Pineapple Upside Down Cake is an old-fashioned favorite, but that doesn’t mean it should be boring. Just give it a few tweaks, et voilà! It’s a classic with a twist!
Remember when I told you I’ve been WhatsApping with my high school pals? Well, it’s still going on. The phone is still dinging…
Daily… Sometimes at odd hours. It’s mildly distracting… in an entertaining sort of way. If you know what I mean.
But I’m now able to ignore it if I want to. Kinda… And I’m… s l o w l y… s l o w l y… becoming a productive member of society again.
Now if I can only turn the slowly to surely, everything will be just peachy. Or pineapple-y in this case. Ha. Ha. Not funny! I refuse to laugh at my own jokes!
Let me illustrate how slow things are around here. The other day I tried to make a dessert, pull some weeds, and chase away a rabbit. All in a day’s work, normal happenings, nothing-unusual kinds of activities… Which should take, what?! Maybe a couple of hours top.
Well, the dessert ended up being finished the day after, the weeds will probably sprout back (I didn’t get to the roots) and the rabbit? Right now, as we speak, it’s munching on my phlox.
But so whaaat?! Who caaares, right?! Slowly is good enough for me, for now.
As long as the dessert gets done. That’s all that matters, right?!
So, let’s talk desserts. Specifically, a very special pineapple-y dessert. A classic. One that’s sure to put a smile on your face.
This one!
Smile!
Is that a happy dessert or what?!
In fact, it made me so happy to look at it that I made it twice in a week! Okay, to be honest, I didn’t like the way the photos turned out so I did a do-over. And I’m still not too crazy about them. I’m a little out of practice with my camera, sigh…
I didn’t think I was ever going to blog about Pineapple Upside Down Cake. It’s such an old-fashioned kind of dessert, and I’m NOT, I repeat… NOT into old-fashioned. Okay, I’m a little old. But I’m very fashionable. Ha. Ha. I’m still trying to make me laugh at my own jokes. Not happening!
Anyway, Pineapple Upside Down Cake may be old-fashioned, but it’s a total keeper. Who doesn’t like Pineapple Upside Down Cake, right?! For many of us, it brings lots of memories.
It is certainly the first upside down anything I ever knew. Nowadays of course there’s upside down everything. But when I was younger the only thing I associated with an upside down anything was a Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Then again I didn’t grow up with a lot of desserts, so I wouldn’t have known anything else.
So, anyway, since I’m not that into old-fashioned, I tried to revamp the old cake. Give it a new makeover, a refresher. Make it fashionable. Et voilà!
I think it looks good enough. What do you think?
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup butter
- ⅓ cup pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons dark rum
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 small pineapple, peeled and cored
- ¾ stick unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- ½ cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients except for rum and cardamom.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Stir in rum and cardamom, remove from heat and set aside.
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Cut pineapple into sixths lengthwise, then cut each section into thin slices.
- Pour 2-3 tablespoons of syrup on the bottom of the cake pan, swirl to coat evenly
- Arrange the pineapple slices in a circular pattern, starting from the center (Remember, the bottom will be the top once cake is inverted). *See how-to photos below.
- Set aside while making the cake batter. Reserve some slices to add later.
- Sift together flour, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and rum.
- Add half of flour mixture and beat on low-speed just until blended.
- Add in pineapple juice (Batter may be curdled at this point).
- Add remaining flour mixture, beating just until blended.
- Spoon batter over pineapple and spread evenly.
- Bake for 35 minutes (for a 6-inch cake) or until golden and a tester comes out clean.
- While cake is still hot, poke holes with a skewer. *See how to photos below.
- Pour 2-3 more tablespoons of syrup and let it soak through.
- Cover with aluminum foil to keep moisture in until ready to serve.
- Cook reserved pineapple slices in the leftover syrup until soft and pliable, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- When ready to serve, invert a plate over cake pan, and while holding plate and cake pan firmly together, invert swiftly onto the plate.
