I found this pineapple upside down cake recipe in one of my Big Mama’s old handwritten recipe notebooks years ago, and it has never stirred me wrong. It has a moist soft sponge cake base that gets soaked with that caramelized pineapple juice as it bakes. Make it in a cast iron skillet like my mama used to do for the best results. It’s our secret.
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Video Tutorial
How to Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, eggs and pineapple juice until well mixed.
- Melt the butter in a 9-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. When it’s melted, whisk in the brown sugar and cook for 1 minute.
- Place 6 to 7 pineapple rings over the top of the melted butter and brown sugar mixture and cook over medium heat for an additional 2 minutes.
- Pour the cake batter over the top of the pineapple rings.
- Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake for 10 minutes then invert the cake onto a serving plate.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsps pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 6-7 fresh pineapple rings or more to create design
- maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- For the cake batter: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, eggs and pineapple juice until well mixed. Set aside.
- Next melt butter to a 9 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Once melted, whisk in brown sugar and cook for 1 minute.
- Line the bottom of the butter and sugar mixture with 6 to 7 pineapple rings, place a cherry insdie each ring and cook over medium heat for an additional 2 minutes.
- Pour cake batter on top of the pineapples.
- Bake cake for 28-33 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
- Cool cake for 10 minutes then invert the cake onto a serving plate and serve.
Video
Notes
- Use the Right Equipment: A cast-iron skillet is your best friend for this pineapple upside down cake recipe, y’all. It cooks everything up nice and even, and its heavy bottom keeps the butter from burning. Plus, that handy handle makes flipping the cake a breeze.
- Season Your Skillet: Make sure your cast-iron is properly seasoned so the cake doesn’t stick. You want that beautiful pineapple top to slide right out, not get left behind!
- Serve Warm: This cake is at its absolute best fresh out of the oven, cooled just for a few minutes. When it’s warm, it’s pure perfection.
- Slice Pineapple: If you’re using fresh pineapple, make sure those slices are cut nice and thin so they cook up tender and juicy in the time it takes to bake the cake.
How to Store Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Boos, let me tell you, there’s nothing like savoring this cake fresh out the oven. But hey, we all need a little sweetness on standby, right? So, if you’ve got some of this scrumptious pineapple cake left over, here’s the deal:- Fridge: Let it cool all the way down, then wrap it tight in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and pop it in the fridge. When properly stored, your classic pineapple upside down cake will last up to five days. Make sure it’s wrapped well to prevent it from drying out!
- Freezer: Wrap individual slices or the whole cake tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag or container. It’ll stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to indulge, just let it thaw in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Use the Right Equipment: A cast-iron skillet is your best friend for this pineapple upside down cake recipe, y’all. It cooks everything up evenly and creates that deep caramelization.
- Serve Warm: This cake is at its absolute best fresh out of the oven, cooled just for a few minutes especially with vanilla ice cream. When it’s warm, it’s pure perfection.
- Slice Pineapple: If you’re using fresh pineapple, make sure those slices are cut nice and thin so they cook up tender and juicy in the time it takes to bake the cake.
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Recipe Help
Absolutely boo! You can bake this pineapple upside down cake in a 9×9 square pan if you want. Just make sure to grease or spray it well with baking spray. You’ll need to cook the brown sugar, butter, and pineapple in a skillet first, then transfer everything to your square pan. I’d stick with a metal pan rather than glass to get that lovely caramelization on the bottom.
It might be because your pineapple was too juicy. Canned pineapple can have a lot of extra liquid, so make sure to drain it really well before adding it to the skillet.
More Pineapple Recipes
- Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes.
- Pineapple Upside Down Milkshakes
- Grilled Pineapple Donut Sundaes
- Pineapple Whip
- Pineapple Pound Cake
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!
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I just tried your Big Mamas Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipe, and it was a hit! The balance of sweetness with the caramelized pineapples was perfect. Thank you for sharing such a delightful recipe! Can’t wait to make it again!
Wow thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed it.
I no longer have a 10” cast iron skillet (don’t ask) but I do have a 10” straight sided stainless frypan that has lost its handle which I use…so to get the pineapple real ‘Carmel ly’ I melt the butter and brown sugar, then put the pineapple/cherries in the sauce and let it simmer while I mix the batter.
The cake bakes up beautifully, in a house full of chocoholics it’s still the number one requested birthday cake.
So happy to hear that the whole family likes it!
Hi. Saw your pineapple upside down cake on TikTok. That recipe was done in a bundt pan and you did a pineapple rum glaze. Can you please send instructions on how to do the glaze. Thank you
Hey boo, here is that recipe: https://grandbaby-cakes.com/pineapple-rum-cake-recipe/
Hi I have a 9 inches skillet but looks smaller and I cannot fit as many pineapples. Is there a different type of 9 inch skillet? Would love to bake it looks amazing!
Hi Karlie, are you using a cast iron skillet? I usually only get 6 in mine.
Girl!! This was so delicious! I had to make sure I didn’t eat the whole thing. As always, your recipes are always on point. Thank you!
Thanks, boo!! So glad you liked it!
easy & yummy! perfect one dish cake makes cleanup a breeze…next time i will make the cake as 1.5x for more cake/fruit ratio as my cast iron skillet is square
So glad you liked it!
I’m thinking about making into cupcakes. How long would they need to make?
Hi Dani! You could use my pineapple cupcake recipe that is a play on pineapple upside down cake. You can find it here: https://grandbaby-cakes.com/pineapple-cupcakes/