Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe

Bringing again the retro traditional! You’ll love this Pineapple Upside Down Cake with the sticky caramelised edges on the pineapple. The ultra-moist, tender vanilla cake is studded with pineapple items and infused with pineapple juice. You possibly can’t assist however smile on the sight of this cheerful-looking cake. Proper? 🙂

“All the things is brown!“, I noticed, wanting on the newest dessert recipes I’ve shared. “Chocolate, caramel, fruit cake – brown, brown, brown. Give me some COLOUR!”

And therein lies the precise motive I selected to share this cake right now. A woman wants a splash of color in her life once in a while, regardless of her dedication to all issues chocolate.

And this woman wants little encouragement to carry retro enjoyable into her life! Disco balls and flares, perms and … Apricot Chicken?? Hmm, I would move on the Apricot Chicken!

Pineapple Upside Down Truffles had been all the trend from the 60’s proper via the 80’s. Although so far as Aussies are involved, they by no means went out of trend. Hardly ever a summer time would go by with out one making an look at a barbie at some stage! (That’s a barbecue to you non-Aussies!)

“Upside Down” refers back to the means the cake is made. Like a French tarte tatin, the cake is assembled and baked with fruit on the backside and the batter on prime. To show it out, you flip the cake the wrong way up, leaving you with the glistening, caramel-napped fruit layer uncovered and the cake beneath it – Upside Down Cake!

The cake half is a vanilla cake. You’ll see variations which are extra on the pudding-like aspect (ie. fairly dense and moist like syrup-soaked muffins) and others which are fairly dry sponge muffins. Mine lies squarely within the center. It’s smooth and fluffy, like my traditional Vanilla Cake (besides that is sooner to make), but it surely is a little more moist than conventional muffins due to the juices from the pineapple (and we’re all for these juices!).

As for that pineapple topping? Suppose juicy pineapple items with caramelised edges, studded with candy candied cherries. It’s actually the crowning glory of this cake!

Pineapple Cherry Topping

Right here’s what you want for the signature pineapple-and-cherry-studded topping:

• Pineapple slices in JUICE – You should definitely get canned pineapple slices in juice moderately than syrup. Syrup is just too candy for our wants. Additionally, we use among the juice for the batter – and we save the remaining for cocktails!

  The recipe requires 600g/20oz of canned pineapple. These of you in Australia will want 1 giant can (425g) and 1 small can (225g) which collectively totals 650g. That is extra pineapple than it’s essential to cowl the floor. So chop up leftovers and toss them into the batter!

• Maraschino cherries (picture under) – These are preserved, sweetened cherries generally used as a cocktail garnish, corresponding to for a Tequila Dawn, and desserts like Black Forest Cake. True maraschino cherries are marinated in a cherry liqueur referred to as maraschino – therefore the identify. Nevertheless these are costly and exhausting to supply, so largely you’ll discover cheaper substitutes that don’t use actual maraschino. These are completely advantageous and really higher right here for his or her vivid color! Discover it at liquor shops and a few grocery shops, corresponding to Harris Farms in Sydney. Substitute with glacé cherries; and

• Butter and brown sugar – Collectively, these type the shiny caramel coating on the highest of the cake.

Cake Batter

Right here’s what you want for the cake batter:

• Flour – Simply plain/all-purpose flour;

• Bitter cream – It is a neat baker’s trick to thicken the batter with out including extra flour, maintaining the crumb of the cake good and moist. We’d like a thick batter for this cake so it doesn’t leak below the pineapple slices which might tarnish the look of the floor!

• Sugar – White sugar, which makes a pleasant gentle colored cake crumb;

• Unsalted butter – Softened to room temperature (18°C/64°F). That is the temperature at which butter is pliable and might be crushed (creamed) so it’s good and fluffy, which in flip means a fluffy cake.

  If the butter is so smooth that if you contact it, you find yourself with a thick slick of grease in your fingers, it’s too smooth. This can doubtless result in a greasy cake, or one that doesn’t rise as a lot because it ought to. In case your butter is >20°C/68°F, I wouldn’t use it for a cake. Refrigerate to sit back earlier than utilizing;

• Giant eggs, at room temperature – “Giant eggs” are 55-60g / 2oz every, which an trade commonplace. Giant eggs are offered in cartoons labelled as such.

  It’s vital to make sure the eggs are at room temperature earlier than utilizing in muffins to make sure they incorporate totally. Fridge-cold eggs added right into a batter with butter in it could trigger the butter to solidify – spelling catastrophe!

  What’s an egg at room temperature? Simply take it out half-hour previous to utilizing. So long as the egg is just not fridge-cold if you maintain it, it’s advantageous. There may be extra margin for error with eggs than there’s with butter;

• Baking soda AND baking powder – I at all times attempt to keep away from the necessity for utilizing each however typically it’s inevitable! Baking soda is like baking powder on steroids, it’s 3x stronger. When mixed with an ingredient with even a little bit of acid in it (bitter cream on this case), you get a fantastic carry enhance when the cake goes within the oven. This cake advantages from that additional enhance as a result of the batter is sort of heavy. So sadly, we’d like each!

