Pineapple Upside Down Cake
An easy pineapple upside down cake baked in a 9x13 pan – a fluffy, buttery vanilla sponge with a luscious topping of caramelized pineapple and cherries. Simple enough for first-time bakers and easy to make ahead for the holidays.
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 321kcal
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 9x13-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
Video
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.
Variations and Substitutions
- 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
Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 307IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg
