Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Seems like pineapple upside-down cakes have been popping up all over the blogosphere, huh? Well, this past weekend was my mother's birthday and I was thinking of what to make. She loves pineapple, and this cake is also one of my husband's favorites. Add to that the fact that it's really easy to whip up if you have the ingredients on hand, and it was perfect for me. Plus, it's a real crowd pleaser!

This recipe comes from Pillsbury's The Complete Book of Baking, which has been a go to book for me for years. :)

Ingredients:

Firmly packed brown sugar - 1/3 cup (can go up to 1/2)
Melted butter - 2 tbsp (original uses 1/4 cup)
Canned pineapple slices - 6, or enough to cover pan base
Maraschino cherries - 6
Eggs - 2, separated
Granulated/white sugar - 1/2 cup
All purpose flour - 3/4 cup
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Pineapple juice - 1/4 cup (I used the juice from the canned pineapple)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Combine melted butter and brown sugar in bowl and spread on bottom of ungreased 9 inch round cake pan. Place pineapple slices over mixture, placing cherries in the middle of each pineapple slice (i.e., in the hole).

3. Beat egg yolks in a small bowl until thick and lemon colored. Beat well, gradually adding sugar.

4. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and pineapple juice and mix well.

5. In another small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. (When you pick up the egg beaters, you should have peaks of egg whites on the edge that don't fall off.) Now, fold the egg whites gently into the batter in the other bowl.

6. Pour the batter over the pineapple and cherries in the cake pan and spread to form an even layer.

7. Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 2 minutes (DO NOT FLIP OVER YET).

8. Then, turn over onto serving plate carefully. Slowly remove the pan and replace any fruit/sugar mixture that may have remained stuck to the pan.

Serve warm with ice cream or whip cream, if desired! Sooooooo yummy! This is not a huge cake, so it's ideal as a quick dessert for a small crowd. You can also alter this by using other fruits as you please. :)

want a slice?