Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This Pineapple Upside Down Cake is always a hit! The combination of the tangy pineapple, rich caramel, and moist cake creates a delightful contrast of flavors and textures that make this classic cake a crowd pleaser!

We place pineapple slices and maraschino cherries on the bottom of the pan and top them with a delicious rich caramel sauce. The batter gets poured over the sauce, and the cake is baked in the oven to golden perfection.

When you flip the cake onto a cake plate, the caramel will drip on top and down the sides of the cake, creating a rich and gooey layer of caramel goodness.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe

I will show you step-by-step how to make this Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe. You can find the list with the ingredient amounts on the bottom of the page. Here you will find detailed instructions with pictures.

To make the cake start by preparing the pan, grease a 9″ cake pan, line with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper. Set aside.

Drain the pineapple slices and the cherries, and layer them on a tray or wire rack lined with paper towel to absorb excess moisture. If the cherries have stems, make sure to remove them.

Now, make the pineapple cherry topping. Arrange the pineapple rings slightly overlapping each other on the bottom of the pan, then place one cherry in the center of each pineapple slice. Set the pan aside.

Caramel Sauce

Some upside down pineapple cake recipes will use a mixture of melted butter and brown sugar for the caramel part. In this recipe we are making a caramel by cooking granulated sugar with water in a saucepan until golden. I prefer this caramel for upside down cakes much better because using just melted butter and brown sugar makes a topping that’s too crumbly, instead of sticky and gooey. Visually, the following technique works better as well.

Before making the caramel sauce, make sure to read the directions thoroughly on the bottom of the page, because there are a few important steps you should be aware of before starting in order to succeed with the caramel.

In a stainless steel or copper pan (don’t use non-stick), place the sugar, water, and corn syrup.

The corn syrup is optional, but helps stabilize the syrup, and prevents crystallization of the caramel.

Stir the sugar and water until completely incorporated.

Dip a brush in water and brush down the sides of the pan to dissolve any sugar granules that are stuck on the sides of the pan.

Place the pan over medium high heat, and let the syrup come to a boil undisturbed. That means, don’t mix the syrup, don’t stir, and don’t move the pan at all.

The syrup will cook for a few minutes until it starts browning in some spots. When you see the first brown spots, you can swirl the pan gently around to help distribute the heat evenly. And remove from the heat, it will continue to cook and brown.

Once it’s evenly lightly golden brown, pour the syrup over the pineapple slices on the bottom of the pan.

Set it aside while you work on the cake batter.

Cake Batter

This is a soft vanilla cake batter, with a moist crumb and fabulous texture.

Mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl together.

Beat the butter for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat for one minute.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until one egg is completely incorporated before adding the next one. Along with the last egg, add the vanilla.

Add one third of the flour mixture to the bowl. Mix to combine.

Pour the buttermilk in and mix.

Follow with another third of the flour mixture. Stir on the lowest speed to combine.

Add the pineapple juice and mix.

Finish by adding the remaining flour, and mix to combine.

You can finish mixing with a spatula to avoid over mixing the batter.

Pour the batter over the caramel and pineapple slices.

Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly on the bottom of the pan.

Bake the cake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes off clean when inserted in the cake.

Let the cake cool down for 15 to 20 minutes before flipping onto a serving platter.

Place the platter on top of the cake and flip the cake upside-down, then remove the pan and peel off the parchment paper.

Let the cake cool down completely before serving.

Serving Pineapple Upside Down Cake

You can serve this cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or with a dollop of whipped cream.

I love eating this cake alongside a delicious cup of tea.

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator, in an air tight container, and let it come back to room temperature before serving.

If you like this recipe, I am sure you will also like:

• Apple Upside Down Cake
• Peach Cobbler Pound Cake (basically a peach upside down cake)
• Passionfruit Cake
• Lemon Bundt Cake
• Coffee Cake
• Orange Cake

I hope you like today’s recipe. If you make it, leave a commend below, or tag me on instagram, I love to see your creations!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Camila Hurst

This Pineapple Upside Down Cake is always a hit! The combination of the tangy pineapple, rich caramel, and moist cake creates a delightful contrast of flavors and textures that make this classic cake a crowd pleaser!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10 servings

Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients

  

Pineapple Topping

• 8 slices of canned pineapple read notes
• 8 maraschino cherries

Caramel

• 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
• 1 tbsp corn syrup or glucose (optional)
• 1/4 cup water 60 ml

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (191 grams)

• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature (170 grams)
• 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup buttermilk 78 ml
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice 60 ml

Instructions

 

Pineapple Topping

• Drain the pineapple slices and the cherries. (Reserve the pineapple juice for the cake batter).
• Place the pineapple slices and the cherries on a baking sheet or wire rack lined with paper towel, to help dry the fruits. Pat it dry with the paper towel.
• Prepare the cake pan
• Use a 9” cake pan for this recipe.
• Grease the bottom and sides of the pan with oil.
• Place a circle of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. Grease the parchment paper. It’s very important to line the pan with parchment to prevent the caramel from sticking.
• Arrange the pineapple slices overlapping slightly on the bottom of the pan, then fit one slice in the center.
• Place one cherry in each pineapple hole.

