June 16, 2017

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Name: Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup butter; 1 cup brown sugar; 20 oz. pineapple ring slices (reserve juice); 18 whole Maraschino cherries; 1/2 cup pecan halves; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 cup vegetable shortening; 1/4 cup butter (softened); 1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice; 2 large eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 cups cake flour; 3 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 3/4 cup whole milk

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Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a perfect ending to a summer dinner. Such a show-stopper! And so delicious. Sweet, buttery, tender, saucy pineapple.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a perfect ending to dinner. A spongy yellow cake baked in a cast iron skillet. Sweet, buttery, and tender, with a saucy pineapple and cherry topping. Yum!

(Post modified on 3/19/23.)

I love that I can bake this cake in my cast iron skillet. That’s what I love about cast iron. You can go from stove top to oven in an instant. And this recipe is such a show-stopper! It really is quite beautiful.

More Fruity Desserts

What You’ll Need for Pineapple Upside Down Cake

(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)

For the Topping

butter
brown sugar
canned pineapple rings (reserve the liquid for the cake below)
Maraschino cherries
pecan halves

For the Cake

granulated sugar
vegetable shortening
butter
pineapple juice (reserved)
large eggs (2 of them)
vanilla extract (the real kind)
cake flour
baking powder
salt
whole milk

A Note About Butter

Lets talk about butter for a minute. I use salted–I know many cooks and chefs disagree with this decision, but it’s what I use on our table, so it’s what I keep in stock–in my freezer. When butter goes on sale, I buy it up by the truckload. Or carload. Or armload. Usually there is a 2 carton limit. So, I go to the store repeatedly. And bring my husband with me, so he can buy some, too. I guess you could say we’re butter hoarders.

Instructions for Making This Cake

Begin by gathering all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make the Topping

Start by making the “top” part of the dessert–which begins on the bottom.

Get out your large cast iron skillet. I believe mine is 12-inches. Melt the butter over medium-high heat and stir in the brown sugar. Arrange the pineapple slices and whole cherries in the buttery sauce. Then sprinkle the pecan halves over the fruit. Set this aside while you make the cake.

Prepare the Cake

Next whip up the batter, (which uses the reserved pineapple juice, so the cake, too, has pineapple flavor).

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the granulated sugar, vegetable shortening, and butter. Add in large eggs and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.

In a small bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with whole milk.

Pour the batter over the pineapple slices.

Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until cake tests done in the center with a toothpick.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Scrape sides of pan with knife, then carefully invert the cake onto a large serving plate. Out comes this lovely dessert. Beautiful.

Sweet, buttery, tender, saucy pineapple. So yummy!

Plan on making Pineapple Upside Down Cake for your next dinner party. Your guests will love you for it! This recipe will serve 8-10 people.

See more Cast Iron Recipes Here. And Desserts Here.