- You will notice that the pineapple slices are flat on top of the cake. Fluff with a spatula lightly to make them more pouffy, adding/inserting the reserved slices as necessary.
- Best served warm or at room temperature.
How To Photos
I’m also sharing this with my friends at Throwback Thursday. I hope they like it!
Wow Angie! Just wow!
Thank, Deb! Took so long to do this post! I’m so glad it’s done. I need the get reacquainted with my camera 🙂
Looks like the two of you are really close. The photos of the how to were awesome!
Hehe…it’s like my 3rd baby. I carry it wherever I go 😀
Lovely! Such a classic, I can’t remember when I had it last, but I have a feeling it won’t be long before I’ll be having it next!!!
Thanks, Ginger! It’s one of those desserts you tend to forget. Usually it’s way too sweet, but I cut down on the sugar and it also helps that I used fresh pineapple. It’s a keeper! 🙂
I know what you mean, fresh pineapples are just a world apart from the tinned stuff. Will let you know what the brood thinks of it 😉
Oh yes, let me know! And if you can make improvements, I’ll be all ears!
You’ve already cut down on the sugar, that’s what I call perfection 🙂
Actually, you’ve reminded me to amend the recipe. Just did, thanks! I only used half of the sugar. 1/2 cup instead of 1 cup. There will be some syrup left so for those who prefer sweeter, they can always top it with the syrup.
Even more perfection now!
This might be the most beautiful pineapple upside down cake I’ve ever seen. Love!!
Thanks, Christina! Welcome to Fiesta Friday! I did see your recipes last night, but I don’t think we’ve met properly 🙂 So glad you’ve joined our fiesta!
Nice to meet you too. 🙂 Love Fiesta Friday! So many amazing recipes/food inspiration all in one place. Thanks for hosting!
That’s great to hear, Christina. We love meeting new friends!! 🙂
Love the fluffed up pineapple slices!
Might as well make use of all the pineapple slices, right? 🙂
Wow Angie this is one beautiful cake. It looks so moist and delicious!
Thanks! I drenched it in the syrup then covered it with foil, so yeah it was really moist. It was really good, Julie!
This is beautiful! I love that you’ve layered the pineapple! I’m always wanting more pineapple in my pineapple upside down cake so this is brilliant!
I always felt the same way, too! At first I thought of adding pineapple chunks in the batter, but decided to make the cakes pretty instead, lol! So glad you like it!
Wow! that’s my kind of upside down pineapple cake. Talk about taking something we’ve all seen a thousand times and making it chic – love it. Pinned!
Thanks, Lily! I’m thrilled you like it! It’s one of my better desserts, definitely 🙂
This looks so delicious, love this classic cake Angie! Have a superb weekend! 🙂
Thanks, Linda! I’m so glad you like it! Happy FF, girlfriend, and have a wonderful weekend! XOXO
Beautiful Angie and one of my all time favorite cakes. YUM!!
Mine, too, Suzanne. Hadn’t had it for so long so it was a treat. It was great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream ?
You are a lady after my own heart… Sometimes, old fashioned is good!! Love the upside down pineapple cake! Love the way you have arranged the pineapple slices. As for slow, that is exactly how my day and more so my holidays go.. I have a long list of things to do and I am lucky if I get through a few of them… then again, I try to pack too many things in my day!
I always plan my days in my head and in there I get to do and accomplish so many things. In reality, it never happens! Lol! We’re all in the same boat! 😀
Angie this is just beautiful! Making a pineapple upside down cake is actually on my bucket list! I am not sure I can make it look as good as yours but I will give it a go. Inspirational 🙂
Thanks! You can make mini version, Petra. One pineapple ring per mini cake. I’d do that if I’m pressed for time. Would look cute. The pineapple rosette looks prettier but it does take time 🙂
hi Angie
oh mini pineapple upside down cakes! Cute! 🙂 x
I’m drooling over here! YUM!!!!
