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This pineapple upside-down cake is a soft and buttery delight, crowned with a caramelized brown sugar pineapple and cherry topping. As it bakes, the juicy topping seeps into the cake, infusing it with luscious flavor and an irresistible texture. This classic favorite, made with canned pineapple and maraschino cherries, is served upside down and perfect for any occasion, any time of year.
I’m always eager to learn and improve my skills in the kitchen. Through constant practice, I strive to bring you the best recipes possible. This post is particularly exciting because it features an improved version of a beloved classic!
Improved Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Recipe – Discover the Difference
Several years ago, I developed and published a pineapple upside-down cake recipe that many people enjoyed. However, it had some issues: the cake often overflowed due to the excessive batter, it could be overly wet, and the instructions were not very clear. Over the years, as a cookbook author and baker, I’ve honed my craft and now present you with an updated, refined recipe.
The new recipe for pineapple upside-down cake is significantly softer than the original. By using creamed butter instead of melted, cake flour instead of all-purpose flour, all white sugar instead of a mix of brown and white, and just egg whites, the cake has a dramatically improved texture. I adapted this recipe from my white cake recipe. The updated version yields less batter, preventing overflow issues.
The pineapple cherry topping remains the same because you don’t mess with perfection! Here’s a quick comparison:
- Old Cake Recipe: Overly heavy, wet, prone to overflow.
- New Cake Recipe: Softer, pleasantly moist, reduced batter amount.
In my updated cake batter recipe, we use the same ingredients as before, but in different forms, ratios, and amounts to achieve the best possible results. This meticulous adjustment ensures a superior texture and flavor, enhancing the overall baking experience. Baking, after all, is a science that demands precision and experimentation. I’m thrilled to bring you this well-tested and improved recipe, reflecting my commitment to culinary excellence. Each tweak and modification is aimed at delivering a delightful and consistently successful baking adventure for you.
Key Ingredients You Need
- Cake Flour: Produces a lighter, softer crumb.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Provide lift under the heavy topping.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness.
- Butter: Use 6 tablespoons of softened butter for the cake batter. Creaming butter and sugar ensures a buttery soft crumb.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar sweetens and tenderizes the cake. The topping uses brown sugar for essential flavor.
- Egg Whites: Using only egg whites prevents the cake from being weighed down by yolks.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor.
- Sour Cream: Promises a tender cake crumb. Plain yogurt can be used in a pinch.
- Pineapple Juice & Milk: Thins out the batter and adds flavor.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Topping
I’ve kept the original topping recipe, which includes canned pineapple rings, maraschino cherries, butter, and brown sugar. Always use 10 pineapple rings (some halved for the sides), which equals one 20-ounce can. Feel free to use fresh pineapple and cherries if you prefer. Blot the wet pineapples and cherries before using to prevent excess liquid from making the cake overly wet.
My top tip for the topping is to thoroughly blot the wet pineapples and maraschino cherries before using them. Excess moisture in the fruit can lead to an unpleasantly wet cake, as the liquid won't properly set during baking. This simple step ensures a perfect texture and prevents the cake from becoming soggy.
What makes this pineapple upside-down cake even more appealing is that it’s essentially pre-decorated. The caramelized fruit topping serves as a beautiful and delicious garnish, eliminating the need for any additional frosting or decoration. This built-in garnish makes the cake visually stunning and ready to serve right out of the pan.
Overview: How to Make the Best Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
- Prepare the topping: Melt butter, pour it into an un-greased cake pan, sprinkle with brown sugar, and arrange the blotted pineapple rings and maraschino cherries. Refrigerate the topping while you prepare the batter.
- Prepare the cake batter: Whisk dry ingredients together. Cream butter and sugar, then beat in egg whites and vanilla, followed by sour cream. Combine dry ingredients with wet, then add pineapple juice and milk. Mix until smooth.
- Spread over topping: Pour and spread the batter over the chilled topping.
- Bake: Bake until the juices bubble up the sides and the edges are caramelized. Place a baking sheet on a lower rack to catch any potential overflow.
- Cool: Cool the cake for 20 minutes before inverting it onto a serving plate. Allow it to cool completely for easier slicing.
Expect a Dense Cake
Pineapple upside-down cake is inherently dense due to the weight of the topping. It will never be as light and airy as a typical white cake, but this unique texture, combined with the caramelized fruit topping, is what makes it so special.
