Home » Pineapple Upside Down Cake
5(2)
Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
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Cake Christmas Fruit
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Pineapple cake was something that my husband had requested from me and was longing to eat, for a long, long time. Maybe that statement would make me seem like I’m not the best wife. However, he definitely knows that I’m not much of a baker…so I kind of ignored his sentiment.
Last month when I saw Vivianne’s Pineapple Upside-down Cake recipe on her blog Green Cilantro, I knew the time has come! My husband was really excited when I told him about my attempt. He even came to check on how I was doing in the kitchen several times (or maybe he was worried about his cake).
Despite a few moments of “panic” mode (details are in the recipe instruction), I think I did really well. I am not a baker, but I do have a sweet tooth and have ate more than my share of sweets. The cake turned out to be delicious. Vivianne did not include all the caramel syrup in her recipe being worried that it might be too sweet, but I actually pour it all in. It was not as sweet as I thought it was going to be. My husband and children loved it as well and requested to have dessert after every meal as long as there are still pieces of the cake left.
If you are not a baker like me, I would say this is “doable” for a beginner baker. Just read about my panic moment below so you won’t panic like me. 😉 Enjoy!
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5 from 2 votes
Simple instructions on how to make a delicious pineapple upside down cake from scratch with fresh pineapple.
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Prep Time: 30 minutes mins
Cook Time: 1 hour hr
Chilling Time: 1 hour hr
Total Time: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Servings: 1 9-inch (23 cm) cake
Ingredients
- 1 pineapple
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter (¾ stick; softened)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) (at room temperature)
- 3 large egg yolks (at room temperature)
- 1 cups sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter (8 Tbsp, 1 stick; melted and cooled)
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
Instructions
Gather all the ingredients.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Generously butter a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan.
Peel, halve, and core the pineapple, then cut into ¾ inch (2 cm) thick slices. Cut the slices in half. I used this pineapple slicer, which cores and slices an entire pineapple.
Put ¾ cup (150 g) sugar and the water in a medium saucepan and mix well so the sugar is moistened.
Place the pan over high heat and leave it undisturbed. The liquid starts to boil slowly for the first minute or two, and then it will boil rapidly after that. DO NOT TOUCH the pan until the sugar syrup starts to caramelize from the edge of the pan. When you see dark color syrup around the edge of the pan, gently swirl the pan in a circular motion so the sugar caramelizes evenly. Keep swirling gently until the caramel is a medium golden brown.
When it’s medium golden brown, turn down the heat to the lowest and whisk in the 6 Tbsp. butter. Quickly mix well and be careful for splutter.
Carefully add the pineapple and stir until it is coated with the caramel. The caramel will become liquid again once you heat it up and the pineapple will also release juice.
Turn up the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. By this time you see caramel is re-liquefying already. Then turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the pineapple turns golden brown.
Using a fork, transfer the pineapple to a plate.
Continue to boil the remaining caramel on medium-high heat for few minutes, or until thick and syrupy.
Arrange the pineapple in concentric circles in the prepared pan. Make sure to fill in any gaps at bottom of the pan with smaller pieces. My pineapple was just large enough to cover the bottom (so don’t eat your pineapple until you finish this step!). If you have extra pineapple, you can do double layers. Then pour the caramel syrup on top.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and egg yolks until blended, then slowly beat in the remaining 1 cup (200 g) sugar, the vanilla, and the ½ cup melted butter. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture until it's completely mixed.
Pour the batter evenly over the pineapple in the cake pan. Tap the pan gently on a counter top to get rid of any air bubbles in the batter.
Bake at 350ºF (177ºC) for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. If it becomes golden brown too quickly and not done baking yet, cover with aluminum foil so it doesn't burn. The cake is ready when you insert a skewer in the center of the cake and it comes out clean (batter free). Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 30 minutes.
Place a serving plate upside down on top of the cake pan, then holding the pan and the plate tightly together, invert them quickly (but carefully). Lift off the cake pan. If some of the pineapple are stuck to the pan, remove them and place them back on top of the cake. Let the cake cool for at least another 30 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature.
To Store
The cake can be stored in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 days and in the freezer for a month.
Notes
The recipe is adapted from Green Cilantro, originally from Joanne Chang's Flour.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Serving Size
1 9-inch cake
Amount per Serving
Calories
3999
% Daily Value*
Fat
186
g
286
%
Saturated Fat
110
g
688
%
Trans Fat
7
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
11
g
Monounsaturated Fat
Cholesterol
1350
mg
450
%
Sodium
909
mg
40
%
Potassium
1375
mg
39
%
Carbohydrates
568
g
189
%
Fiber
16
g
67
%
Sugar
440
g
489
%
Protein
40
g
80
%
Vitamin A
6736
IU
135
%
Vitamin C
433
mg
525
%
Calcium
561
mg
56
%
Iron
12
mg
67
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Author: Namiko Chen
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake, pineapple
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Meet the Author
Namiko Chen
I'm Nami, a Japanese home cook based in San Francisco. Have fun exploring the 1000+ classic & modern Japanese recipes I share with step-by-step photos and How-To YouTube videos.
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