Self-Rising Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Buttery, brown sugary, tangy, and VERY tasty, this classic cake — with its moist, flavorful topping of pineapple rings and cherries — has been an American favorite for at least 80 years. It became popular way back in 1911, after a Dole engineer invented a machine that would slice that company's signature product — pineapple — into perfect rings. Note that this quick and easy cake doesn't even require a mixing bowl: just a saucepan, and a cake pan.
- Prep time
- 8 min
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 10 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 cups (340g) pineapple rings in juice, well drained, juice reserved
- 1 cup (213g) light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, packed
- 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, cold
- 1/4 cup (57g) pineapple juice, reserved from rings
- maraschino cherries
- 4 tablespoons (57g) butter, cold
- 1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups (198g) King Arthur Unbleached Self-Rising Flour
- 1/2 cup (113g) pineapple juice, reserved from rings
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" cake pan with non-stick baking spray or shortening.
- 2
To make the sauce: In a medium (2- to 3-quart) saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the brown sugar and pineapple juice until well blended.
- 3
Cook over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Increase the heat and boil until the mixture thickens a little, and the temperature reaches 235°F to 240°F (soft-ball stage). Depending on pan size, this will take between 3 and 5 minutes. If you don't have a thermometer, drop a bit of the syrup into a glass of cold water; it will form a soft, flexible ball when it's reached the proper temperature.
- 4
Pour the sauce into the prepared pan. Set your saucepan aside; don't wash it, you'll be using it again.
- 5
Arrange the drained pineapple slices in the pan. Place a maraschino cherry into the middle of each pineapple slice. Set aside.
- 6
Place the butter for the cake into the saucepan. Swirl the butter around to melt it, and mix in any remaining sugar syrup; don't worry if it has some lumps.
- 7
Whisk in the sugar and vanilla.
- 8
Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
- 9
Add the flour and pineapple juice to the mixture. Whisk until fairly smooth.
- 10
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- 11
Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, until evenly browned and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- 12
Remove the cake from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a spatula around the edges to loosen, and turn it out onto a serving plate. Serve warm, or at room temperature, with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.