Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Get ready to indulge in the delightful flavors of the Pineapple Upside Down Cake – a retro dessert classic that deserves a spot in every dessert lover's recipe collection!
Ingredients
Topping:
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 8-10 pineapple slices
- 15-20 maraschino cherries
Cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 tbsp butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg whites at room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup whole milk at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° degrees F.
- Pour the melted butter into an ungreased 9x2 inch round cake pan. Make sure the pan is 2 inches deep. Sprinkle the dark brown sugar evenly over the butter.
- Blot any excess liquid off the pineapple and cherries with a clean paper towel. Arrange about 6-7 blotted pineapple slices and all the cherries on top of the brown sugar. You can also halve 3 pineapple rings and arrange them around the sides of the pan for an appealing look.
- Place the pan in the refrigerator for a few minutes as you prepare the cake batter. This helps solidify or "set" the topping.
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Set aside.
- Add the granulated sugar and beat quickly until the mixture is creamed together (about 1 minute).
- Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- On high speed, beat in the egg whites until combined, then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and turn the mixer on low speed. As the mixer runs, slowly pour in the milk. Beat on low rate just until all the ingredients are combined. Be careful not to over-mix. You may need to whisk the batter by hand to ensure no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter should be slightly thick.
- Remove the topping from the refrigerator and carefully pour and spread the cake batter evenly.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 43-48 minutes. Halfway through baking, tent foil over the cake to prevent the top from over-browning while the center thoroughly cooks.
- The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the cake from the oven and cool it on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
- Invert the slightly cooled cake onto a cake stand or serving plate. Some of the juices from the topping will seep over the sides – that's perfectly fine.
- For the best presentation, allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature before slicing and serving. Avoid refrigerating the cake to speed up the cooling process, which may result in an overly dense texture.