Pineapple Upside Down Cake

By msippigrl

Impressive homemade cake that looks just like sunshine!! Perfect dessert for Spring and Summer.

Ingredients

• Topping:
• 2 (20 oz) cans Dole pineapple slices in juice (you won't use all of it)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• Good pinch of salt
• Cake Batter:
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• Scant 1 cup sugar
• 2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk

Preparation

Step 1

Make topping:

Pour juice off pineapple, then place the pineapple slices on a couple layers of paper towels to drain then blot the top of slices with additional paper towels. (It needs to be almost dry). Cut each pineapple slice into 3-4 pieces. Set aside.

In a small 1-qt. nonstick saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter; whisk in the brown sugar and cook and whisk for 3-4 minutes, until creamy and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and pour into a very lightly buttered 9" round cake pan (bottom only). Arrange pineapple pieces on top of sugar mixture in concentric circles, starting on the outer edge. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Make cake batter:

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate large mixing bowl, beat butter with a hand mixer until light and fluffy; then gradually beat in sugar until sugar is mostly dissolved. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

On low speed of mixer, beat half the flour mixture into the creamed mixture just until blended. Beat in milk until incorporated, then beat in the remaining half of flour mixture.

Spoon batter evenly over the pineapple topping in the pan.

Bake on center rack of oven 45-50 minutes, until golden and center tests done with toothpick.

Cool cake in pan on wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. Loosen sides with a thin-bladed paring knife. Invert a plate on top of the cake pan (I used another same size cake pan) and invert cake onto plate, keeping plate and pan firmly pressed together. Re-place any pineapple and brown sugar that may have stuck to the pan.

Serve cake at room temperature.