Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

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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. Click to Tweet

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! 

Bottoms Up! Detail of the Top of the Cake

(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

Ingredients for the Topping Ingredients for the 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.

Arrange the Topping on the Bottom of the Skillet

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.

Pouring the Cake Batter over the Topping

Pour the batter over the pineapple slices.

Baked Cake When it Comes out of Oven

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

Carefully Turn Cake onto a Plate or Tray for Serving

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!

Serving Pineapple Upside Down Cake on Platter

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.

 

Recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Here's a sweet treat to make using your cast iron skillet. Perfect for a party with family or friends!
5 from 1 vote
Print Rate Pin Recipe
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cakes, Cast Iron Cooking, Pineapple Rings, Skillet Cake
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 10

Ingredients 
 

Topping:

  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 20 oz. pineapple ring slices reserve juice
  • 18 whole Maraschino cherries
  • 1/2 cup pecan halves

Cake:

  • 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

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.

Make the Topping

  • In a large cast iron skillet, melt butter. Add brown sugar and stir until combined.
  • Arrange pineapple slices and cherries on top of sugar mixture. Sprinkle with pecans. Set aside.

Prepare the Cake

  • In large mixing bowl, cream together the granulated sugar, vegetable shortening, and softened butter. Add in large eggs and vanilla extract to combine.
  • In a small bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Add to creamed mixture alternately with whole milk.
  • Pour batter over the arranged pineapple slices. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until cake tests done with a toothpick in the center.
  • Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Scrape sides of pan with knife, then, invert cake onto a serving plate. Serves 8-10

Notes

*Unless otherwise indicated, all butter on this recipe site is salted.

Nutrition

Calories: 475kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 484mg | Potassium: 196mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 447IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 1mg
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