Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Apr 02, 2014, Updated May 07, 2023
Melt in your mouth Pineapple Upside Down cake. Super moist and super flavorful!
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I have been wanting to bake pineapple upside down cake since ages but somehow it kept getting postponed and I’m so glad that I finally got around baking it. Glad because this has to be the most moist cake I have ever baked, it literally melts in your mouth. The cake is amazing because it has caramelized pineapple slices sitting on top of a buttery vanilla cake – perfection!
The cake is super moist because I used oil and buttermilk in the cake batter. You can use butter instead of oil but I just prefer using oil in vanilla cakes batter, really makes a difference.
So for the cake first the butter is melted and poured in the pan. It is then topped with brown sugar and pineapple slices. Typically the center of the pineapple rings is filled with maraschino cherries. You can either place one pineapple slice in the center and remaining on the sides or do what I did. I placed one ring in the center and then cut the pineapple slices into two. I then arranged the cut slices in a fan like manner, placing cherries in between each slice.
I first made the cake better and then prepared the pan with pineapples and cherries. So once the pan is prepared, pour the cake batter on top of the pineapple slices, taking care not to dislodge the cherries. As the cake bakes, the butter-sugar sauce bubbles up on the sides and creates a delicious buttery glaze all around.
Once the cake is baked, let it cool for around 30 minutes and then invert the cake directly on the serving plate or on your cake stand. There’s a lot of butter on the bottom of the pan because of the topping so when you invert the pan, the cakes slides away just like that.
This is the perfect spring time cake – fruity, delicious and so cheery. Looking at this cake makes me happy and well eating it makes me super happy! In my opinion, this cake should be eaten as soon as it’s out from the oven. It tastes the best when it’s warm and it’s so flavorful that you don’t even need any whipped cream on top, at least I didn’t.
Serve this cake warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on side – Heaven!
Method
Make the cake batter
In a bowl sift together all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl whisk together all the wet ingredients: egg, buttermilk, vanilla, pineapple juice and oil. Add the dry ingredients into the wet in 3 parts. Whisk until just combined. Do not overmix.
Make the topping
Melt butter in the microwave and pour into a 9X2 round cake pan. Sprinkle brown sugar uniformly over the butter. Place 1 pineapple ring in the middle of the pan and place the cut slices all around in a fan shape. Arrange cherries between the pineapple slices [see pictures]. Carefully pour the cake batter on top taking care not to dislodge the cherries.
Place the pan on a cookie sheet [because some oil might ooze out and create a mess in the oven] and bake at 350 F degrees for around 40 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Take out the cake from the oven when done and let it cool for around 30-40 minutes. Flip over the cake directly onto your serving plate.
Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
* You can skip using cherries if you want to. But they look so striking and add a wonderful flavor so I would highly recommend using them.
* I used buttermilk in this recipe and that along with oil made this cake super moist, you can replace buttermilk with milk but the cake will be much softer if you use buttermilk.
* Traditionally this cake is made using canned pineapples but you can very well use fresh pineapples.
* If you don’t have buttermilk at home, you can make it easily at home. Take 1 cup measuring bowl, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice/vinegar to it. Add milk till the cup is full. Let is sit for 5 minutes till you see little curdling. That’s it your buttermilk is ready to use in the recipe.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
Topping
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 7 pineapple slices
- 12 maraschino cherries
Cake
- 1.25 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons oil [i used canola oil]
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 1 eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
Cake batter
- In a bowl sift together all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl whisk together all the wet ingredients: egg, buttermilk, vanilla, pineapple juice and oil.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet in 3 parts.
- Whisk until just combined. Do not overmix.
Topping
- Melt butter in the microwave and pour into a 9X2 round cake pan.
- Sprinkle brown sugar uniformly over the butter.
- Place 1 pineapple ring in the middle of the pan and place the cut slices all around in a fan shape.
- Arrange cherries between the pineapple slices [see pictures].
- Carefully pour the cake batter on top taking care not to dislodge the cherries.
Bake
- Place the pan on a cookie sheet [because some oil might ooze out and create a mess in the oven] and bake at 350 F degrees for around 40 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Take out the cake from the oven when done and let it cool for around 30-40 minutes.
- Flip over the cake directly onto your serving plate.
- Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Excellent. Even my very difficult to please mom loved it. As for my dad, he kept praising me for such a delicious cake. I usually don’t like the cake part of upside down cakes because i find them too heavy or too thick for the amount of caramelized crust and pineapple. But your ratio of caramel/pineapple to cake is perfect.
I made this cake yesterday for a birthday party and evryone wanted the recipe
Absolutely delicious and so moist
Thank you
I made this recipe last night for a small gathering and it was a hit. It was easy to prepare and absolutely delicious!
can the same measurements be used to bake without oven (Preheating a deep kadhai)?
May be, I have never baked a cake without an oven so difficult for me to answer that question.
Hi.. Tried this recipe today.. Taste was yum.. Had 2 issues.. Can you clarify? I substituted whole wheat flour instead of APF.. so added 1/2 cup of pineapple juice instead of 1/4.. Rest all same measurements.. Cake was very crumbly and couldn’t be cut into pieces.. And due to the caramel cake was stuck.. Anything else to be done next time? Thank you
Since there’s so much butter at the bottom, I don’t know how can the cake get stuck, it slides off so easily because of so much butter. However, next time grease the pan if you faced this problem. Let the cake cool completely and then cut it into pieces. It is a soft cake.
What if dont have pineapple juice? Any replacement for that
I would just use more of the buttermilk then.
What can be used to make it eggless?
try by skipping the egg and adding additional 2 tablespoons of buttermilk
The cake turned out yummy. But my pineapple slices on the edges kept slipping off. Can you please tell me why
you can do double layer of pineapple next time! 🙂 it slips because of the caramel sauce..no big deal
Thanks dear
Hi, again! I left a review several years ago and wanted to let you know that this recipe is still a much requested family favorite! It even won top prize at our local county fair a couple years ago when my son used the recipe and made a cupcake version of it. It’s a hands down winner and one I have shared with all the pineapple upside down cake lovers that request it.
so glad to know that Mollie 🙂 Its one of my favorite cakes for sure!
Omg this came out so good and delicious, i made this yesterday and could not stop eating. So yummy and not to forget the corners so crispy and chewy. All the ppl stop rreading the comment and go make it and eat it takes so less time to prepare. Thanks alot.
I am glad you liked it! It’s one of my favorites too! 🙂 You are welcome!
Hi
The cake looks so delicious
But do not understand your measurement re 1.25 cup flour
What does that means
Hello Sonal! 1.25 cups means 1 + 1/4 cup. Hope it’s clear now!
This turned out excellent. I’ve made a similar recipe in a springform pan and it was a disaster; all the butter and sugar leaked out. Love that this recipe uses a regular cake pan and incorporates some pineapple juice in the batter. This was perfect. I cooked mine for about 45 minutes and served it with whipped cream. Fabulous!
Hi Mollie, thank you so much! first for trying out the recipe and then for taking out the time to leave feedback. It means so much to me, glad to hear the cake turned out well 🙂
Your photography and presentation is amazing
Thank you 🙂