Scrumptious Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe

Posted: May 31, 2019
By: weadmin

The Story

Growing up I spent a lot of time in the kitchen trying different variations of cake and food recipes. Back then, this cake was by far my favorite pick. Besides my own take on the recipe, whenever or wherever there was a Pineapple Upside Down cake to be had, I would explore.

I was so much into this cake that I would convince a male family member that I could introduce him to the girl of his dreams (an older friend of mine), if he would pass by Pelican Grill in Montego Bay, Jamaica where I grew up, and get me a slice. You guessed it! There’s was delicious, and the best part was I didn’t have to bake it. Needless to say, I banked on a slice of this cake every Saturday night for months, until I got kicked to the curb when he built up the nerve to visit her by himself. In case you are wondering, they got married a few years later.

Occasionally, when I go back to my hometown for a visit, my friend bakes a cake and we eat while walking down memory lane with loads of laughter. Sadly, Pelican Grill no longer carries this cake on their menu.

I became so associated with this cake that, even today, old friends, and my son and his friends still ask me to bake them a Pineapple Upside Down cake. It has span two generations thus far. Try my recipe, I think you’ll like it!

The Cake

This traditional and scrumptious Pineapple Upside Down cake is an easy treat to make whenever you are in need of a quick sweet-tooth fix. Unlike traditional pound cakes, this delicious treat is made with an easy oil based recipe that combines quickly and gives you a more compact and yet scrumptious cake.  I am sharing this recipe since this cake holds such a significant part of my life experience. It has been on my list of favorites since teenage years and still holds lots of fond memories with family, friends, and fellowship.

Yield:  10 Servings

Prep Time:  15 Minutes

Bake Time: 35 Minutes

Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe

Cake Ingredients

2 ¼ cups “King Arthur Flour” Whole Wheat Flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup pineapple juice
3 eggs
2 teaspoon 100% pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon 100% pure almond extract (optional)

Topping Ingredients

½ cup butter
1-2 cups brown sugar
1 (15.25 ounce) can sliced pineapple in 100% juice
1 small jar maraschino cherries

Preparation Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Prepare topping by placing butter in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan and place in the oven only until it melts.  As soon as it melts, quickly remove it from the oven.
3. Sprinkle sugar over the butter.
4. Drain cherries and pineapple slices and preserve the pineapple juice aside for use in the cake mixture.
5. Arrange the pineapple slices in the pan with small spaces in-between them, and place the cherries in the center of each pineapple slice. Set the pan aside.
6. Measure and sieve the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. This allows the mixture to distribute evenly and prevents lumps.  If the salt does not go the sieve smoothly, use a spoon to rub the salt through the sieve completely.
7. Add the sugar to this mixture and stir until they are uniformly combined.
8. Whisk the eggs, oil, pineapple juice, and vanilla.
9. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold, while scraping the sides to fully incorporate all the ingredients together, being careful to not over mix.  Alternatively, you may blend with an electric mixer but be careful to stop the process immediately once all ingredients are combined.
10. Pour in pan on top of the prepared topping.
11. Bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
12. Allow cake to cool in baking pan and then turn out on a platter and enjoy.

Quick Tips

• Always create the pineapple topping before you begin to mix your batter to ensure your batter is ready to be placed in the pan and then in the oven to achieve optimum rise of the finished product.
• You may reduce the amount of sugar for the topping by about 1/2 cup if you would like to minimize the overall sweetness of the cake.