Caramel

• Read the instructions before starting.
• Place the cake pan, with the pineapple on the bottom right next to where the caramel is being made, because once the caramel is ready you have to immediately pour it in the pan.
• Use a stainless steel or copper saucepan to make the caramel. Don’t use non-stick or aluminum pan.
• Make sure the pan is clean, with no food residues in its even the tiniest bit of grease can spoil the caramel.
• Add the sugar to the pan. Pour the water in, then add the glucose. Stir gently with a spatula until a wet sand consistency, and the sugar is incorporated with the water. When stirring, avoid getting sugar crystals on the sides of the pan, which can also cause crystallization of the caramel.
• Dip a brush in water and brush the sides of the pan, to make sure there are no sugar crystals there.
• Place the pan over medium high heat.
• Let the mixture come to a boil. Do not move or stir or shake the pan. The sugar will melt, it will become a clear syrup with lots of fast moving bubbles. The next stage will be a slowing down of the bubbling, and that’s when the caramel will start to darken. Pay very close attention to it, as it can go from barely golden to burnt in just a few seconds if you aren’t careful.
• Once you see the caramel starting to brown in certain spots, you can gently swirl the pan once or twice. Keep cooking it until the syrup is a light golden color.
• Immediately remove it from the heat and pour over the apples.
• Set the pan aside for the caramel to cool slightly.
• Start making the cake batter.

Cake Batter

• Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set it aside.
• Use an electric mixer to beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
• Add the sugar and beat together with the butter for another minute, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Scrape the bowl every so often to ensure everything is getting nicely incorporated together.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated before adding the next egg.
• Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
• Add one third of the dry ingredient mixture to the bowl and mix on low.
• Pour the buttermilk in and mix until incorporated.
• Add another third of the dry ingredient mixture and mix on low to combine.
• Pour the pineapple juice in and mix on low.
• Add the remaining flour mixture to the bowl, and mix on low until incorporated.
• You can also use the spatula instead of the mixer to fold the batter during this final stage. Avoid over mixing to prevent the cake from turning out dry.
• Spread the batter on the bottom of the prepared cake pan, over the cooled caramel and pineapple mixture.
• Use a spatula to spread out the batter evenly.

Baking

• Bake the cake in pre-heated oven for about 35 to 40 minutes (depending on your oven it might take longer). If the cake is browning too much towards the final 5 minutes, and the center is not yet cooked, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil.
• You will know the cake is done baking when you touch the top of the cake and doesn’t feel soft or jiggly, and your finger doesn’t sink in. Also insert a toothpick in the cake, and should come out clean, without any gooey batter attached.
• Let the cake cool down for about 15 to 20 minutes, then flip onto a plate. It’s important to remove the cake from the pan before the caramel has a chance to harden, but the cake can’t be too hot either. You should be able to hold the pan in your hands, but it should still feel slightly warm.
• Let the cake cool down completely before slicing and serving.

Storage

• Store the cake in the fridge, in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If storing in the fridge, let the cake come to room temperature before serving.

Notes

Canned Pineapple: It’s better to use canned pineapple for pineapple upside down cake because it has a stronger pineapple flavor. Use canned pineapple in juice, not in syrup. I used a 20 oz. can of pineapple.

Corn syrup: The corn syrup or glucose is actually optional, but it helps the caramel not become crystallized. The corn syrup contains long chains of glucose molecules that help keep the sucrose molecules in the candy syrup from crystallizing. You can use light glucose syrup, corn syrup, or invert sugar, which are all types of glucose.

Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, simply add a teaspoon of vinegar to regular milk, let it sit for 2 minutes, and use in the recipe.

Buttermilk alternative: Another buttermilk alternative is to make the cake with a combination of sour cream and milk. Use 1/2 cup of sour cream and 1/4 cup of milk in the recipe instead of the buttermilk.

About baking: if using a convection oven bake at 325ºF instead of 350ºF. Baking time will vary depending on cake pan size and on your oven. Make sure to start checking at around 30 minutes, so you don’t end up over baking the cake.

Iron skillet: You can use an cast iron skillet for this recipe, make sure it’s at least 9″ and 2″ to 3″ deep.

Keyword cake, pineapple