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Pineapple Upside Down Cake

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This is a classic pineapple upside down cake with a vanilla cake base topped with pineapple slices and maraschino cherries smothered in caramel sauce.

Looking down at a pineapple upside down cake with a slice taken out and a fork

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This classic pineapple upside down cake is deliciously addictive! It’s baked with the pineapple layer on the bottom of the pan and the cake layer on top. Once it has baked and cooled, the entire cake is flipped over to show the most beautiful pineapple cherry decoration.

Recipe ingredients in bowls including flour, milk, brown sugar, butter, cherries, eggs, sugar, pineapple juice and canned pineapple.

Recipe Ingredients

Topping Layer:

  • ½ cup butter
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 18 oz can pineapple rings – in pineapple juice drained (save the juice) I used 12 slices
  • 10-14 maraschino cherries for decoration – for decoration (I used 12)

Cake Layer:

Kitchen Equipment Used

Four images grouped together. First two are a saucepan with brown sugar and butter unmixed then mixed to a caramel sauce. Last two are glass 9x13 baking dish, first greased, second with caramel sauce poured in and a spatula.

How To Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Full ingredients and instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.

STEP 1:  Heat ½ cup unsalted butter and ¾ cup brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until butter melts and sugar dissolves.

STEP 2: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the melted caramel sauce into the pan and spread evenly using a spatula.

Four images grouped together. First is caramel sauce and sliced pineapple in center, second is sliced pineapples spread evenly over sauce, third and fourth have cherries in the center of each pineapple over the caramel sauce.

STEP 3: Arrange the pineapple slices into rows, starting with the middle row first then adding pineapple slices around it. Add one maraschino cherry into the center of each pineapple slice. You can also add more cherries in other open spaces between the pineapple if you’d like.

Four images of a large bowl. First two with dry ingredients unmixed and then mixed. Last two with brown sugar, white sugar and butter unmixed, then creamed with a hand mixer.

STEP 4: In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients including 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt.

STEP 5: In a separate large bowl, add the ½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup dark brown sugar. Use a hand mixer to mix the ingredients until creamy.

Four images grouped of a bowl with hand mixer and creamed butter an sugar. An egg is dumped in then mixed. Then a second egg is dumped in then mixed in.

STEP 6: Add one large egg and mix together. Add the second large egg and combine until smooth and creamy.

Four images of a bowl with hand mixer. First has dry ingredients dumped over wet ingredients. Second is batter forming in bowl with hand mixer. Third milk is poured in. Fourth is creamy batter mixture.

STEP 7: Now add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients bowl and mix until just combined. Next, add ½ cup milk and mix it all together.

Two images grouped together. First has pineapple juice and vanilla extract dumped over batter. Second is batter mixed together.

STEP 8: Add ½ cup pineapple juice (saved from the canned pineapple) and 1 tsp vanilla extract and mix until just combined. This will create the cake batter.

STEP 9: Gently smooth the cake batter over top of the pineapple slices in the baking dish. Use a spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Place in the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes or until the edges are golden and a toothpick comes out clean when poked through the cake.

STEP 10: Let the cake cool for at least 1 hour in the baking dish. To invert, place a baking sheet or large cutting board over top of the pan. Using both hands holding the pan and dish together, flip them over so that the pineapple cake is now on the baking sheet. Slice around a piece of pineapple and serve.

How To Store Leftovers

  • Refrigerate – Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

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Pineapple upside down cake with a fork

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

Topping Layer

  • ½ cup butter
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 18 oz can pineapple rings - in pineapple juice drained (save the juice) I used 12 slices
  • 10-14 maraschino cherries for decoration - for decoration (I used 12)

Cake Layer

Instructions

  • Heat ½ cup unsalted butter and ¾ cup brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until butter melts and sugar dissolves.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the melted caramel sauce into the pan and spread evenly using a spatula.
  • Arrange the pineapple slices into rows, starting with the middle row first then adding pineapple slices around it. Add one maraschino cherry into the center of each pineapple slice. You can also add more cherries in other open spaces between the pineapple if you’d like.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients including 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt.
  • In a separate large bowl, add the ½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup dark brown sugar. Use a hand mixer to mix the ingredients until creamy.
  • Add one large egg and mix together. Add the second large egg and combine until smooth and creamy.
  • Now add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients bowl and mix until just combined. Next, add ½ cup milk and mix it all together.
  • Add ½ cup pineapple juice (saved from the canned pineapple) and 1 tsp vanilla extract and mix until just combined. This will create the cake batter.
  • Gently smooth the cake batter over top of the pineapple slices in the baking dish. Use a spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Place in the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes or until the edges are golden and a toothpick comes out clean when poked through the cake.
  • Let the cake cool for at least 1 hour in the baking dish. To invert, place a baking sheet or large cutting board over top of the pan. Using both hands holding the pan and dish together, flip them over so that the pineapple cake is now on the baking sheet. Slice around a piece of pineapple and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.

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