Pineapple upside-down cake: A melt-in-your-mouth buttery vanilla cake with a caramelized pineapple topping.
PREPARATION TIME:
prep time: 20 MINUTES
cook time: 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES
Ingredients:
TOPPING
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 20 oz. can pineapples rings (in their own juices, not syrup), (about 11 slices, dried with paper towels)
- 11 maraschino cherries
CAKE BATTER
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons butter-flavored shortening, (a must, don’t use plain)
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup whole milk
Instructions:
MAKE THE TOPPING
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Move the oven rack to the middle of the oven. (Place a baking sheet on the bottom rack just in case juices from the cake bubble over a bit.)
- In a deep 9.5-inch glass pie plate, add melted butter and spread out to cover the bottom.
- Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the butter.
- Place a whole pineapple ring in the middle of the pan.
- Slice the other pineapples in half and place the halves around the middle pineapple.
- Place a cherry in the center of each space. (Refrigerate until ready to use)
MAKE THE BATTER
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In a large bowl, cream together butter, shortening, white sugar, and brown sugar.
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Mix in eggs and vanilla extract. Set aside.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
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Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while alternating between the heavy whipping cream and milk.
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Mix just until batter is combined and fluffy, do not over mix.
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Pour batter over pineapples and carefully spread out into an even layer.
TIME TO BAKE!
- Bake for 40 minutes. Then cover loosely with tented foil (to prevent further browning) and bake for another 30-35 minutes (may need shorter or longer) or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
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Remove from the oven and let the cake cool for about 15 minutes.
TIME TO INVERT THE CAKE!
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While the cake is still warm, place a cake stand on top of the pie plate and carefully flip both over. (Use oven mitts since the bottom of the pie plate will be hot! See video for demonstration