I’m confident you’ll love this updated version of the pineapple upside-down cake. Let me know how it turns out!
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The above recipe draws inspiration from the renowned culinary experts, Sally and Lindsay.
Ingredients
Updated in 2020, this is my favorite recipe for traditional pineapple upside down cake. For best success, read the recipe and recipe notes before beginning.
😎 Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.
Topping
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 8–10 pineapple slices (see note)*
- 15–20 maraschino cherries (see note)*
Cake
- 1 and 1/2 cups (177g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60ml) pineapple juice, at room temperature (use leftover from can)
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk, at room temperature
Instructions
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- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Prepare topping first: Pour 1/4 cup melted butter into an ungreased 9×2 inch pie dish or round cake pan. (Make sure the pan is 2 inches deep. I recommend this pie dish, which is 1.8 inches deep but I never have an overflow issue.) Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Blot any excess liquid off the fruit with a clean towel or paper towel. (The wetter the fruit, the more likely the cake could overflow or the topping could seep over the sides when inverted.) Arrange about 6-7 blotted pineapple slices and all the cherries on top of the brown sugar. I like to halve 3 pineapple rings and arrange them around the sides of the pan, too. See my photo and video above for a visual of the arranged topping. Place pan in the refrigerator for a few minutes as you prepare the cake batter. This helps solidify or “set” the topping’s arrangement.
- Make the cake batter: Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed until creamed together, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up 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 up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer onto low speed and as the mixer runs, slowly pour in the pineapple juice and milk. Beat on low speed just until all of the ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Remove topping from the refrigerator. Pour and spread cake batter evenly over topping.
- Bake for 43-48 minutes, tenting foil on top of the cake halfway through bake time to prevent the top from over-browning before the center has a chance to fully cook. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean—a couple moist crumbs are OK. Don’t be alarmed if your cake takes longer or if the cake rises up and sticks to the foil. (We serve the cake upside down anyway!)
- Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for just 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 ok. You can slice and serve the cake warm, but the slices will be messy. I find it’s best to cool the cake completely at room temperature before slicing and serving. Do not refrigerate the cake to speed up the cooling process because it could end up tasting overly dense.
- Cover leftover slices and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature. I don’t recommend freezing the cake as a whole because the topping arrangement doesn’t thaw very nicely. See make ahead instructions below.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can refrigerate the topping in step 2 for up to 1 day. If refrigerating for longer than 1 hour, cover it tightly. Other than that, this isn’t the best cake to make ahead of time or freeze because the pineapples will settle down into the cake—while still tasty, the presentation won’t be as pleasing. You can, however, prepare the wet ingredients (cover and refrigerate) and dry ingredients (cover at room temperature) separately up to 1 day ahead of time, then continue with the recipe the next day. Let the wet ingredients come to room temperature before mixing.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Pie Dish or 9-inch Round Cake Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack
- Old Recipe: The current cake batter recipe was updated in 2020. If you loved the old cake batter recipe, originally published in 2014, here it is: The topping recipe is the same. Prepare the recipe above through step 2. For the cake batter, whisk 1 and 2/3 cups (210g) all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together. In a separate bowl, whisk 1/2 cup (115g) melted unsalted butter, 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar, 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup (60g) yogurt or sour cream, 1/2 cup (120ml) milk, 1/4 cup (60ml) pineapple juice, and 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract together. Whisk wet and dry ingredients together until smooth. Continue with step 5 in the recipe above.
- Pineapple & Cherries: Traditional recipes use canned pineapple and maraschino cherries. I recommend 1 20 ounce can of pineapple rings/slices, which usually holds 10 rings/slices. You can use fresh pineapple rings/slices and fresh cherries if desired. If using fresh cherries, I recommend halving them. Blot excess liquid off the fresh fruit just as I instruct in step 2. Fresh or canned pineapple chunks, tidbits, and/or crushed pineapple will create a messy topping that could spill over the sides when the cake is inverted. I recommend rings/slices because they are larger.
- Sour Cream & Milk: Full fat sour cream and whole milk are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full fat plain yogurt would work instead of the sour cream, though the cake may not taste as tender. Same goes with a lower fat or nondairy milk.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important.
