Pineapple Upside Down Cake
gooey caramelized pineapple rings topped with those cheeky maraschino cherries, all hugged by a super moist vanilla cake. It's the dessert that stole America's heart back in 1925—timeless, baby!
COST Around $8–$12
Equipment
- 9-inch round cake pan
- A couple of mixing bowls
- Electric Mixer or Whisk
- rubber spatula
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Cooling rack
- A plate for the big flip moment
Ingredients
For the drool-worthy topping:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 can pineapple rings in juice juice, not syrup—syrup's a soggy buzzkill
- 12 maraschino cherries go wild, they're the party hats
For the cake batter (moist and fluffy):
- 1½ cups cake flour or all-purpose
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- ⅓ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- ¼ cup pineapple juice save it from the can!
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Topping time: Crank your oven to 350°F (177°C). Dump that melted butter in the pan, and sprinkle brown sugar all over it like you're making sweet sand.
- Fruit party: Dry those pineapple rings and cherries super well. Pat them like a pro—no wet drama. Line up the rings on the sugar, and plop cherries in the middles. Boom, now it looks insta-pretty.
- Dry squad: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Easy peasy.
- Wet squad: In another bowl, mix sour cream, pineapple juice, milk, and vanilla. Smells like vacation already.
- Butter bliss: Beat the softened butter and sugar till it's fluffy and pale—about 2 mins. (Pretend you're stress-baking your worries away.)
- Eggs in: Crack in eggs one by one, and beat well each time. No lumps, champ!
- Batter magic: Add dry and wet mixes to the butter alternately—start and end with dry. Stir just till it comes together. Overmix and it's tough love.
- Layer up: Gently spread batter over the fruit. Smooth the top like a zen master.
- Bake it: 30 mins first, then tent with foil (no burnt top tragedy). Another 13–18 mins till a toothpick's mostly clean. Smells insane, right?
- Cool & flip drama: 20 mins cool time. Knife around edges, plate on top, flip! (I've flipped fails before—warm is key for caramel magic.)
- Serve: Let it chill fully before slicing. Warm or room temp? Both slap.
Notes
- Juice-packed pineapple only—syrup makes it cloyingly sweet and mushy.
- Dry that fruit like your flip depending on it (it does).
- Flip warm (15–20 mins post-oven) so caramel doesn't stick like a bad date.
- Best same day, but covered at room temp for 24 hrs max. Leftovers? Reheat gently.
Per Slice (Rough Guess):
- Calories: 360
- Carbs: 52g
- Protein: 4g
- Fat: 16g (9g sat)
- Cholesterol: 75mg
- Sugar: 36g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Sodium: 180mg