I finally got a pineapple upside-down cake to work!

[Recursion]

This was my first time trying it with fresh rather than canned pineapple. Seems to make a huge difference.

[randr]

1. We used to make this on river trip

In cast iron skillet, buried in coals.
Always best when the sugar burnt a bit.

[Nitram]

15. We did the same on wilderness conoe trips in Ontario and Quebec. We used a reflector oven in front

of the campfire.

[Ohiogal]

2. Yum!!

I first made this in 7th grade cooking class and have loved it ever since. (yes I am that old)

Looks gorgeous!

[Frustratedlady]

3. Looks delicious. I love it with pecan halves in the empty spaces.

I wonder how long it will be before I give in and bake a pineapple upside down cake?

[Bettie]

13. Walnuts work really well too

Now I want to make one.

[CrispyQ]

4. I've never made one, but now I want to try.

It looks wonderful! And that pecan idea - yum!

[sagesnow]

5. Nice Choice

Planning on serving it for my next Apocalyptic Luncheon. Any beverage suggestions?

[Recursion]

7. We had it with espresso; it worked well (nt)

[Recursion]

6. I used this recipe

Topping:
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
rings of pineapple
maraschino cherries

Batter:
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup golden caster sugar (table sugar is fine if you can't find this)
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
"some" pineapple juice

Equipment:
2 Mixing bowls, whisk, & spoon
Skillet
9" cakepan
Scraper
Spatula

Preheat the oven to 350F

Melt the 1/2 stick butter in the skillet over medium heat, add in the brown sugar and stir until the mixture just starts to bubble. Pour the mixture into the bottom of the cakepan.

Arrange the pineapple rings in the pan, ideally in a hexagon pattern with one in the middle, but as best you can. Put a maraschino cherry (de-stemmed, obvs) in the middle of each ring.

In one mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.

In the other mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and caster sugar. Add the flour one quarter at a time and mix in. Add the eggs and mix in. Add the vanilla and as much pineapple juice as it takes to get a "gloopy" batter and mix in.

Spoon the batter over the pineapples in the cakepan. Smooth the top of the batter with a spatula, being careful not to disturb the pineapple arrangement. The melted butter should rise up the sides of the pan as you do this.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes; an inserted metal knife should come out clean or only slightly oily. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes. Place the cake plate over the pan and invert quickly. Pull the pan off and voila.

[Phoenix61]

8. I use pineapple tidbits and no cherries.

More pineapple per bite with the tidbits. Just need to make sure you drain them really well or the brown sugar doesn’t caramelize like it should.

[ronatchig]

9. I'm really sad

That I don't know you really well !Well, good enough for a large wedge of that cake and a cold glass of milk. Mmmm.lol.

But seriously,my wife would make this for us. I have many warm &yummy memories of a sweet woman and wonderful cake.

[Demsrule86]

10. Lovely cake...I make peach and apple upside down cakes too...fresh pineapple would be so good.

[dem in texas]

11. Made this cake many times

Used fresh and canned, rings and tidbits, also made with apricots and apples, too. Always used an iron skillet.

Best recipe is in the old Joy of Cooking, the cake recipe calls for 4 eggs and is almost a sponge cake, put pineapple rings, maraschino cherries and pecan halves. When cake on the plate, sprinkle a little dark rum over all. Serve with a little vanilla ice cream, yum, yum.

[lark]

12. I so am going to try that with bourbon.

My husband loves bourbon and I like the taste of it too, but not like he does.

When I make pineapple upside down cake I don't go by the recipe for the brown sugar on the bottom I just put in brown sugar until it totally covers the bottom of the pan then add butter in a sufficient qty to melt the brown sugar. That's the way mom made it and it's so much better that way IMO with the brown sugar making a thick crust of yumminess. I also use pineapple juice in place of the water or other liquid for the cake itself, don't remember if that's part of the recipe or another mom hack, lol.

I am definitely going to make one and try the bourbon addition this time.

[Demsrule86]

14. My Mom made it as you do...and I make it in a cast iron frying pan covering the bottom

and adding butter as you described...she always used pineapple juice in either a homemade cake or in a cake mix. This was my Dad's favorite cake...he had it every birthday. It is my husband and son's favorite cake also.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

16. One of my cast iron dutch oven favorites to make

I've found that lining the D.O. with aluminum foil helps with the clean-up. Sprinkle a few blueberries in among the pineapple rings and the cherries for color. Leave it a little long to caramelize the bottom, just a little, invert out onto a serving platter, and stand back.

My "first love" is D.O. campfire cooking.