Description
A classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake featuring caramelized pineapple slices and maraschino cherries atop a moist, tender vanilla cake flavored with pineapple juice. This retro dessert combines sticky, sweet fruit topping with a soft cake crumb studded with pineapple bits for a delightful, nostalgic treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Topping
- 565g (20 oz) canned pineapple slices in juice (not in syrup)
- 12-18+ maraschino cherries
- 60g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
Cake Batter
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda (or substitute 1 tsp baking powder)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup milk (full or low-fat)
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice (reserved from canned pineapple)
- 1/4 cup sour cream (full fat, or substitute plain yogurt)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
- 115g (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to 18°C/64°F
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- Any leftover pineapple, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Set the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) to prepare for baking the cake.
- Prepare topping: In a baking pan, pour melted butter evenly then sprinkle brown sugar over it. Arrange pineapple slices over the sugar, spacing evenly. Place maraschino cherries in the centers of the pineapple slices and in empty spaces to decorate.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda (or additional baking powder if substituting), and salt. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk milk, pineapple juice, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Cream butter and sugar: Using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter and white sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Add eggs: Add eggs one at a time to the creamed butter mixture, beating well after each addition to incorporate fully.
- Combine batter: Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients to the creamed butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in any leftover chopped pineapple carefully.
- Assemble and bake: Pour the batter evenly over the arranged pineapple and cherries in the baking pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and invert: Once baked, let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes to allow the topping to set. Carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate so the pineapple and cherries are on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Use pineapple canned in juice, not syrup, to avoid excess sweetness and maintain accurate texture.
- Maraschino cherries add classic color and flavor but can be adjusted to taste or omitted.
- For best texture, soften butter to room temperature before creaming.
- Room temperature eggs emulsify better for a smoother batter.
- Saving pineapple juice from the can adds extra flavor to the cake batter and prevents waste.
- This recipe yields a moist cake with a caramelized fruit topping, perfect for gatherings or nostalgic dessert cravings.
- See recipe video for step-by-step guidance and visual tips.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 319 kcal
- Sugar: 34 g
- Sodium: 162 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 61 mg
