Description
A classic and delightful pineapple upside down cake featuring caramelized brown sugar and butter topping, juicy pineapple slices, and maraschino cherries baked into a moist, flavorful cake batter. Perfect for dessert or afternoon treats.
Ingredients
Scale
Topping
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup salted butter, melted
Fruit Layer
- 1 (20-ounce can) sliced pineapple, drained and juice reserved
- 12 maraschino cherries
Cake Ingredients
- 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, from reserved pineapple juice
Instructions
- Preheat Oven 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: Mix ½ cup packed brown sugar with ¼ cup melted salted butter until combined. Spread this mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared cake pan.
- Prepare Pineapple and Cherries: Pat the drained pineapple slices dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Arrange the pineapple slices in a single layer over the brown sugar topping, covering the bottom and sides of the pan. Place the 12 maraschino cherries in the center of the pineapple slices and in 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 evenly combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, beat ¼ cup softened unsalted butter with ½ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup packed brown sugar for 2-3 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 without overmixing.
- Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined to avoid overworking the batter.
- Assemble and Bake: Spread the cake batter evenly over the arranged pineapple and cherries in the cake 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: Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes in the pan before carefully inverting it onto a plate or cake stand to reveal the caramelized pineapple topping.
Notes
- Be sure to pat the pineapple slices dry to prevent excess moisture which can make the cake soggy.
- You can substitute maraschino cherries with fresh ones or omit them if desired.
- Use room temperature eggs and butter for better mixing and cake texture.
- Ensure the cake cools slightly before inverting to avoid breaking the topping layer.
- If you don’t have pineapple juice reserved, use an equal amount of milk as a substitute.
- This cake is best served warm or at room temperature and can be paired with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
