The Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake
User Reviews
4.5
The Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Description
The Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake starts by melting butter and coating a springform pan, followed by sprinkling light brown sugar evenly over it. Pineapple slices are artfully arranged both centered and around the edges, with maraschino cherries placed in the center of each slice. The batter, made with all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, egg, buttermilk, sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract, is mixed and poured over the fruit layer. Baking at 350°F gives a soft, moist cake whose top caramelizes from the brown sugar and pineapple juices beneath.
The cake’s sweet caramelized surface contrasts with the tender crumb, making it an appealing dessert. The pineapple and cherry garnish adds visual appeal and bursts of fruity flavor. This cake is suited for serving sliced as a dessert or sweet snack, and its lasting moisture means it can stay fresh up to five days in airtight conditions at room temperature.
The recipe notes mention the cake base is adapted from a blueberry muffin and buttermilk pancake batter, contributing to its tender texture. The springform pan aids in easy removal to preserve the cake’s glossy topping and shape.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter unsalted
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- pineapple one 20-ounce can, sliced
- maraschino cherries about 12
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch salt optional and to taste
- 1 egg large
- ½ cup buttermilk or Powdered Buttermilk, use 2 tablespoons with the dry ingredients + 1/2 cup water added with the wet
- ⅓ cup sour cream lite is okay (plain Greek yogurt may be substituted)
- 3 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Pour the butter into a 9-inch springform cake pan. Use your finger to run a bit of butter around the side of the pan so it’s well-greased.
- Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter.
- Add 1 whole pineapple slice to the center of the pan.
- Halve the remaining slices vertically. Stagger them in a fan-like fashion going around the cake. I used 12 slices.
- Place the remaining slices around the sides of the cake pan with the curved side pointing down toward the bottom of the pan (see photos for reference). There will likely be bare side patches with no pineapple coverage, that’s okay.
- Place 1 cherry in the center of the whole pineapple slice in the middle of the pan.
- Place 1 cherry in the center cutout of all the fanned pineapple slices; set pan aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, optional salt; set aside.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the next 5 wet ingredients (through vanilla).
- Add the wet mixture to the dry, mixing lightly with a spoon or folding with a spatula until just combined. Small lumps will be present, don’t overmix or try to stir them smooth.
- Gently turn batter out into prepared pan, being careful to not disturb the pineapple slices on the sides or bottom. Fill pan only to about 3/4-full. If you have a little extra batter, discard it rather than overfilling your pan.
- Place pan on a cookie sheet (to catch anything that does overflow) and bake for about 40 minutes, or until center is set and not jiggly, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Only go down about 1-inch with the toothpick, not all the way to the bottom where you’ll hit gooey pineapple juice.
- Place pan on a wire rack and allow cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before inverting, slicing, and serving. I allowed cake to cool overnight, covered with a sheet of foil, before inverting.
Notes
- Store the cake airtight at room temperature for up to five days to maintain moisture.
- The base recipe was adapted from blueberry muffin and buttermilk pancake batter for a tender crumb.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 299 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 299kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 56g | 19% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 7g | 11% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Cholesterol | 26mg | 9% |
| Sodium | 172mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 44g | 88% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
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