Pineapple Upside Down Cake
User Reviews
4.9
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Description
The cake begins with arranging melted butter and tightly packed brown sugar on the bottom of a greased deep cake pan, followed by neatly placing pineapple slices and cherries into the sugar layer. The rest of the pineapple slices are sliced and positioned along the pan sides for extra fruit presence.
The vanilla cake batter combines creamed softened butter, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract, mixed alternately with a dry mix of flour, baking powder, and salt plus milk. It is poured evenly over the prepared topping before baking at 350°F (175°C).
During baking, the brown sugar and butter caramelize, soaking the pineapple and cherries while creating a sticky, flavorful topping once inverted. The vanilla cake is tender and moist, complementing the fruity caramel layer.
Substitutions like almond or lower-fat milk have been successful, and the cake can be made gluten-free with a 1:1 flour substitute. The cake is best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen wrapped tightly.
Ingredients
Topping
- ¼ cup butter melted, salted
- ½ cup brown sugar light or dark (I usually use light) tightly packed
- 10 pineapple patted dry (a 20oz can is typically enough, slices
- maraschino cherries
Vanilla Cake
- ½ cup butter softened to room temperature, unsalted
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg room temperature preferred
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk room temperature preferred, whole
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C)
- Pour melted butter into 9.5-10" pie plate or deep cake pan, make sure it entirely covers the bottom of the pan and use a spoon or spatula to grease the sides of the pan.
- Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter mixture. Arrange pineapple slices over the bottom of the pan, slice leftover slices in half and arrange up the sides of the pan, as seen in photo.
- Place cherries in center of pineapple rings and as desired in empty spaces. Set aside.
- To prepare vanilla cake, beat butter and sugar in medium-sized bowl until creamy and well-combined.
- Add eggs, beating one at a time until combined.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Alternate adding flour and milk to the wet ingredients, starting and ending with flour and mixing until just combined after each addition (I prefer to do this part by hand with a spatula to be sure not to overmix).
- Pour batter evenly over prepared cake pan over the pineapple/cherry layer.
- Bake on 350F (175C) for 30 minutes. At the 30 minute mark, loosely cover with foil and continue to bake (still on 350F/175C) for another 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with few crumbs (total cook time for cake will be 45 minutes).
- Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes and then carefully invert cake onto serving platter (careful, it will still be very hot!).
- Allow to cool before cutting and enjoying, but don't wait too long as this cake tastes wonderful (best!) warm from the oven!
Notes
- Whole milk yields the best cake texture, but lower-fat or almond milk can be used as substitutes.
- Some have substituted pineapple juice for milk with minimal flavor difference, though texture may vary.
- The recipe adapts well to gluten-free baking with a 1:1 all-purpose flour substitute.
- The cake is freshest the day it’s made; stored covered and refrigerated, it keeps for up to three days.
- For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze for several weeks without loss of quality.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 433 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1slice | |
| Calories | 433kcal | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 62g | 21% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 19g | 29% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Cholesterol | 88mg | 29% |
| Sodium | 253mg | 11% |
| Potassium | 243mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 43g | 86% |
| Vitamin A | 652IU | 13% |
| Vitamin C | 7mg | 8% |
| Calcium | 87mg | 9% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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