Easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I baked this beautiful Pineapple Upside Down Cake for our get together party before leaving sweet home Alabama. Features some amateur caramel work as well.

Photo courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

Recipe courtesy: Vicky

“Good Food is all the sweeter when shared with Good Friends”

Today I bring to you, one of my favorite cake recipes – Pineapple Upside Down cake. I got the recipe of this classic cake from my best friend Vicky. I have baked this cake quite a few times and I must say, this is an absolute crowd pleaser. Easy to prepare too as this recipe uses a ready made cake mix. 

I know you must be feeling tempted to bake the cake right away and why not? This cake looks so appetizing with the caramelized fruit layer on top and a spongy soft yellow cake on the bottom. Vicky taught me a great trick to use the heavy syrup of the pineapples while baking the cake and believe me it not only incorporates the fruity flavor in every bite but also prevents it from drying out. Now this cake may look very difficult but I have been lucky to learn a simple way to prepare this traditional cake. So, to prepare an upside down cake, I first melt butter and sugar in the baking pan itself. While that is happening I start making the batter which literally takes 2-3 minutes if you are using a stand mixer. The next step is to arrange the pineapple slices and cherries on the caramel layer and pour the batter on top of it and you are all set! Yes! It’s all done! Now we leave the cake to bake and wait.

Once you take out the cake from the oven be very careful and patient with it. Remember we baked the cake upside down so we have to flip it over. Do not skip any step at this point otherwise this beautiful and buttery cake will break apart. Follow the instructions and you will be rewarded. 

Bake this delicious cake this weekend and share it with your friends. 

Photo taken at Vicky and Calvin’s home. Features the Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

Ingredients:

• Pillsbury Yellow Cake Mix - 1 box
• Brown Sugar – 1 cup, packed 
• Butter – ¼ cup, unsalted (Vicky’s recipe asks for ½ cup)
• Pineapple slices in heavy syrup – 1 can (20 Oz), drained, juice reserved
• Maraschino Cherries – 1 Jar (10 Oz), without stems, drained
• Vegetable Oil and Eggs - as mentioned on the cake mix box (my box asked for ½ cup Oil and 3 Eggs with 1 cup of water)

Directions:

• Heat the oven to 350°F. I used a rectangular Pyrex pan for the bake. The dimensions will be given on the cake mix packet. We will be making a single layer cake.
• Cut the butter into 3-4 cubes and put it in the baking pan. 
• Slide the pan in the oven so that the butter starts melting.
• Free up your counter space and keep the mittens handy.
• Once the butter melts, take out the pan and sprinkle the sugar evenly over the butter.
• Slide the pan in the oven again for a minute, this will help to caramelize the sugar.
• Take out the pan and arrange the pineapple slices on the sugar layer and do this carefully, remember the baking pan is still hot!
• Place a cherry in the center of each pineapple slice. You may cut the remaining pineapple slices into smaller pieces and fill the remaining spaces with pineapple and cherries. Press them gently on the sugar.
• My cake mix asked for 1 cup of water. I had the pineapple syrup drained from the can and it was a little less than a cup. So, I added enough water to the reserved pineapple juice to measure one whole cup and added it to the cake mix.
• I made the cake batter as directed on the box (make sure you are reading the procedure and ingredients given on the cake mix packet).
• I then poured the batter over the pineapple and cherries and smoothed it using a spatula.
• Bake for the time given on the cake mix box. Depending on the shape and size of the baking pan you are using, it may take longer or shorter time to bake completely (mine took about 40 -45 minutes). Use a toothpick or a skewer to test if the cake is done properly. Insert it in the center of the cake and if it comes out clean then switch off the oven and take it out. 
• Let it sit for 10 minutes then run a knife around the side of the pan to loosen the cake. 
• Place a heatproof serving plate upside down on the baking pan.
• Carefully flip the plate and the pan over and don’t forget to wear the mittens. The Pineapple layer should be on the top now.
• Leave the pan over the cake for another 10 minutes so that the brown sugar topping can drizzle over the cake.
• Remove the baking pan and do this carefully. 
• Cool for 30 minutes and serve.
• If refrigerating, cover it loosely.

Tips:

• You can use cake pans of any size or shape - round, rectangular or square. Make sure to keep an eye on the baking time as it will change with the size and shape of the baking pan.
• Once the given baking time is over, use a toothpick or a skewer to test if the cake is done. Sometimes the center will be undercooked but the top and the sides of the cake will start turning brown. I recommend using a piece of aluminum foil to cover the top of the cake. Scrunch the foil and make a dome shaped tent with it. Then slide it carefully over the cake so that it covers the top and sides of the cake. Continue baking. 
• This cake is not cooled on cooling rack.
• Last time I ran out of brown sugar (for the caramelizing part) and I used white sugar instead, turned out great.

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