Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Brown sugar syrup and pineapple bakes into the bottom of this moist, yellow Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. Flip the cake over and serve on a pretty cake stand for a beautifully presented dessert. An Amish country favorite!

We had a challenge from a faithful Lizzy T’s customer last week.  Our friend orders this chocolate and peanut butter cake several times a year for birthdays, mother’s day, and any other holiday. The problem is, she orders it, but can’t eat the peanut butter so she never gets to enjoy the cakes we make her. Her birthday was last week and we wanted to surprise her with a cake that she could enjoy. Her favorite cake? Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.  *Cringe* Ummmm….we had never made a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake before, but we were completely up to the challenge, especially since we have an old Amish recipe for this brightly colored, fruit-filled cake.

Amish recipes have never failed us. And you as our readers have never failed us in loving our Amish recipes. Biscuits, pancakes, strawberry shortcake, apple dumplings, you love them all and these are some of our most popular recipes. This recipe from our favorite cookbook didn’t disappoint. It’s lovely, don’t you think? And the flavor is spot on, too.

Since this was our first time making this cake, I was surprised at how quickly it came together. In less than 15 minutes, we had the cake ready to pop in the oven.  Put a simple mixture of 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of melted butter in the bottom of an 8″ round baking pan.  Place pineapple rings on top of the sugar mixture. We decorated around the pineapple with maraschino cherries. This is not required, but it makes such a bright, cheery cake and would be great for a Christmas brunch or dinner dessert with that pop of red color.

How to Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake

1. The batter takes 6 egg yolks. Egg yolks are what give this cake it’s comforting golden color.  Wondering what to do with all of those extra egg whites? Here’s an article with some fun ideas!

2. The cake is flavored with 1 teaspoon of lemon extract. The lemon flavoring matches so well with the pineapple to give this cake such a fresh taste.

3. You’ll use cake flour for this homemade cake. Why use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour? It is fine in texture and lower in protein which makes it ideal for producing a tender cake.  And this cake does have a tender crumb. It is firm, yet moist and soft.

This cake bakes for about 35-37 minutes. How do you test if a cake is done? Touch the center of the cake with your finger. If the cake springs back when you touch it, it is done.  Then you get to flip the cake over and see your pretty design, with all of the brown sugar and buttery awesomeness baked into it.

Don’t you think this upside-down cake would make an impressive gift for someone? If you have enough self-control not to eat it all yourself, that is.

Have you ever made a pineapple upside-down cake? If not, what’s your favorite cake to make?

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

5 from 2 votes

Brown sugar syrup and pineapple bakes into the bottom of this moist, yellow Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. An Amish country favorite!

Servings 8

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

 

US Customary - Metric

• 3 tablespoons butter melted
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 5 pineapple rings
• 12-15 maraschino cherries drained
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon lemon flavoring
• 1 1/2 cup cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• powdered sugar for dusting the top of the cake

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray the bottom of an 8" round cake pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together the butter and brown sugar. Spread this mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan. Arrange the pineapple and maraschino cherries on top. Set aside.
• In a medium size bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar thoroughly, about 3 minutes by hand. Add the boiling water and lemon flavoring. Mix for about 1 minute. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add this to the wet ingredients and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Pour this batter over the pineapple, spreading the batter out evenly. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the cake springs back when you touch the center with your finger.
• Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes, then turn the cake upside down on a plate to serve it. If the cake has a dome on it, cut the dome off before turning the cake out so it sits evenly. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 192mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Vitamin C: 3.4mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 0.8mg

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Calories 311

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