Pineapple Upside Down Cake – Sheet Pan Recipe
, Updated Nov 10, 2026
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This easy pineapple upside down cake is baked in a 9×13 pan: a glossy brown sugar caramel, pineapple rings and cherries go in first, a buttery vanilla sponge goes on top, and you flip it to serve. It takes 15 minutes to prep, serves 12 and can be made the day before – which makes it a cheerful, crowd-sized alternative to pie on the Thanksgiving dessert table.
Looking for more holiday ideas? Browse my Thanksgiving Recipe Collection.
Sometimes a retro bake is worth the nostalgia (and the calories) and this Pineapple Upside Down Cake is it! Easy to make, stunning to look at and incredibly delicious – what more can we ask for? Oh – it also feeds a CROWD so it’s perfect for those big family gatherings.
Pineapple upside down cake has been around for about a century. It took off in the 1920s, when canned pineapple became widely available, and stayed a firm favorite with home bakers right through to the 1980s. The name comes from the method: Just like a French tarte tatin, the fruit goes in the bottom of the pan and the batter on top, then the cake is flipped to reveal that shiny caramel-covered fruit.
Love pineapple? Try my Mini Hummingbird Cakes and old-fashioned Do Nothing Cake.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake for Thanksgiving
Pumpkin and pecan pie will always have their place, but a fruity, golden traybake is a welcome change after a big rich dinner – and it’s one of the easiest holiday desserts you can make. Here’s how to make it work on the day:
- Bake it the day before: Your oven will be busy with the turkey and sides, so get the cake out of the way on Wednesday. Flip and glaze it once cool, cover and refrigerate.
- Serve it warm or at room temperature: Take it out of the fridge an hour before dessert, or warm individual slices for a few seconds in the microwave.
- Cut to suit the crowd: 12 slices for a sit-down dessert, or smaller squares if it’s one of several desserts on a buffet.
Here’s What You’ll Need
You’ll need a 9×13 quarter sheet cake pan, a hand or stand mixer and a wire rack. Upside down cakes are usually baked in round pans, but I love how graphic a rectangular pineapple upside down traybake looks – and it’s much easier to slice and share. Full quantities are in the recipe card below, and if you need to convert between cups and grams, my baking conversion calculator has you covered.
- Light brown sugar and butter – melted together, they make the shiny caramel topping.
- Pineapple rings – canned rings are the easiest as they are all the same size. Drain them well (save the juice for the glaze) and pat them dry. If you prefer fresh, a pineapple corer and slicer makes quick work of it.
- Maraschino cherries – the vivid red cocktail cherries give the classic look. Glacé cherries (the kind used in my light fruit cake) work too.
- All-purpose flour (plain flour), sugar, baking powder and baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) – make sure your raising agents are fresh.
- Softened butter, eggs and milk – all at room temperature, so the batter doesn’t split.
- Vanilla and lemon zest – the zest is optional, but it lifts the sweetness.
- Apricot jam and the reserved pineapple juice (or lime juice) for the glaze.
How to Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake
↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.
Prepare the Topping
- Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C) and line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper or a reusable liner, leaving plenty of overhang for lifting.
- Heat the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Take it off the heat as soon as it comes to a simmer.
- Spread the caramel over the bottom of the pan, edge to edge. Arrange the drained, dried pineapple rings over it in a single layer, cutting some in half to fill the gaps.
Make the Cake
- Put the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the softened butter, eggs, milk, vanilla and lemon zest (if using).
- Beat on low until everything comes together, then on high for 30–60 seconds until smooth. Stop and scrape down the bowl halfway through.
- Spread the batter carefully over the pineapples and level it. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until golden, springy to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool, Flip and Glaze
- Cool the cake in the pan for 20 minutes, then lift it out using the overhanging liner and transfer it to a wire rack to cool further.
- Flip the cake (see below) and peel off the liner. Warm the apricot jam with the pineapple juice until bubbling, sieve if lumpy, and brush it all over the top.
- Place a cherry (or half a cherry) in the center of each pineapple ring. Glaze once more and leave to set.
- Serve it slightly warm with custard, vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream. For a Thanksgiving dessert table, set it alongside my Mini Pecan Pies and Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake so there’s something for everyone.
