Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe

When was the final time you loved a slice of pineapple the other way up cake? Be sincere, it’s most likely been some time. Since its heyday within the Fifties, this basic American cake’s attraction might have tapered off, however we consider it to be a dessert that by no means goes out of favor. When made properly, it’s nostalgically candy—acceptably teetering the sting of cloying—glammed and shiny, simply begging for a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

The cake’s recognition might have peaked midcentury, nevertheless it truly began rising in family fame again within the Twenties. Recipes for it had been popping up in newspapers such because the Boston Globe way back to 1925. In the identical yr, James Drummond Dole’s Hawaiian Pineapple Firm (now food big Dole), in efforts to market canned pineapple to the American public, sponsored a contest for pineapple recipes. About 2,500 of the 60,000 submissions had been for pineapple the other way up cake. Since 2,500 the other way up cake recipes had been submitted, it is apparent the idea wasn’t new. However the contest adopted by commercials that includes the cake definitely gave the recipe widespread publicity. Recipes continued to pop up in newspapers and cookbooks till it was a cocktail party staple in most US households. 

These early variations had been just about what you’ll usually discover at present: Butter and sugar are first melted collectively to type a lightweight caramel coating on the underside of the pan, the fruit is then artfully fanned over the glaze, and the cake batter poured on high. After baking, you flip the pan over to disclose lacquered pineapple rings studded with requisite ruby-red maraschino cherries above a sturdy however tender cake. It’s retro eating at its best.

The method of creating pineapple the other way up cake (or actually any the other way up cake) is pretty easy,  however to make sure that the cake is nice with completely caramelized edges, properly constructed, and releases from the pan simply in one-fell swoop, there are a number of strategies to get proper. We requested our Birmingham-based check kitchen colleague Marianne Williams to methodically flip cake after cake till she perfected the method. Right here’s what we discovered about the way to bake an ideal pineapple the other way up cake.

Ideas for Baking a Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Keep on with canned pineapple. There’s a time and place for utilizing contemporary fruit in desserts; seasonal berry cobbler, peach pie, an apple tart. However a pineapple the other way up cake just isn’t one in every of them. Past the extra summary idea of canned pineapple “simply feels proper” on this dessert, completely portioned pineapple rings come out of the can already tender, shiny, candy, and able to go. Why battle it? 

In testing we discovered that desserts made with contemporary pineapple not solely required extra work—reducing, portioning, cooking the fruit—however the pineapple taste truly tasted much less concentrated, and the contemporary acidity distracted from the cake’s candy caramelized syrup on high.

Add pineapple juice, coconut oil, and rum to the cake. We wished a cake the place the pineapple taste wasn’t simply restricted to the topping, but additionally echoed by means of the whole cake. To realize this we used the pineapple juice from the can and cooked it down to pay attention its taste earlier than whisking it into the cake batter.

Unrefined coconut oil, which has a faint tropical coconut taste, can be added to go with the pineapple. Whereas we initially examined the cake utilizing all butter, we discovered that the wealthy, coconut-y taste of unrefined coconut oil labored rather well within the cake. (Make certain to make use of unrefined coconut oil, as refined coconut oil will lack coconut taste.)

And we propose leaning even additional into the piña colada vibe with a splash of spiced darkish rum within the batter. In case you favor to not use the rum, you may at all times omit it and as an alternative add one tablespoon of water to the batter instead.

Maintain it easy and whisk the batter by hand. For a cake that’s constructed on the benefit of utilizing canned fruit, we made certain there is no such thing as a want to drag out a stand mixer or meals processor for making the batter. In our testing, we discovered that hand-whisking was not solely simpler, nevertheless it additionally minimized the danger of over-aerating the batter, which might lighten and tenderize the cake an excessive amount of.

When a cake batter is made in a stand mixer, the method entails creaming and lightening butter with sugar earlier than vigorously whipping the batter. The objective of that is to include as a lot air as doable to assist lighten and tenderize the cake. That is nice in case your objective is a fragile, fluffy cake, however right here we would have liked a sturdier cake that the syrupy glaze might soak into and nonetheless assist the pineapple topping as soon as flipped. We at all times like when simpler additionally equals higher.

Bake in a forged iron skillet. In testing, we discovered that baking in a forged iron skillet works wonders to create a extra deeply caramelized pineapple layer with golden cake edges when in comparison with desserts baked in a regular cake pan. This is because of forged iron’s superior warmth retention. One other perk of baking straight within the skillet is which you could soften the butter and construct the syrup base in the identical skillet you’ll bake in, avoiding an additional pan to wash later.

Cool the cake briefly earlier than flipping it. Cooling the cake for about quarter-hour after which inverting it whereas it is nonetheless heat ensures a straightforward launch, however don’t let the cake cool within the skillet any longer than that earlier than flipping. You don’t need the caramel to chill, agency, and follow the underside of the skillet. 

Our last recommendation for ensuring the topping releases from the pan as soon as flipped is to only be assured along with your flip. Use oven mitts and use the deal with to information and flip the cake in a single swift, regular movement. If a number of items of pineapple or cherries stay caught to the pan that’s completely fantastic—simply use a fork to softly raise them off and rearrange them on high of the cake. Nobody will even know.

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Stick with canned pineapple