Description
Ina Garten’s pineapple upside down cake delights with caramelized pineapple and a rich, buttery base. Bakers love this classic dessert that brings Southern charm to any table, inviting you to savor each golden, sweet slice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) heavy cream
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) reserved pineapple juice
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (100 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 7 slices canned pineapple (reserve ½ cup juice for cake)
- 13 candied cherries
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9-inch round baking pan with butter or cooking spray, ensuring complete surface coverage.
- Topping Creation: Combine melted butter and brown sugar, whisking until smooth. Spread mixture evenly across pan bottom. Arrange pineapple rings symmetrically, placing one in the center. Strategically position maraschino cherries within each ring’s cavity and fill remaining spaces.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, and ground cloves into a comprehensive mixture. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until achieving a light, airy consistency with enhanced volume.
- Batter Assembly: Integrate eggs individually into butter mixture, ensuring thorough incorporation. Gently fold dry ingredients, heavy cream, and pineapple juice into batter, maintaining a silky, uniform texture without overmixing.
- Baking Process: Pour batter over prepared pineapple-cherry base, smoothing surface with a spatula. Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 55-65 minutes. Verify doneness by inserting a toothpick – it should emerge clean with minimal crumb attachment.
- Cake Release: After cooling for 5 minutes, loosen edges using a thin spatula. Invert pan onto serving plate with a swift, confident motion, allowing caramelized topping to elegantly settle.
- Serving Suggestion: Present cake warm, optionally garnishing with a luxurious dollop of freshly whipped cream for an indulgent finishing touch.
Notes
- Prep Pan Perfectly: Ensure complete nonstick coverage using cooking spray or butter to prevent cake from sticking and guarantee smooth release.
- Cherry and Pineapple Placement: Arrange pineapple rings and cherries methodically for a stunning visual presentation that creates a classic upside-down cake look.
- Mixing Matters: Cream butter and sugar thoroughly until light and fluffy to develop optimal cake texture and ensure even sugar distribution.
- Cool and Release Carefully: Let cake rest 5 minutes before inverting to allow caramel topping to set and prevent structural breakdown during serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 34 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg