Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a delicious light cake with moist brown sugar & pineapple cherry topping. I find this cake a great comfort food especially when it is eaten warm during the chill winter months.
Pineapple is one of my favorite tropical fruits! I like to use fresh as well as tinned pineapples. This classic cake is usually topped with maraschino cherries which are not easily available in Pune.. I use candied cherries which is good enough. You may even use walnuts. Fresh Pineapples are easily available but since I had a spare tin of pineapple slices, I thought of using it & it turned out well.
Do try out this favorite classic American dessert… my neighbour’s child happened to be there when the picture of the cake was clicked & she just blurted out “Aunty, this cake is “GORGEOUS”! She was lucky to enjoy the first slice of this piece of heaven!!! 😀
Ingredients for the Topping :
- 55 gms. Unsalted Butter (cut in small pieces)
- 160 gms. Soft Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tin Pineapple Slices
- Candied Cherries
Ingredients for the Cake Batter :
- 195 gms. Refined Flour/Maida
- 2 tsp. Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp. Salt
- 113 gms. Unsalted Butter at room temperature
- 200 gms. Sugar
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Essenc
- 2 large Eggs (separated)
- 120 ml. Milk
- ¼ tsp. Cream of Tartar
Method :
Pre-heat the oven at 177C. Butter a 9 inch (23 cms.) round cake tin with 3 inch (7.5 cms. sides).
Preparation of the Topping :
Place the butter & brown sugar in a saucepan & stir over medium heat till the butter has melted & sugar has dissolved.
Continue cooking, without stirring, for a few minutes or until bubbles just start to appear around the outside edges of the mixture & the sugar starts to caramelize.
Take the pan off the heat & pour it into the buttered cake tin.
Evenly arrange the drained pineapple slices on top of the caramelized mixture with the cherries in the centre of the pineapple slices.
Preparation of the Cake Batter :
In a sufficiently large bowl, sift together the flour, baking pwd. & salt at least twice.
Beat together sugar & butter until light & fluffy.
Add in vanilla essence & beat again.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternating with milk in 2 additions, ending with the dry flour mixture.
Now, in a clean dry bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar just until the whites hold a firm peak.
Gently fold in the beaten egg whites into the cake batter in 2 additions.
Pour the batter into the cake tin & evenly smoothen the top.
Bake in a pre-heated oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until the top of the cake is brown & starts to pull away from the sides of the cake tin. (You may even do the tooth pick test). Remove from the oven & place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 -15 minutes.
Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan & then gently invert the cake onto your serving plate.
Your Pineapple Upside Down Cake is ready!!
Serve warm with softly whipped cream.
