It is hard to overstate how simple yet stunning pineapple upside-down cake is. This cake has retro charm, but it’s a classic whose appeal hasn’t waned since it first appeared on the home baking scene. It starts with a rich butter cake that, once removed from the pan, reveals a design of caramelized pineapple rings studded with maraschino cherries. Each bite is little treasure chest of flavor — tender cake, mingled with the sweet and slightly tangy notes of pineapple and cherry.
The thing about pineapple cake that makes it so beloved is that it is dead simple to make at home. The fruit for pineapple upside-down cake is canned, meaning you never have to worry about it being in season, and you don’t need to know any special baking techniques to make this cake successfully at home.
What Makes This Pineapple Cake So Easy and So Delicious
Pineapple upside-down cake has a near universal appeal — the single cake layer only requires one bowl to mix, and it isn’t overly sweet.
Here we’re also putting some pineapple in the batter by using the pineapple juice in the cake batter! Because hello, the juice around those pineapple rings is sweet and full of flavor, so why waste it? You’ll need a cup to blend into the batter, which will leave you with just a few ounces for a cocktail or smoothie.
- Cake
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup butter (softened)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk (I use the juice from the pineapples and add milk to make
- 1 cup)
Preheat oven to 350°.
Mix flour, baking soda and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix on medium speed until all lumps are gone and batter is well incorporated.
- Pan preparation
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 can pineapple slices
- Maraschino Cherries
- 1 cup brown sugar (may need more)
Melt butter in the bottom of a 9 x 13 cake pan. Add 1 cup of brown sugar and mix. Add more brown sugar if needed to absorb all the butter. Spread evenly on the bottom of your pan. Add pineapple rings and place a maraschino cherry in the hold of each pineapple ring.
Pour cake batter over pineapple rings.
Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.
Remove from oven and let rest for 2 minutes.
Invert pan onto an oblong dish (I use a cookie sheet)