 2022

    I cut it in 1/2 for a 6" cake & used a seedless strawberry jam. It looked perfect going into the oven but when I checked mid-bake, the jam seemed to have all migrated to the middle and the middle then took forever to bake relative the outside. When I cut into it, the jam had mostly disappeared...you could taste strawberry but no swirls were to be seen. Did I take the instruction "...don't be afraid to get in there and really swirl it around" too seriously? We still liked it - moist & flavourful and the part that went to my father-in-law got raves. I will try this one again.

  • Kag2020 on October 02, 2022

    Yummy. Made with a rich apple butter and this was absolute perfection. Used 3/4 of the sour cream and subbed whole milk for the balance. The cake has a lovely crumb, was quick to put together and would be perfect for tea or as part of a brunch menu.

  • AndieEats on July 16, 2022

    Made this with raspberry, and skipped (forgot) the sugar on top which was fine! Served with the recommended vanilla bean whip. Easy and quick to throw together before some lunch guests. Would use a even little more jam next time, and keep a closer eye on the cook time in my oven. At the low end of 35 minutes, it was already done and browned, possibly a touch over baked.

  • meginyeg on July 11, 2022

    My daughter made rhubarb jam and it went perfectly in this cake. We alm loved this and will definitely make it again.

  • ChelseaP on July 07, 2022

    Beautifully moist and not too sweet cake. I did the plum and cardamom variation.

  • rochkay on June 24, 2022

    Such a delicious vanilla cake. My jam didn't sink into the bottom and looked similar as the picture in the book. It's a great way to use up jam, and it's not too sweet.

  • halfasleep on April 12, 2022

    Very nice cake for the amount of effort I put in (not much at all). Though like the other cake in this book I could have had it a tad sweeter. I would definitely remake this with a little more sugar and also be a little more generous with the jam- it makes the cake prettier too!

  • et12 on April 10, 2022

    This was a very delicious cake. Like some others, my jam sunk to the bottom which was too bad as it meant the cake didn’t look as nice as some of those uploaded. I used a mostly smooth strawberry jam with small bits in it. I will try more of a jelly next time. Still an excellent cake and so quick to put together!

  • anya_sf on February 09, 2022

    I used half whole wheat flour to make it slightly more healthy (thinking of it as a breakfast cake) and fairly smooth, homemade blueberry-rhubarb jam, which did not sink at all. The cake was moist and delicious. Next time I might try using yogurt instead of sour cream and would be more generous with the jam.

  • Victoria_from_London on August 27, 2021

    This was really great. Lovely way to use homemade jam. I used quality blackcurrant jam (not smooth as indicated). Probably because whole fruit the jam did rather sink but wasn't a problem and added texture.

  • abrownb1 on July 23, 2021

    I love making jam so this was a no brainer to test out. A half recipe baked perfectly in a 6 in round pan. Swirled in some homemade blueberry maple jam and made the blueberry variation. Great texture - moist but sturdy which is perfect for a snack cake. So much flavor for such a simple recipe. Next time I may add some sort of crumb topping to make a coffee cake.

  • Zosia on May 16, 2021

    Nice moist vanilla cake. I used forest berry fruit spread and it didn't sink. This will get made again.

  • Vinsmom on March 19, 2021

    I saw an article that mentioned this cake and I made it before I'd even bought the book! I used raspberry jam and we loved it. It was easy and really tasty. I agree with Jviney, my jam sank to the bottom of the cake as well.

  • hirsheys on January 31, 2021

    I used a chunky tart cherry jam for this - I was using one from my pantry and couldn't tell if it was chunky or smooth before opening... It's lovely - only lightly sweet (almost like a muffin) and the perfect teatime cake. (Though I should note that I didn't dust powdered sugar over the top, so my version was missing a bit of the sweetness that's called for in the recipe.) I found this super easy and worth making again, though if using a chunky jam again, I'd use more than 1/3 c (the chunks don't distribute well). I'm going to try to freeze pieces of this for later.

  • Jviney on January 25, 2021

    This was a delicious cake, quick and easy to make, and perfect, PERFECT, for a cold winter day with a storm coming. I made strawberry jam last summer and used a heaping 1/3 cup, would probably add even more next time. My jam sunk down to the bottom of the cake, unlike the picture in the book, but we enjoyed every bite. The vanilla bean paste gave a lovely complementary note. Will be repeated for sure.

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