Description
This Perfect Pineapple Upside Down Cake features a buttery brown sugar topping with caramelized pineapple slices and maraschino cherries, layered under a moist, tender cake batter infused with pineapple juice. It's a classic, crowd-pleasing dessert that's both visually stunning and delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Topping
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup salted butter, melted
Cake Ingredients
- 1 (20-ounce) can sliced pineapple, drained with juice reserved
- 12 maraschino cherries
- 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup pineapple juice, reserved from the canned pineapple
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9-inch cake pan with pan spray to prevent sticking.
- Make the Topping: In a bowl, mix ½ cup packed brown sugar with ¼ cup melted salted butter. Spread this mixture evenly on the bottom of the prepared cake pan.
- Arrange Pineapple and Cherries: Pat the canned pineapple slices dry between layers of paper towels to remove excess moisture. Arrange the slices on top of the brown sugar mixture in the pan, also placing some slices along the sides. Place the 12 maraschino cherries in the center of the pineapple slices and between them for decoration.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt until combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, beat ¼ cup softened unsalted butter with ½ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup packed brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in 1 large room temperature egg, ¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup milk, and ¼ cup reserved pineapple juice until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Combine Dry and Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix just until incorporated, ensuring the batter remains light.
- Assemble and Bake: Spread the cake batter evenly over the pineapple and cherry layer in the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Invert: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Once cooled slightly, carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate or cake stand to reveal the caramelized pineapple and cherry topping.
Notes
- Patting the pineapple slices dry is crucial to avoid a soggy cake top.
- Use room temperature egg and softened butter for better mixing and texture.
- If you prefer a less sweet topping, reduce brown sugar in the topping by a tablespoon.
- Letting the cake cool slightly before inverting helps to prevent the topping from sticking to the pan.
- For extra flavor, you can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the batter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: thirty-five grams
- Sodium: 170 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
