This is such a fun retro cake, but until lockdown happened I’d never tried it before. Once I’d perfected my recipe I couldn’t stop making it. When I see the pretty pineapple and glace cherry topping makes me happy. The cake itself consists of a vanilla sponge, I add a little allspice to my cake for a Caribbean twist. The sponge is then topped with pineapple rings and glace cherries, and a buttery caramelised sugar syrup.
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Pineapple upside down cake is super easy to make and all the beauty of the presentation comes from how it is put together before it is baked. A layer of creamed butter and sugar is first spread on the bottom of the cake tin. The pineapple rings and glace cherries are then arranged on top of this sugar-butter mixture – you can have fun with this bit, but usually the glace cherry halves are placed in the centre of the pineapple rings. Next, the cake batter is poured on top. After the cake is baked it is then turned out onto a plate or cake stand, and voila – the pineapple and cherries now form a pretty topping.
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Key Ingredients
(see below for full list of ingredients)
- Pineapple Rings: Forms the main topping of the cake and adds a slight fruity flavour to the sponge.
- Glace Cherries: These are more decorative than for flavour.
- Butter, Sugar, Eggs, Flour: General sponge cake ingredients.
- Ground Allspice: Not a traditional ingredient in pineapple upside down cake, but it works really well with pineapple.
How To Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Step One: Pre-heat your oven to 160 °C fan (180 °C/350 °F/Gas Mark 4).
Step Two: Cream 50 g unsalted butter with 50 g caster sugar and spread this mixture on the bottom of a 18 cm cake tin.
Step Three: Arrange 6 pineapple rings on top of the butter sugar mixture. I overlap the rings in a circle. Add a 6 glace cherry halves to the centre of each of the pineapple rings such that the dome of the cherry faces down. If space permits add an additional glace cherry half to the centre of the pineapple ring circle.
Step Four: In the meantime make the cake batter. Cream together 100 g butter and 80 g caster sugar until pale and fluffy.
Step Five: Whisk in 2 medium eggs and 1 tsp vanilla essence.
Step Six: Sift in 100 g self-raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/8 tsp ground allspice, then fold it in to the wet ingredients.
Step Seven: Pour the batter into the cake tin over the pineapple and glace cherries.
Step Eight: Bake in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Step Nine: Allow the cake to cool in the cake tin for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a plate or a cake stand.
How To Serve Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- This cake can be served warm or cold. It is perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Tips for Making Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- It is best to make this cake using a fixed bottom cake tin. However, if all you have is a loose bottom tin then be sure to place it on a baking tray as some of the butter-sugar syrup may leak.
- Allow the cake to cool down for around 10 minutes before turning it out onto a plate or cake stand.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
| Serves: 8 | Preparation Time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 45 – 50 minutes |
INGREDIENTS
for the topping:
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 50 g caster sugar
- 6 pineapple rings
- 7 glace cherry halves
for the sponge cake:
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 80 g caster sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 100 g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
METHOD
- Pre-heat oven to 160 °C fan (180 °C/350 °F/Gas Mark 4).
- Cream the butter and sugar and spread this mixture on the bottom of a 18 cm cake tin.
- Arrange the pineapple rings and glace cherries on top of the butter-sugar mixture.
- In the meantime make the cake batter. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale an fluffy.
- Whisk in the eggs and vanilla essence.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, and allspice, then fold it in to the wet ingredients.
- Pour the batter into the cake tin over the pineapple and glace cherries.
- Bake in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the cake tin for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a plate or a cake stand.
NOTES
- If using a loose bottom cake tin, place it on a baking tray during baking as the butter syrup may leak.
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