Pineapple Upside down cake

I once ended up using an oval dish to bake this cake when I couldn’t find my round dish and I thought it was so funny that the cake has an oval shape similar to a pineapple, I also put some crepe paper leaves to make it look liek a pineapple! Since then, I’ve stuck to using this one for pineapple upside down cake! Of course a standard round or square dish works too.

I am not a big Cake person. I love baking and decorating cakes WAY MORE than eating one! But when it comes to pineapple cakes, its a different story. the buttery, caramelized, tangy pineapple with a hint of saltiness just hits different. Nothing screams perfect summer dessert to me than a Pineapple Upside down cake. And here’s the perfect recipe for it!!

You will need:

For the bottom (which then becomes the topping!):

– 1 can of sliced pineapple – I used Dole

– 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) of butter

– 1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)

For the cake batter:

– 1.5 cups all-purpose flour

– 3/4 cup sugar

– 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of butter

– 1/2 teaspoon salt

– 2 eggs

– 1/3 cup yogurt

– 1/3 cup milk

1.5 tsp baking powder

– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

– 1 teaspoon pineapple extract

Procedure:

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
• In a 9-inch round ceramic baking dish, melt the 1/2 stick of butter for the topping. Sprinkle the light brown sugar evenly over the melted butter.
• Drain the can of pienapple slices and pat the slices on a kitchen towel to remove excess moisture. Arrange the sliced pineapple on top of the sugar, filling the spaces between the slices.

• You can add canned cherry halves to the pineapple holes (opotional). Alternatively, you can decorate the holes with jam or cherries after baking
• In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and and salt – set aside.
• In yet another bowl or cup, Stir in the yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, and pineapple extract in a separate cup – set aside

• In a mixing bowl, cream together the stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. I used a stand mixer and used the whisk attachment for this step, but you can also use a handheld mixer or do this by hand.

• Add the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add to the butter-sugar-egg mixture and continue whisking until well combined.
• If using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment at this point and Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on lowest speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

• Pour the batter over the pineapple slices in the cake pan, spreading it evenly.
• Place the cake pan in the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Towards the end, if you notice that the cake is already golden on the surface, but not cooked through, cover with a foil and continue baking, to avoid burning on the surface.

• Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes.
• Carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate. Lift the pan off the cake, allowing the pineapple and brown sugar topping to reveal itself.

• Serve the pineapple upside down cake warm or at room temperature. It pairs well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Enjoy your homemade pineapple upside down cake!!