Sweet Things Remembered

An American classic, this moist and delicious pineapple cake has a layer of pineapple slices, maraschino cherries, and brown sugar in the bottom, that create a beautiful top once the cake is flipped over.

When I was flipping through my grandma’s cookbook, I came across a handwritten recipe for pineapple upside-down cake. I know I’ve eaten pineapple upside-down cake before because I’ve recently had a hankering for it, but I don’t really remember my grandma ever making it. Since this wasn’t one of her regular bakes, maybe it was something she made for a friend or neighbor. After all, baked goods were her favorite way of saying “thank you.” Or, maybe it was simply a recipe she copied down so she could try it out. She did that a lot, too.

Whatever the reason was that Grandma had this specific recipe written down, pineapple upside-down cake has earned its place as an American classic. I can picture it in the dessert spread at a church potluck or family reunion. Baking it got me curious about how this dessert came to be so well-known, so I did a little research. According to Dole®, much of the cake’s popularity can be traced back to a recipe contest they held in 1925. For the contest, they asked participants to send in their best recipes made with pineapple, and this cake was the most popular submission they received. It led them to run an advertising campaign for it, which resulted in the dessert’s popularity and long-lasting impact on American baking.

It’s amazing how recipes can be preserved far beyond the generations from which they came, while still changing a little with every baker who makes them. The version I found tucked in my grandma’s cookbook is different from both of the ones that Dole® shares today (they have a cake mix version and an old-fashioned), but it’s unmistakably the same beloved dessert. At some point, I would love to experiment some and try this out with different fruit, but until then, I’ll enjoy the classic pineapple version. After all, some recipes become classics for a reason.

Ingredients

• 8.5 oz can pineapple slices
• Butter
• Brown Sugar
• Maraschino Cherries, halved
• Granulated Sugar
• Egg
• Vanilla Extract
• Flour
• Baking Powder
• Salt

Equipment

• 9″ round or 8×8 cake pan
• Measuring tools
• Mixer, or mixing bowl and spoon

How to Make Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°
• Drain the pineapple and reserve the liquid, and cut pineapple slices in half if needed. Cut 4 maraschino cherries in half, as well.
• Put 3 tbsp of butter in the bottom of a 9″ round cake pan or an 8×8 cake pan. Place the pan in the oven until the butter is melted.
• Once the butter is melted, add ½ cup brown sugar and 1 tbsp of the reserved pineapple juice to the pan. Stir it and make sure it coats the bottom of the pan evenly.
• Arrange pineapple slices in the bottom of the pan with the cherry halves in the centers of the rings.
• Cream together 5 tbsp butter and ½ cup granulated sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Then, add egg and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, sift together 1 cup flour, 1¼ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt. Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients alternatively with ½ cup of reserved pineapple juice, beating after each addition.
  • If you do not have ½ cup of pineapple juice left, add enough water to the pineapple juice to get to ½ cup of liquid.
• Pour the batter in the cake pan over the pineapple layer and spread evenly.
• Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes at 350°. The cake should be springy, and a toothpick should come out clean.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then carefully invert the pan on a plate. Serve warm and enjoy!

Questions You May Have

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Recipe by rebekahdearmond

0.0 from 0 votes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Baking time

45

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 can (8.5oz) pineapple slices

• 1 stick butter

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 4 maraschino cherries, halved

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1¼ tsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp salt

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°
• Drain the pineapple and reserve the liquid, and cut pineapple slices in half if needed. Cut 4 maraschino cherries in half, as well.
• Put 3 tbsp of butter in the bottom of a 9″ round cake pan or an 8×8 cake pan. Place the pan in the oven until the butter is melted.
• Once the butter is melted, add ½ cup brown sugar and 1 tbsp of the reserved pineapple juice to the pan. Stir it and make sure it coats the bottom of the pan evenly.
• Arrange pineapple slices in the bottom of the pan with the cherry halves in the centers of the rings.
• Cream together 5 tbsp butter and ½ cup granulated sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Then, add egg and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, sift together 1 cup flour, 1¼ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt. Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients alternatively with ½ cup of reserved pineapple juice, beating after each addition.
  _{If you do not have ½ cup of pineapple juice left, add enough water to the pineapple juice to get to ½ cup of liquid.}
• Pour the batter in the cake pan over the pineapple layer and spread evenly.
• Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes at 350°. The cake should be springy, and a toothpick should come out clean.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then carefully invert the pan on a plate. Serve warm and enjoy!