There are a million recipe variations for Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Doc’s mother used to make hers in a cast iron skillet. She made the sponge cake from scratch and the recipe is lost. This recipe is similar to hers. It uses pineapple juice for the liquid and it doesn’t taste fake like the new pineapple cake mixes do. Plus, the cake has a new, current, graphic pineapple design. Enjoy!
Old Fashioned Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Pineapple Topping
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
One (20 ounce) can sliced pineapple in pineapple juice
21 maraschino cherries
Pour melted butter in the bottom of a 9-inch square pan. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the top of the butter. Remove pineapple from can, reserving the pineapple juice (you will need 1/3 cup for the cake). Cut pineapple slices in half. Stack slices in rows. Off-set the center of the pineapple curve by row. Rows 1, 3, and 5 will match. Rows 2, 4, and 6 will match. Place maraschino cherries in the center of each pineapple half and in the empty spaces on the top and sides. (See picture.) Set aside.
Sponge Cake
3 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup pineapple juice (reserved from canned pineapple)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon iodized salt
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Place eggs in hot water 5 minutes to bring to room temperature. Dry eggs before cracking. Separate egg yolks from whites. With clean beaters and bowl; beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In another large bowl beat egg yolks until thick and the color changes to a lemon color. Gradually add sugar. Add vanilla and 1/3 cup pineapple juice. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Add flour mixture gradually to sponge cake batter. Scrape sides of bowl and mix briefly again.
Fold whipped egg whites into batter in two additions by hand using a silicone spatula. This will take several minutes. Don’t rush the process and deflate the egg whites. Do not stir; fold!
Spoon batter on top of pineapple arrangement in pan making sure not to disrupt the design. Bake 25-30 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake rest 10 minutes then invert onto a serving dish. Makes one (9-inch) square cake. Adapted from Taste of Home.
Published in The News and Neighbor on May 31, 2023.
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