Description
Tropical sweetness meets classic comfort in this Pineapple Upside Down Cake, a golden dessert that combines caramelized fruit with moist, buttery cake. Served warm with vanilla ice cream, this nostalgic treat brings Caribbean charm to any gathering you’ll want to savor.
Ingredients
Scale
- ¼ cup (4 tbsps) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
- 7–8 pineapple slices, canned (drained, juice reserved)
- maraschino cherries
- 1 ¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup reserved pineapple juice
- 2 tsps pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preparation: Ignite the oven to 350°F (177°C) and meticulously coat a 9-inch round cake pan with a thin layer of grease.
- Craft the Caramelized Base: Cascade melted butter across the pan’s surface, generously dust with brown sugar, then artfully position pineapple rings and strategically place cherries within each slice and surrounding spaces.
- Develop Cake Foundation: Whisk together flour, leavening agents, and salt in a medium mixing vessel, creating a uniform dry mixture.
- Create Wet Mixture: Vigorously cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, incorporate eggs individually, then gently fold in sour cream, milk, pineapple juice, and vanilla extract until achieving a silky, homogeneous consistency.
- Combine Mixtures: Delicately integrate dry ingredients into wet components, stirring until just incorporated – avoid excessive mixing to maintain cake’s tender texture.
- Layer and Bake: Gently pour batter over the pineapple arrangement, ensuring even distribution, then transfer to preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until a clean toothpick emerges from the center.
- Final Presentation: Allow cake to rest in pan for 20 minutes, then confidently invert onto a serving plate, revealing the glistening caramelized pineapple topping.
Notes
- Liberally grease the pan with butter or non-stick spray and consider lining the bottom with parchment paper for effortless removal.
- Ensure butter, eggs, and sour cream are at room temperature to create a smoother, more uniform cake batter that blends perfectly.
- Place pineapple slices and cherries carefully to create an attractive pattern, ensuring even coverage and visual appeal when the cake is flipped.
- Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until combined to maintain a tender, light cake texture and prevent dense, tough results.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg