TASTY TUESDAY, April 20, 2021 – NATIONAL PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE DAY
Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a vintage cake. It’s been around longer than me! My mother made it when I was just a little girl – I loved it then and I love it now. You don’t see it often. People stopped making it – maybe they had enough for a while. BUT it has its own National Day today and I’m happy to say it’s making a comeback. I’m not sure the little tikes like it, but it is delicious, sweet, has fruit, soft cake, is sticky, is fun looking and why wouldn’t they like it?!?
There is a homemade version and a quick version. I’ll share both. The cost of the actual cake part of this dessert is probably a little cheaper with a box cake mix because making anything the “long” homemade way is always a little more costly due to the number of different ingredients.
You choose, but either way, this is a very delicious dessert good for family and friends alike. Plus, it’s fun to make. Please try and enjoy!
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
Remember, this is an upside-down cake. So, you’ll need a pan that is oven proof – it can also be stove top proof.
2 Tablespoons butter
½ cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 20-ounce can sliced pineapple, reserve the juice
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, reserve the juice, optional
Maraschino cherries, no stems, and enough, drained, for the number of pineapple slices
Melt the butter in a 10” pan (or melt in a stove top pan to pour into individual pans), either on top of the stove or in the oven. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar is melted, approximately 2 minutes. Don’t burn or cook too long – it’ll get crunchy.
Place the pineapple slices on the brown sugar/butter and place the maraschino cherry in the center. When inverted the baked cake, the pineapple slices will be on top.
If using the crushed pineapple, place the drained pineapple over the cake around the slices to fill in the cake top. Optional.
You can use individual pans – as shown above – in which one slice pineapple is for each individual cake.
Cake:
Prepare the cake. Whisk together in a bowl.
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ginger (optional)
Combine
½ cup whole milk
¼ cup of the pineapple juice reserved
2 teaspoons vanilla
Combine in mixer bowl (or bowl large enough to combine ingredients with a spoon or spatula)
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup soft shortening
Mix until thick and creamy. Approx. 3 minutes.
Beat in 1 egg and add ½ of the dry ingredients. Beat on low until combined. (or stir until well combined)
Add the rest of the dry ingredients and beat 1 minute. (with mixer or with spoon/spatula)
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour prepared cake over the pineapple, butter and brown sugar (or into the individual pans on top of the pineapple/brown sugar/butter).
Bake for 20-35 minutes. Check at 20 minutes. Make sure the cake is done, but not overdone. May need to check with a toothpick or cake tester for doneness of the cake. If it’s too brown and not done, cover with foil and continue baking until done.
Let cool 15 minutes in the pan. Then, put a plate on top, carefully invert the cake onto the plate and remove pan. Beautiful and smells delicious. ????
IF USING A CAKE MIX:
Prepare the yellow or white cake mix using the pineapple juice with enough water if needed to complete directions. (or use 1 can of lemon lime soda only).
Follow instructions for topping the pineapple/brown sugar/butter with cake mix. And bake as above.
Invert as above.
CHEF’S NOTES:
Using a cake mix with the can of soda actually has fewer calories and is a Weight Watcher “trick” I was told many years ago. It’s delicious and you can actually use any flavor of carbonated soda you’d like – but a cola or grape in a yellow or white cake mix would not be very attractive! No egg or oil if using soda.
I also use unsweetened pineapple slices if I can find it because there is enough brown sugar to make it extra sweet already.
You could add some toasted pecan halves on your brown sugar instead of the crushed pineapple.
The ginger is optional. I think it adds a little different flavor but if you don’t have it, you can leave it out.
This cake is best served the day it is baked. But could be served the next day. The brown sugar may get a little crunchy if sets too long due to the pineapple juice and the butter.
It’s quite an attractive dessert and you’ll get ooh’s and ah’s over it, I promise! Try this if you’ve never had pineapple upside down cake. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. And it’s not difficult. Or very expensive to make.
Please enjoy! ????
Bon Appetite’ with Love,
To download this recipe, click here.