I’m ready to fast-forward to warm spring days and picnics at the park. Who’s with me?
This year seems especially dull, but the days are getting longer already. Bright sun has started shinning on us! We have lots of bright seasonal recipes to carry us through winter. We’re going to make it.
Nothing says bright and welcoming as pineapples and although pineapples are available throughout the year, spring is when you are guaranteed that sweet and tangy ripe pineapple we always look for!
This recipe makes sure that the cake isn’t soggy; this is done by eliminating some of the fruit moisture by caramelizing the pineapple in a skillet with generous amount of brown sugar. To further concentrate the flavor the pineapple is removed from the pan as soon as it turned golden brown and the juice is reduced to a thick syrup; whisking some butter adds richness.
So if you have stopped eating pineapple upside down cake because you are put off by it’s sogginess or it’s just bland, you can start again. Try it!
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
Topping
- 1 pineapple peeled, cored and cut in 1/4 inch pieces.
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Batter
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp dark rum
- 1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease 9" round cake pan with butter.
Topping
- Cook pineapple and sugar in 10" or bigger skillet over medium heat until pineapple is translucent and had light brown hue, around 15 minutes.
- Transfer the fruit and sugar liquid to a stainer set over a bowl.
- Return the strained juices to the skillet, let it simmer over medium heat until thickened. The mixture will start forming large bubbles and begins to darken, around 6 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, stir in the butter and vanilla and mix until the butter is completely melted.
- Pour the caramel mixture into prepared cake pan and set aside. Let the pineapple sit in the stainer until the batter is ready.
Batter
- Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in granulated sugar.
- Add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and rum.
- Add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed just until blended.
- Beat in pineapple juice, then add remaining flour mixture, beating just until blended. It is totally fine if the batter looks curdled.
- Working quickly, distribute drained pineapple in the cake pan in even layer, gently pressing the fruit into caramel.
- Spoon batter over pineapple topping and spread evenly.
- Bake cake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, for about 35 to 45 minutes.
- Let cake stand for five minutes before inverting it on a plate/cake board. Keep the plate/cake board and the pan pressed together while inverting.
- Serve cake just warm or at room temperature with dollop of whipped cream (with lime zest, if you fancy lime).