Lol, I’m happy to hear it! 😀
Hey Angie!! Such a gorgeous cake you have brought, and I love the addition of cardamom! Too funny about the rabbit! You really have them in your yard? 🙂
Oh yes! We started with a family of them living under our deck. At first the babies were cute and the kids forbade me to chase after them. They even fed them carrots! But now they’re big and pretty much destroyed my veggie patch 🙁 But the parents seemed to have abandoned them??
Oh and they looove phlox! They left me with just a stubble, drat!
I love Fiesta Friday! My hubby has been asking for pineapple upside down cake. This seals the deal, his dreams are about to come true! Lol
Michelle
Hi, Michelle! That’s so great to hear! That lucky husband of yours, lol… If he likes his cakes on the sweet side, just add more sugar. I actually just used half the amount this time, but I thought it was just right 🙂
Not going to change a thing!?
Let me know how you like it!
I’m glad to be joining you for the second Friday in a row Angie – and of course I love this cake and the photos are lovely – reminding me of Summer…..
Yay, Laura! So glad to hear! I hope you’re having fun. And yes, I agree, Summer needs to be full of fresh ingredients and lively colors. And the sun! 🙂
Hey Angie, I’ve somehow not had a chance to get around to trying (eating / making ) pineapple upside down cake. My granddaughters are visiting from interstate. The younger is a keen baker and we are always on the look out for something interesting to make / bake each visit. This looks ideal. How many grams is 3/4 of a stick of butter?
Now to take you to task, Angie. Picture me with a severe, grandmotherly expression telling you that pineapple upside down cake is not old fashioned. It’s a classic (like me). We need to be brought out of retirement now and again and appreciated. 🙂
Lol, point taken, Mary! It reminds me of an incident when I called a 60-yr old “old old” and my coworker turned to me and said,”Thanks a lot, I just turned 60.” Oops! That was when I was much younger. Now 60 doesn’t sound old at all to me ? 3/4 cup of butter is 170 grams, but I actually didn’t even use all of it. I should amend the recipe. But hey, baking sessions with the granddaughters are a special occasion so go all out and use full amount. Might as well use 1 cup of sugar, too. That’s how much the original recipe calls for. Enjoy! XOXO
Actually Angie, you’re only old if you begin your sentences with ‘in my day.’ 🙂
Mary, please take note. I was giving you the conversion for 3/4 cup of butter, that’s why I was thinking it was too much.
3/4 stick of butter is 85 grams. And that’s how much butter I used.
Sorry, Mary, senior moment on my part!! ?
🙂
I must be old because this old fashioned dessert does bring back a lot of memories for me! 🙂 This is- of course- the loveliest version I’ve ever seen. Nice!! 🙂
Lol, but maybe you started having it when you were only 1 yr old, so you’re not all that old ? Thanks Josette!
I can’t wait until it’s pineapple season again here in Tonga. This recipe would amazing with the fresh pineapple they grow here!
Yes it would! Oh how lucky to be able to get all those amazing tropical fruits there. I once tried Sugarloaf pineapple from Hawaii. White fleshed but oh so sweet!
The pineapple here is honestly the best I’ve ever tasted, plus you can eat the core so you get twice the amount of pineapple per fruit!
When I was young I despised pineapple and pineapple upside down cake. There, I said it. See, I’d only had canned. It wasn’t until I was in my 20’s that I tried fresh pineapple. Oh, I had a few opportunities earlier but I was so sure I hated it, that I never tried fresh if I saw it on a buffet or in a drink – so I finally learned that fresh pineapple is soooo much better than canned!
And just think, now you can get fresh pineapple almost anywhere! The cake is lovely the photos are gorgeous and the rabbit…well where there’s one, there’s two. Where there’s two…i guess I don’t have to tell you about that!!
I know! I used to hate this fruit cocktail dessert sometimes served at parties when I was young. You know, with the fruit cocktail from a can? Yuck!! And people who don’t like pineapple upside down cake probably tried it with canned pineapple. Fresh pineapple, people! There’s no excuse, like you said, it’s available now everywhere ??
