Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This cake is one of Latif’s favorite and I have made it many times for friends and family with great reviews. On my first attempt the cake came out looking so beautiful that I didn’t have the heart to cut it up. Last weekend I decided to make individual cakes (or cupcakes) as I was taking it to a family BBQ and made them in a muffin pan. The amount of batter from this recipe fit perfectly in a 12 cup pan. I cut small pieces of the pineapple rings and placed it in the shape of flowers. You can just put them in however you like. The brown sugar and butter topping is to die for and the pineapple becomes really soft and moist once baked. The original recipe calls for cherries along with the toppings but I omitted them as I don’t like candied cherries. I also reduced the amount of brown sugar as I found it a bit too sweet the first time around.

This is a very easy dessert and looks beautiful. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Recipe Source - Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients

For The Topping
7 Slices Canned Unsweetened Pineapple
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
For The Cake
2 Large Eggs
2 Tablespoons Buttermilk*
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
6 Tablespoons (¾ Stick) Unsalted Butter, Softened
6 Tablespoons Buttermilk

1.Preheat oven to 175°C (350° F). Have ready a 9x2-inch round cake pan.

2.Drain pineapple and place in one layer on paper towels to absorb the excess juice. Place the 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in the cake pan. Place the pan in the oven until the butter is melted. Tilt to coat all sides with butter. The extra butter will settle in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan. Place one pineapple ring in the center of the pan and arrange six more around it. Keep Aside.

3.In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, 2 tablespoons of buttermilk and vanilla with a fork.

4.In a mixer bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 6 tablespoons of buttermilk. Beat on low speed just until the flour is moistened, then increase the speed to medium, or high if using a handheld mixer, and beat for exactly 11/2 minutes. The batter will be stiff. Add one-third of the egg mixture at a time, beating for exactly 20 seconds and scraping the bowl after each addition. Scrape the batter over the fruit in the pan and spread evenly.

5.Bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and tilt the pan in all directions to detach it from the sides of the pan. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes before unmolding.

To make in a muffin pan, put 1/2 tsp melted butter in each cup. Add 1 tsp brown sugar on top and spread evenly. Trim the pineapple slices to fit into the muffin pan and fill each cup 2/3 full. (I used a 1/4 cup measure to fill them). Bake for 30 minutes or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (You will need less brown sugar and butter for topping than in the original recipe if making this way).

*- I don’t buy buttermilk as I have little use for a full bottle in my fridge. So I use this substitute which works great. If the recipe calls for 1 cup buttermilk, add 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice in a 1 Cup measure and top with milk till it reaches the one cup mark. Stir and let it stand for 5 minutes then use in place of buttermilk.

Happy Eating!!