My Dad's Pineapple Upside Down Cake Is Legendary (2024)

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan

• 1 cup (200g) firmly packed dark brown sugar

• 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple slices

For the cake:

• 1 1/2 cups (200g) all purpose flour

• 6 tablespoons (55g) cake flour

  See Also

  Pineapple Upside Down Cake

• 6 tablespoons ground almonds (from 2 ounces/56g blanched almonds)

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 3/4 cups (350g) sugar

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

• 4 large eggs

• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3/4 cup sour cream

Optional:

• 8 candied or maraschino cherries

1. Preheat the oven:

   Place the oven rack to center position and preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. Grease the pan with butter:

   Generously grease a 10- x 2-inch round non-stick cake pan with butter.

3. Make the caramel topping:

   Heat the brown sugar and butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbly, several minutes. (After the sugar melts, don't stir.)

4. Pour the caramel into the pan and top with pineapple:

   Pour the caramel mixture into the pan. Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer on top of the caramel mixture.

   

   

5. Make the cake batter:

   Whisk the flours, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

   In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter together until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

   Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream in 2 additions each, beating well after each addition.

6. Add the batter to the pan:

   Spread the cake batter over the pineapple and caramel so that it is smooth on top.

   

7. Bake the cake:

   Bake the cake at 325°F until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, about 1 hour.

8. Turn out the cake:

   Cool the cake in pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a platter, after the cake has cooled for 5 minutes, and while the cake is still warm.

   If some of the topping sticks to the cake pan (it often does), just scoop it out with a butter knife and patch the cake.

9. Add cherries, if you like:

   If you want to add candied or maraschino cherries for decoration, just put one in the center of each pineapple round.

   Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.