Make-ahead tip
Add the Cherries Last
If you bake the cake ahead, glaze it before chilling but hold back the cherries until just before serving so their color doesn’t bleed into the pineapple.
How to Flip an Upside Down Cake
Flipping is the only slightly tricky part of this otherwise easy recipe. Here’s how to get it right every time:
- Lift the cake out of the pan with the overhanging liner – I use these reusable cake liners, which are sturdy enough to lift a large cake in one piece.
- Set the cake on a wire rack, sponge side up, and place a second rack on top. Hold both racks firmly and flip in one quick movement, then peel off the liner to reveal the pineapple topping.
- Use a cake lifter to move it to a platter – it’s a big cake!
Baker’s tip
Let It Cool Before You Flip
If you flip the cake while it’s still hot, it will very likely break apart. Give it at least 20 minutes in the pan and a little more time on the rack – the sponge firms up and the caramel sets as it cools.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The juice goes into the glaze. Warm 2 tablespoons of it with the apricot jam until bubbling, then brush it over the cake once it has been flipped. Lime juice works too if you prefer a little extra zing.
No, it’s optional. If you use it, add it to the bowl with the softened butter, eggs, milk and vanilla. You don’t need any lemon juice.
Yes. Bake, flip and glaze it the day before, then cover and keep it in the fridge. Bring it back to room temperature (or warm slices briefly) before serving and add the cherries just before it goes to the table.
Yes. Peel and core a ripe pineapple and cut it into rings about ½ inch (1cm) thick. Pat the rings dry before arranging them over the caramel so the topping doesn’t turn watery.
Yes. Swap the all-purpose flour for self-rising flour (self-raising flour), cut the baking powder down to 1 teaspoon and leave out the baking soda.
You’ll Also Love…
- Upside-Down Plum Cake – the same upside down method, this time with juicy plums. A lovely one to bake when plums are in season.
- Mini Pecan Pies – all the flavor of the Thanksgiving classic in bite-size form. They are easy to hand around and perfect for a dessert buffet.
- Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake – two holiday favorites in one creamy dessert. Make it ahead and let the fridge do the work.
- Mini Hummingbird Cakes – more pineapple goodness, with banana and warm spice. Pretty little cakes for a special occasion.
- Rhubarb and Custard Traybake – another crowd-pleasing traybake that’s easy to slice and share. A retro British favorite.
- Retro School Dinner Cake – the sprinkle-topped sponge many of us grew up with. Pure nostalgia, just like this pineapple cake.
Please leave a comment and rating if you try this Pineapple Upside Down Cake, follow me on Pinterest for more easy recipes and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations!
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Topping
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter cubed
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
- 12-14 pineapple rings from a can – drain and reserve the juice
For the Cake
- 2 ¾ cups (330g) all-purpose flour plain flour
- 1 ⅔ cups (330g) granulated sugar
- 1 level tbsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda bicarbonate of soda
- ⅞ cup (200g) unsalted butter softened
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 lemon zest only, optional
For the Glaze and Decoration
- 3 tbsp smooth apricot jam
- 2 tbsp pineapple juice reserved from the can, or lime juice
- maraschino cherries or glacé cherries
Instructions
Make the topping
- Heat butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Turn off heat when the caramel comes to a simmer.½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
- Drain the pineapple rings and reserve the juice to use later. Pat them dry with kitchen paper.12-14 pineapple rings
- Spread the caramel over the bottom of the lined pan, edge to edge, and top with the pineapple slices, cutting them in half to fit if needed.12-14 pineapple rings
Make the sponge
- Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Line a 9×13-inch rectangular cake pan with parchment paper or a reusable cake liner, letting the edges overhang for easy lifting.
- Put the flour, sugar, baking powder and soda in a large mixing bowl and mix together to combine.2 ¾ cups (330g) all-purpose flour, 1 ⅔ cups (330g) granulated sugar, 1 level tbsp baking powder, 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- Add the softened butter, eggs, milk, vanilla and lemon zest.⅞ cup (200g) unsalted butter, 4 large eggs, ½ cup (120ml) milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 lemon
- Start beating at lowest speed setting until ingredients come together. Increase the speed to maximum and beat until the batter is completely smooth – about 30 seconds to one minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Gently spread batter over the pineapple rings and level using a spatula.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the cake is golden and feels springy to the touch. A skewer or toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean – if not, bake for a further 5 minutes.
