Pineapple Upside-Down Cake #recipe by @LeslieKarst

 

It was my wife Robin's 70th birthday a couple weeks ago, so I made one of her favorite desserts for the dinner party we hosted to celebrate the occasion: pineapple upside-down cake. The recipe may look complicated, but it's not difficult to make--just a bit labor-intensive, since you have to whip the egg whites separately and then fold them into the batter. But my, oh my, was the cake delicious!

 

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients

Topping:
4 T (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 can sliced pineapple rings (or fresh, if you prefer)

Batter:
1 ½ cups flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, separated
½ cup milk

Note that although the quantities listed are for one cake, the photos will show that I doubled the recipe and made two cakes. If you want to do this and freeze the second cake, place it on a plate in the freezer uncovered. When it’s frozen solid, then wrap it well. Remove the wrapping before you defrost it.  

Directions

Oil a 9" cake pan.

For the caramel topping (bottom): Dump your brown sugar (I used sucanat, and it worked fine) and butter into a saucepan,

 


and stir over a medium heat until the butter has melted and the brown sugar dissolves. Cook a few more minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the sugar to caramelize.

 

 

Immediately pour the caramel into the oiled pan. (If you wait, it will start to harden before you pour it.)


Then arrange the pineapple slices on top of the caramel:

 


 

For the batter: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.


 

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, and then add the vanilla extract. Continue beating, adding the egg yolks, one at a time.

 


Mix the flour mixture (in three parts) into the batter, alternatively with the milk (in two parts), ending with the dry ingredients.

 


In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold a firm peak,

 


and fold gently with a rubber spatula into the batter (in two or three parts):

 


Pour the batter into the cake pan on top of the pineapple and caramel, and smooth the top:

 


(You might just feel the urge to lick the batter bowl clean, as this was the tastiest cake batter I have ever had!)

Bake until the top of the cake has browned and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan (50-60 minutes). A toothpick inserted into the cake (not the pineapple) should come out clean:

Remove from oven and let cool for about 10-15 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan, place a serving plate on top of the pan,

 


and invert the cake onto the plate. (See photo at top.)

The cake can be made the morning before service and reheated in the oven at 400°F. If it’s not brown enough for your taste, you can put it under the broiler.

I served mine with vanilla ice cream. So delicious!

 

🌿 🍍 🌱

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