A classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake is one of the best desserts out there. It is a simple recipe, yet yields such a beautifully impressive and absolutely delicious cake.
1(20-oz) can pineapple slices packed in juicereserve ½ cup juice
19maraschino cherries
Cake
Wet ingredients
6tablespoonsbuttersoftened
½cupsugar
¼cuplight brown sugarpacked
1large egg
4tablespoonssour creamOR Greek yogurt
½cuppineapple juicereserved from can
Dry Ingredients
1 ½cupsall purpose flour
1teaspoonbaking powder
½teaspoonground cinnamonsee notes for tips
½teaspoonsalt
Instructions
Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F.
Make topping: Place melted butter in unlined 9-inch cake pan and lightly brush up the sides. Add brown sugar and stir to combine into a paste. Evenly distribute paste over bottom of pan and arrange pineapple slices on top and along sides (slice rings into ⅓ to line the side). Fill pineapple ring holes and gaps between pineapples with maraschino cherries. Set aside.
Cream wet cake ingredients: Place butter and both sugars for cake in large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until creamy and fluffy; about 4-5 minutes. Add egg and beat until fully combined and fluffy. Finally, beat in sour cream and reserved pineapple juice.
Make cake batter: Combine dry cake ingredients in medium bowl. Gradually add to creamed mixture while beating on low speed until a smooth cake batter forms.
Assemble and bake: Spread cake batter evenly over pineapples and cherries in pan. Bake in hot oven for 45-55 minutes, until middle is fully baked. Cake will be a deep caramelized brown when ready, do not remove from oven too early, or middle will collapse!
Cool and invert: Remove cake from oven and allow to cool in pan on cooling rack for 5-8 minutes (no longer, or cake will get stuck!). Carefully invert on a large serving plate (see notes for tips). Place plate on cooling rack to cool.
Notes
Ingredient notes
Pineapple: Use pineapple canned in juice, not syrup.
Butter: Stick margarine works in place of the butter, a spreadable margarine will not work.
Baking powder: Do not use baking soda in place of the baking powder, they are not the same.
Recipe tips
Make sure to use a 9-inch pan that is at least 2 inches deep, better 2.5 to 3 inches. Otherwise, your cake will spill over. Do not use a springform pan! A springform pan will leak and you will lose the caramel.
It’s very important you allow the cake to fully bake! If you remove it from the oven too soon, your cake will drop in the centre. It will be a deep brown color when done.
Tips to invert the cake:
Place a large serving plate over your cake pan (it must be larger than the cake pan).
Using oven mitts, press the cake pan and plate together firmly.
Invert, keeping the pan and plate firmly pressed together at all time.
Set the plate on your counter and then carefully and slowly lift off the cake pan.