Pineapple Upside Down Cake

4.78 from 9 votes

Simply the BEST Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipe! Picture a fluffy buttery vanilla sponge with a luscious topping of caramelised pineapple and cherries. This classic cake is SO SIMPLE to make even if you have never baked before.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time45

Course: Cake

Cuisine: American, British

Keyword: Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe

Servings: slices

Calories: 321kcal

Author: Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes

Equipment

Ingredients

Topping

½ cup (115g) unsalted butter cubed
1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
12-14 pineapple rings from a can, reserve the juice

For the Cake

2 ¾ cups (330g) flour all- purpose / plain
1 ⅔ cups (330) sugar
1 level tbsp baking powder
½ level tbsp baking soda bicarbonate
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

For the icing & decoration

3 tbsp smooth apricot jam
2 tbsp pineapple or lime juice
maraschino cherries or 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 tin, edge to edge, and top with the pineapple slices, cutting them in half to fit if needed.

Make the sponge

Preheat the oven to 170C (340F). Line a 9x13inch rectangular cake pan with baking 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) flour, 1 ⅔ cups (330) sugar, 1 level tbsp baking powder, ½ level tbsp 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 knife inserted in the centre should come out clean – if not cook for a further 5 minutes.
Leave cake to cool in tin for 20 minutes. Lift the cake out of the tin using the overhanging paper and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

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
Brush the cake with the warm jam to cover. Add the cherries if using, slice and serve.
maraschino cherries

Video

Notes

If you are using self-rising then add only 1 tsp baking powder (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.

HOW TO FLIP A PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

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 tin 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!

Nutrition