• Milk – Any fats % is ok right here, it’s not a serious ingredient; and

• Vanilla extract – This provides higher flavour than vanilla essence, however essence is ok to make use of too.

I really feel like there’s numerous course of step photographs under, which is sort of deceptive given how easy the recipe is. It’s not exhausting, I promise. 🙂

Half 1: Put together pineapple topping

1. Pineapple juice for batter – Measure out 1/4 cup pineapple juice and put aside for the batter. Reserve the remaining juice for smoothies or cocktails!

2. Pat fruit dry – Pat the pineapple slices and cherries dry;

3. Melted butter – Pour melted butter within the cake pan and brush it over the underside and sides;

4. Sugar – Sprinkle the brown sugar across the base. No must be too even right here, the caramel will simply transfer round as soon as melted;

5. Organize pineapple slices – Cowl base with pineapple slices. You possibly can prepare as depicted, utilizing one complete ring surrounded by halves (giving most protection), or you may simply use complete rings. Embellish with cherries, both simply within the pineapple ring holes (as depicted), or with additional ones filling gaps between the pineapple. Press pineapple and cherries down firmly. This reduces the quantity of caramel that adheres to the ultimate presentation floor when baking so that you get higher vibrant yellow and pink color pops (that aren’t tarnished by caramel); and

6. Chop leftover pineapple – We’re going toss these into the batter. Be aware: you could not have leftover pineapple, it is determined by the dimensions of your can(s)!

Half 2: The batter

1. Dry substances – Whisk them in a bowl;

2. Moist substances – Whisk the milk, bitter cream and pineapple juice in a separate bowl;

3. Cream butter and sugar – Then in a 3rd (and I promise, final!) bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar for two minutes till it’s gentle and fluffy;

4. Add flour in 3 elements – Use a rubber spatula to fold the flour via moderately than an electrical mixer. This can make sure you don’t over-mix the batter which results in a troublesome cake crumb;

5. Alternate with Milk Combination (Moist substances combine) – Between every addition of the Flour Combination, add the Milk Combination in 2 elements. So: 1/3 flour, combine, 1/2 milk, combine, 1/3 flour, combine, 1/2 milk, combine, 1/3 flour combine. This may appear tedious to you on the time, however simply wait till you see how smooth the cake comes out!

6. Stir via pineapple items – Do that proper on the finish. Stir simply to disperse the pineapple via.

Half 3: Baking

7. Scrape batter into cake pan over the pineapple;

8. Unfold to stage floor;

9. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan);

10. Cowl with foil, then bake for an additional quarter-hour;

11. Test cake is cooked – Take away foil and verify to make sure the cake is cooked by inserting a toothpick into the centre. It ought to come out with simply crumbs on it, no uncooked batter!

Half 4: prove Pineapple Upside Down Cake

There may be nothing to concern with this step! And most significantly, I’ve NEVER had issues with the pineapple sticking to the cake pan – and as you may see, I do not use a non-stick pan!

1. Cowl cake pan with a plate or serving platter;

2. Flip with confidence – now is just not the time to hesitate! 😂

3. Elevate the cake pan off slowly and … voila!

PRO TIP: If, when lifting off the inverted cake pan (slowly!), you may inform that the bottom is sticking, faucet the bottom gently and/or shake gently. This can assist loosen it. That stated, with the quantity of butter used within the base to make the caramel “sauce” that soaks into the pineapple topping, it’s extremely unbelievable that you simply’ll encounter sticking points. However stranger issues have occurred in life!

This isn’t a really tall cake. It stands round 4cm/ 1.6″ tall utilizing a 23cm/9″ cake pan. A smaller cake pan would make it stand taller however it could take too lengthy for the center of the cake to prepare dinner earlier than the caramel on the bottom turns into too brown, I believe.

Additionally, at this top, you’ve a pleasant ratio of cake to caramelised pineapple.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake will preserve for five days or so within the fridge. The crumb will get a bit extra soaked with these caramel pineapple juices because it sits. However no one complains, that’s for positive! – Johnsat x

PS. That is what I used to be listening to as I used to be typing up this put up. Simply in case you additionally need to get into the retro spirit. 👯‍♂️

Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe

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Serves: 10 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 45 minutes 45 minutes