- Leave the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Lift it out using the overhanging liner and transfer to a wire rack to cool further before flipping.
Decorate
- Heat the jam and juice in a saucepan until bubbles appear. If the jam is not smooth then pass it through a sieve.3 tbsp smooth apricot jam, 2 tbsp pineapple juice
- Brush the flipped cake with the warm glaze to cover. Add the cherries, if using, then slice and serve.maraschino cherries
Notes
- If you are using self-rising flour (self-raising flour), add only 1 tsp baking powder and no baking soda.
- Unless specified otherwise, all your ingredients, including butter, eggs and milk, should be at room temperature in order to achieve a smooth batter. If one or more of the ingredients are cold they will cause your batter to split or look curdled.
- If your milk is cold from the fridge then heat briefly in the microwave or saucepan until just tepid. Make sure the milk is body temperature – not too hot!
- Place cold eggs into warm water for five minutes to bring them back to room temperature.
- Cut cold butter into cubes and leave for an hour on your counter to warm up or use margarine.
- Leave your pineapple upside-down cake to COOL DOWN. If you attempt to flip it while still warm, it will very likely fall apart.
- Lift the cake out of the pan using the overhanging liner – I use these reusable cake liners which are sturdy and allow you to lift a large cake in one piece.
- Place cake on a wire rack and position a second wire rack over the top of the cake (sponge side). Hold the wire racks securely and quickly flip the cake over. Peel off the liner to reveal the glorious pineapple topping underneath!
- Bake, flip and glaze the cake the day before, cover and refrigerate. Add the cherries just before serving.
- Need to convert between cups and grams? Use my baking conversion calculator.
- Cranberry and pineapple: Place a few fresh or frozen cranberries in the center of each ring instead of a cherry, and scatter more into the gaps – a lovely tart, festive twist for Thanksgiving.
- Warm spice: Stir ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or ground ginger into the caramel.
- Rum glaze: Swap the pineapple juice in the glaze for dark rum for a grown-up holiday version.
- Other fruit: Sliced bananas or mango work in place of the pineapple.
- Self-rising flour: Use self-rising flour (self-raising flour) with just 1 teaspoon baking powder and no baking soda.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cake sinks in the middle | Underbaked, too much raising agent, or the oven door was opened too early | Measure the baking powder and soda with level spoons, keep the door shut for the first 30 minutes and bake until a toothpick comes out clean |
| Top browns before the middle is cooked | Oven running hot or uneven | Check your oven with a thermometer and tent the pan with foil for the last 10–15 minutes, keeping the foil off the surface of the cake |
| Topping is runny or watery | Pineapple rings went in wet | Drain the rings well and pat them dry with paper towels before arranging them over the caramel |
| Cake breaks when you flip it | Flipped while still hot | Cool for 20 minutes in the pan, lift it out with the overhanging liner and let it cool further before flipping between two wire racks |
| Batter looks curdled | Cold eggs, milk or butter | Bring everything to room temperature first; a few seconds in the microwave takes the chill off cold milk |
| Cake is dry | Overbaked | Start checking at 45 minutes – it’s ready when golden, springy and a toothpick comes out clean |
The recipe says to save the pineapple juice from the can. However your recipe doesn’t save when to put it into the cake batter or how much juice. Please reply as soon as possible. You also mentioned lemon zest and 1 lemon. At what point is that added and is it supposed to be the juice of one lemon. Also is that optional.
The pineapple juice is used in the syrup (in the “Decorate” section of the recipe). Heat the 3 tbsp smooth apricot jam and 2 tbsp pineapple juice in a saucepan until bubbles appear. Then brush the cake with the warm jam to cover.
The lemon zest is optional (lemon juice is not required). If you choose to use it, this is added in step three of the “Make the sponge” instructions: Add the softened butter, eggs, milk, vanilla and lemon zest.