Ohh This is a pure delight!!! Such a great recipe for the summer!
Thanks so much! I’m so glad you like it! ?
Beautiful Angie! And with fresh pineapple. I’ve only had upside down cake with canned pineapple. As in the previous post, fresh pineapple on my first visit to Hawaii was a revelation.
Oh you’ll have to try it with fresh pineapples, Liz. So much better, I think. I want to retire in Hawaii ?? I told my husband that on a daily basis, lol.
This looks so good Angie ? Could I using the same recipe and bake the cake without eggs ?
I’m sure you can use your usual egg substitute for this. It may not taste exactly the same but if you’re used to eggless cakes, then it should be fine. I just haven’t baked a lot of cakes without eggs. Give it a try anyway, and let me know how it turns out for you.
Sure let me try, will let you know how it turned out. ? thanks for a great share.
Absolutely delicious, Angie! As always 😀 Happy Fiesta xx
I did promise a special dessert so it’s got to be pineapple ? I’m glad you like it!
Why I can’t laugh at my jokes, too? I mostly find my jokes in my blog posts so boring, but when I let somebody read it, they laugh? And I guess you feel the same way, too? But belive me, Angie, I laugh at your jokes. You always make me smile. And this pineapple upside down cake is fantastic! I was also planning to make upside down cake, but a mango one. You know, mango is my favorite fruit. But let’s see when this lazy girl would be able to bake one. 😀 Now, would you please hand me over a slice? 😀
2 slices for you, Jhuls! For laughing at my jokes ?? Can’t wait for the mango cake. Sounds pretty amazing! Take you time, though. There’s no blogging police, is there? ?
Oh no! No blogging police, thank goodness! ?
Looks so good, Angie! A pineapple upside down cake has been on my list for too long. Need to bake it one of these days! Your recipe looks perfect.
Thanks, Indu! Make sure you use fresh pineapple. Much better, I think. Though if you’re pressed for time, you can use canned. Hope you’ll like it! ?
I agree it has to be fresh pineapple!
Does anyone remember The Simpsons? In particular, when Homer saw a doughnut or something equally tasty the sound he made with his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth? Yea. That’s me. Looks fantastic!
Haha, of course I remember, who wouldn’t? Or how about when he asked the operator the number for 911? Lol, classic! So glad you like the cake, Glenda, ?
This looks so delicious!
Thanks so much, Abby! ?
Angie, I can so relate to the whats apping! I have two friend groups in India too,so even before I go to bed at night, they are on a roll with ‘good morning’ messages….remember me feeling like I don’t have enough time in the day:)
Pineapple upside down cake is one of my favorites and you certainly have given it such a young fashionable look. Love the layered pineapple look in these and the flavors of rum and cardamom mingling! Yummy!
Whatsapp and social media as a whole are both a blessing and a curse I think ? Thanks for the compliments on the cake. I hope you’ll give it a try ??
Yes I cannot wait to make (and eat) it!
Now I’m stopping by in official Throwback Thursday capacity, lol! Yep, it still looks just as scrumptious as it did last week, Angie!
Thanks for sharing with us on Throwback Thursday!
Mollie
LOL!!! Thanks!!!
I turn off my WhatsApp dings so I can respond when I have time! Otherwise…ding ding ding ding ding all day and night! 😀 Angie, your cake is so pretty. Everything you make is so pretty. This is not fair. 😛
It’s kinda distracting, right? I feel like I have to look every time it dings! So I think I need to turn it off, too, Patty. At least sometimes. And everything you photograph looks so beautiful, so there we’re even, haha… 😀
What a beautiful cake Angie! This brings back a lot of memories. Great update on a classic!
Thanks, Antonia! So glad you like it! ?
I love your take on this classic cake. Beautiful pictures and an excellent recipe!
Thanks so much! ?
The way you’ve arranged the pineapple is so pretty!
Thanks, Kat! ?