Pineapple Upside Down Cake

 

I had some pineapple leftover from making my pork chop recipe the other day and had in mind to make a delicious pineapple upside down cake.  I had not made one in quite a few years.  This was a cake that I used to make fairly often when my children were growing up. They loved it.

I do make a Pineapple Upside Down Bundt Cake that is really delicious as well as being really pretty.  I don't know which one I enjoy more to be honest.

When I was in the U.K. I had a Nordic Mini Pineapple Cakelette Pan, which was just darling. I made individual sized servings of upside-down cake, shaped just like pineapples. I used to make a Gingerbread Upside-down Cake in them that was lovely. I am sure you could also do it in a regular round cake tin.

I did try to replace the pan, which got left behind in the U.K. when I was setting up my house here in Canada but was quite unable to do so.  Instead, I bought myself a Nordic-ware Pineapple Upside down Cake which is made from aluminum that I found on Amazon.

This was the first time I had used that pan.  Normally in a regular pan I would use more pineapple and have half rings and cherries around the sides of the cake as well, however, I did not do that this time. That would not have been possible in this pan and to be honest I only had seven rings of pineapple which worked out perfectly!

This was probably not a very practical purchase for me (the pan) as I don't make a lot of full cake recipes these days.  I should try to downsize my recipe to make a loaf sized cake sometime. That actually sounds like a great idea. Maybe in the new year!  Watch this space!!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Just a few simple ordinary baking cupboard ingredients. This recipe allowed for me to use up the remainder of the tin of pineapple slices that I had opened earlier this week when I did the Brown Sugar Pineapple Pork Chop (s).

For the topping:

• 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (100g) soft light brown sugar, tightly packed into the cup
• 7 pineapple rings, drained and patted dry
• 7 maraschino cherries (I used glace cherries)

For the cake:

• 1/2 cup (120g) butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar (I used caster sugar)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (195g) plain all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk

To serve:

• Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

 

Everything is pretty self-explanatory. I use salted butter and whole milk and free-range, free-run, large eggs. I also have my own homemade vanilla extract that I like to use.

I did use glace cherries because I had some leftover from making my fruit cake. Maraschino cherries work very well also. In either case rinse them well in hot water and pat them dry before placing them in the center of the pineapple rings.

I served this with canned spray real whipped cream. Nobody was complaining!

 

HOW TO MAKE PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

This is a very easy cake to make. Just make sure you don't overmix the batter and you will be okay!

Preheat the oven to 350*F/280*C/ gas mark 4. You will need a 9 1/2 to 10-inch round deep cake tin. (I used the Nordicware pan which holds 8 cups batter)

Pour the melted butter into the pan and swirl it around to cover the bottom of the pan completely. Using a brush, brush the butter up the sides of the pan as well.

Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the butter in the bottom of the pan. Place the pineapple slices over the brown sugar and place a cherry in the center of each.

Cream the butter and sugar together for the cake batter together until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and then beat in the eggs a bit at a time until thoroughly amalgamated.

 

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add this to the creamed mixture, alternately with the milk, folding in the flour with a spatula, and taking care not to overmix the batter.

Spoon into the cake tin, over top of the pineapple slices, spreading the batter out evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes longer. When done a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

 

Leave to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before carefully inverting onto a plate large enough to hold the cake.

Serve warm and cut into wedges along with some whippy cream on top (optional). Ice cream is also very nice.

 

This is a cake that my family has always enjoyed.  Usually, they like whipped cream on top, but vanilla ice cream is also very nice. 

It is a cake that is best eaten on the day, but it will keep, tightly covered, for up to three days. Not a problem really as I have never had it hang around that long!

You can also skip the cake batter and just use the topping along with a cake mix.  I use the yellow boxed cake mix and make the cake as per the instructions on the back of the box. This is a bit lighter and fluffier than the homemade version.

 

Here are a few more cake recipes that I would call Family Favorites.  These are often requested cakes for a variety of occasion, including just because.

QUEEN ELIZABETH CAKE - We are especially fond of this old, old recipe for Queen Elizabeth Cake.  I don't expect there is a Canadian community cookbook without a version of this in it.  It goes way back. 

 It is a simple and delicious cake!  The dates make it incredibly moist. It is also studded with plenty of toasted walnuts. Topped with a sweet caramel icing and sprinkle of coconut, this is a real treat! 

BUTTERMILK CHOCOLATE CAKE - What cake recipe collection would be complete without at least one chocolate cake recipe and this buttermilk chocolate cake is the best of the best! 

This recipe is four generations old. It is fabulously old fashioned one-bowl chocolate cake, and perfect for family celebrations!  Moist and delicious as one would expect with a lush chocolate frosting! 

Yield: 8 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 55 Min

An old family favorite that is show-stopping and very nostalgic. Tender and moist vanilla cake, topped with a sweet topping of caramelized pineapple and cherries.

Ingredients

For the topping:

• 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (100g) soft light brown sugar, tightly packed into the cup
• 7 pineapple rings, drained and patted dry
• 7 maraschino cherries (I used glace cherries)

For the cake:

• 1/2 cup (120g) butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar (I used caster sugar)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (195g) plain all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk

To serve:

• Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/280*C/ gas mark 4. You will need a 9 1/2 to 10-inch round deep cake tin. (I used the Nordicware pan which holds 8 cups batter)
2. Pour the melted butter into the pan and swirl it around to cover the bottom of the pan completely. Using a brush, brush the butter up the sides of the pan as well.
3. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the butter in the bottom of the pan. Place the pineapple slices over the brown sugar and place a cherry in the center of each.
4. Cream the butter and sugar together for the cake batter together until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and then beat in the eggs a bit at a time until thoroughly amalgamated.
5. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add this to the creamed mixture, alternately with the milk, folding in the flour with a spatula, and taking care not to overmix the batter.
6. Spoon into the cake tin, over top of the pineapple slices, spreading the batter out evenly.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes longer. When done a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
8. Leave to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before carefully inverting onto a plate large enough to hold the cake.
9. Serve warm and cut into wedges along with some whippy cream on top (optional). Ice cream is also very nice.

Did you make this recipe?

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