Nutrition facts: 319 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 565g/ 20 oz canned pineapple slices in juice (not in syrup, Note 1)
• 12 – 18+ maraschino cherries (Note 2)
• 60g/ 4 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda (sub 1 tsp baking powder)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup milk , full or low-fat
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice , reserved from can (under Topping ingredients)
• 1/4 cup sour cream , full fat (sub plain yogurt)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or essence)
• 115g/ 1 stick butter , unsalted, softened (to 18C/64F, Note 3)
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs , at room temperature (Note 4)
• Any leftover pineapple , chopped (Note 1)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
2. Dry fruits: Line a tray with paper towels or a tea towel, then place pineapple and cherries on. Pat dry with paper towels.
3. Butter: Pour melted butter into a 23cm/9" cake pan at least 5cm/2" deep. (Not springform, as they'll leak.) Brush butter up the sides.
4. Brown sugar: Sprinkle sugar over the base, roughly spreading it out (use the brush).
5. Arrange pineapple: Place one pineapple ring in the centre, then surround with either halved pineapple rings (as pictured), or whole ones.
6. Decorate with cherries as desired. Most people just put them in the middle of the pineapple rings.
7. Press cherries and pineapples down firmly so they are in direct contact with the base of the cake pan – so you get vibrant red and yellow colour pops at the end, not tarnished by caramel. (Note 5)
8. Flour Mixture: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
9. Milk Mixture: Whisk milk, sour cream, pineapple juice and vanilla in a 2nd bowl.
10. Cream butter and sugar: In a third (final!) bowl, beat the butter and sugar for 2 minutes on speed 7 (handheld mixer) until fluffy.
11. Eggs: Add eggs one at a time, beating for 20 seconds in between.
12. Add Flour Mixture then Milk Mixture, alternating: Add 1/3 of the Flour Mixture, then mix in using a rubber spatula. Add 1/2 the Milk Mixture, mix in. Add half the remaining Flour Mixture, mix. Add all the remaining Milk Mixture, mix. Then mix in the last of the Flour Mixture. Stir in the leftover pineapple pieces.
13. Fill pan: Spread batter over pineapple layer, smooth and level the surface.
14. Bake: Bake for 30 minutes. Remove, loosely cover with foil, then bake for a further 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
15. Cool 20 minutes: Remove cake from oven and leave inside pan to cool for 20 minutes.
16. Flip! Run a butter knife around the inner edge of the cake pan. Put a plate or serving platter over the cake, then flip. Tap base / shake pan gently then lift slowly. Voila!
17. Cool completely before serving.

Notes

1. Pineapple slices – Be sure to get pineapple in juice, not syrup. Syrup is too sweet and also the cake batter calls for pineapple juice.
Cans: In Australia, the standard can sizes are 430g and 225g, so get one of each. Total 655g, which is more than needed. Chop up the leftover pineapple and add into the batter.
2. Maraschino cherries – Preserved, sweetened cherries commonly associated as a cocktail garnish! Find them at liquor stores or Harris Farms (Sydney/QLD). Glacé cherries also work!
3. Softened butter – Don’t let the butter get too soft and sloppy. This is a common error with cakes that call for butter and sugar to be creamed. Target 18C/64F for the butter. At this temperature, the butter is loose enough to be whipped, but you should not be left with a thick, shiny slick of grease on your finger when you poke it. If you get greasy fingers, this means the butter is too soft. The cake will not be as fluffy as intended, or the batter might split and be greasy.
If the butter is >20C/68F, I would chill the butter a bit before using.
4. Eggs – Eggs need to be at room temperature and not fridge-cold, to ensure it incorporates properly into the batter. A quick way to warm up fridge-cold eggs: Place eggs in a large bowl, cover with warm tap water (just warm, not hot) and leave for 5 minutes. Wipe dry (to avoid residual water dripping into bowl), then use per recipe.
Large eggs:  50 – 55g / 2 oz per egg is the industry standard of sizes sold as “large eggs” in Australia and the US. If your eggs are significantly larger or smaller in size, just weigh different eggs and use 200 – 220g / 8 oz in total (including shell) or 180 – 200g / 7.3 oz in total excluding shell (this is useful if you need to use a partial egg to make up the total required weight. Crack eggs, beat whites and yolks together, THEN pour into a bowl to measure out what you need).
5. Pressing the pineapple and cherries down firmly means their presentation side won’t be coated as much in brown caramel, letting the colours shine through more visibly.
6. Optional extra glossy shine for presentation purposes: Corn syrup (warmed), or apricot jam (warm, loosen slightly with water). Brush onto the pineapple and cherry surface after turning out cake.
7. Storage – Keeps in the fridge for at least 5 days. Be sure to bring to room temperature before serving. Nobody wants cold cake!
8. Nutrition per slice, assuming 12 slices.

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Sarah Miller

Hi, I’m Sarah Millar!
I’m a food blogger who loves creating quick and easy recipes that bring big flavor without the fuss. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated — and I’m here to share simple, fast food ideas that anyone can make at home. When I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll usually find me tasting new dishes, exploring cafés, or coming up with fresh food hacks to make everyday meals more fun.

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