To be honest with you, growing up, pineapple upside down cake was one of my least favorite cakes. I am not sure why, maybe it was the textures combining didn't do it for me. Maybe it was the lack of flavor that I felt was missing.
After all, hey - I'm an all things chocolate kind of gal.
I can't exactly remember what brought me to the kitchen to make a pineapple upside down cake, but I did venture to it one day.
I had already been making cakes for quite a while, but this was one that I didn't really make often. If you know anything about me, I am one to put my own spin on things when it comes to cooking. I like to take things that I try and recreate them at home, and a lot of times try my own little things to enhance flavor.
If you try my cooking or desserts, I'm all about the flavor. The seasonings, the spices, the herbs, the flavor! I can't do bland foods y'all. It doesn't work for me in my kitchen.
That's why when I had to make this cake, it had to be full of flavor. I wanted every nook, every cranny, every crumb to be flavorful.
I'm truly grateful to say I was able to make just that. From the glaze, that is made with our brown butter, to the cake itself, every layer is full and bursting with flavor.
Every bite, you can taste the juicy pineapples, the sweet buttery glaze, to the soft moist and fluffy decadent cake.
Let's get into this goodness before I need to take a break to go bake myself one right now. Hey, I might get to making one myself after this. Let us know if you enjoy it, we truly hope you do!
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place your four tablespoons of butter in your cake pan.
3. Place your cake pan in the oven while it pre heats.
You are looking for the butter to melt and start to brown. It will take about five to eight minutes in the oven. You don't want to burn your butter so check on it around five minutes.
4. In a mixing bowl add your butter and sugar and mix well.
5. With a hand or standing mixer, mix the butter and sugar for about five minutes (while the butter in browning) and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl after every minute to ensure everything is being incorporated.
6. Bring your butter and sugar together with a spatula.
7. Add in your eggs, one at a time.
8. Mix after addition of each egg.
9. Add in your extracts and zest: vanilla, almond and orange if you are using orange extract or your orange zest.
10. Remove butter in pan from oven carefully since it will be hot.
11. Add in your brown sugar and spread in an even layer. Place back in the oven for sugar to start melting.
12. Sift in your dry ingredients to your butter and sugar mixture : cake flour, baking powder and baking soda.
13. Pour your pineapple juice and combine the dry and wet ingredients together. Don't overmix.
14. Carefully remove pan from the oven and keep on a heat safe mat / trivet.
15. Place pineapple slices in your pan. Start in the center of your pan with the first pineapple and then use that as a way to lay the rest of your slices or circles out.
16. Add cherries to the center of each pineapple.
17. Pour your batter over the pineapple slices and even it out.
17. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.
18. Remove from the oven and cool for about 15 minutes.
19. Carefully place a platter on top of your cake pan and flip if over for the platter is now on the bottom. (See video below for tips on an easier transfer)
20. Tap the bottom of the pan well to remove the cake from the pan.
21. Enjoy!