In this recipe, I will show you how to make a delicious Pineapple Upside Down Cake from scratch. The result is a moist and mouth-watering cake that your whole family will love!
This post was sponsored by Mazola®, but the recipe and some of the opinions are my own.
When I was a kid, we didn’t get to have many desserts, since my mom would never make them at home. That’s why when I began to cook as an adult, one of the first things I started learning was how to make cakes just like this one!
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When preparing the topping for a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, most cooks leave the pineapple in slices and place 6 or 7 of those slices on the cake (generally with a cherry inside each), but this time I decided to do it a bit differently. I cut the pineapples into bite-size chunks and arranged them so that they cover the whole surface of the cake. This way every slice of the cake is equally topped with pineapple, and it also makes it easier to slice and bite into.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake in Mexico
Pineapple Upside Down Cake is popular in many Latin American countries, including Mexico. While some cooks make this Pineapple Cake at home, it is also commonly sold in slices at neighborhood panaderias all over Mexico.
What is the upside-down cake method?
The upside-down cake method consists of placing fruit at the bottom of the cake pan before adding the batter, and once the cake is baked, you flip the cake over to showcase the bottom part that is now at the top. Generally, the fruit topping has sugar added so that it acquires a beautiful caramel color once it's baked. There are several types of upside-down cakes that use different kinds of fruit, but pineapple is among the most popular.
Ingredients for a Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
Although it is very common (and also convenient) to make this cake using store-bought cake mix (like yellow cake mix), it is also really easy to make it using ingredients that many of you already have at home. Many recipes for this cake use oil along with yogurt or sour cream in the batter, giving a sweet and tart flavor to the cake.
For this recipe, I am using yogurt and Mazola® Corn Oil. Mazola® Corn Oil has a neutral flavor, so it will not affect the taste of the cake. It’s also a very versatile option that makes it ideal for all types of cooking, from grilling and sautéing to baking!
Can I use a fresh Pineapple for this recipe?
If you have a fresh pineapple that is already ripe and want to put it to good use, then this is the perfect recipe for you. Simply peel the pineapple, cut it into slices, and then cut the slices into small, chunk-like pieces. To substitute the canned pineapple juice in this recipe, simply use water in its place.
Can Pineapple Upside Down Cake be made ahead of time?
This cake can be prepared and baked one day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, just make sure to store it in a plastic container, or alternatively you can loosely cover it with plastic wrap.
Notes:
- If you don’t have brown sugar, you can use light brown sugar. It will still caramelize the pineapple, but it will not have as dark a color.
- You can substitute yogurt with sour cream in case you don’t have plain yogurt.
- If you like, you can add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract to the cake mixture.
- Some people like to top their pineapple cake with Maraschino cherries in the center of each of the pineapple rings, but since we will be cutting the pineapple into chunks, the whole cake will be topped with only the pineapple.
- You should flip the cake as soon as possible after taking it out of the oven, but if you want you can also wait a few minutes before flipping it.
- There are several pineapple upside down cake recipes that use a cast iron skillet, but this recipe uses a traditional round cake pan.
- Some people like to serve this cake with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, but it still tastes delicious just by itself.
How to make upside-down pineapple cake
Ingredientes:
- 2 tablespoons melted salted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 can pineapple slices, chopped & drained (20 ounces)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 3 whole eggs
- ½ cup pineapple juice (from the canned pineapple)
- ½ cup Mazola® Corn Oil
- 1 cup plain yogurt
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350º F (180ºC)
- Spread the melted butter around the inside of a 9-in round baking pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar all over the bottom of the pan, and then arrange the pineapple chunks so that they cover all the base of the baking pan/mold. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Set aside.
- Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl, then add the Mazola® Corn Oil and mix well. After this, stir in the yogurt and the pineapple juice. Keep mixing until everything is well combined. For these steps, you can use a whisk, a handheld electric mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- As you continue mixing, slowly start integrating the dry ingredients (the flour mixture from step 3) into the wet mixture. Working in stages, continue mixing until everything is well incorporated and it forms a uniform cake batter. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to collect all the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. Make sure to check on your cake during the last few minutes, since every oven works differently and the required baking time can vary. Your cake will be ready when a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- To place the cake on a serving plate: run a knife around the outside edge of the baking pan, place a plate on top of the cake pan, and carefully invert them. Slowly remove the cake pan to uncover the cake.
- Wait a couple of hours to slice your Homemade Pineapple Upside Down Cake, and enjoy!
Other desserts to try:
*Very limited and preliminary scientific evidence suggests that eating about 1 tablespoon (16 grams) of Corn Oil daily may reduce the risk of heart disease due to the unsaturated fat content in Corn Oil. FDA concludes that there is little scientific evidence supporting this claim. To achieve this possible benefit, Corn Oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day. One serving of this product contains 14 grams of Corn Oil.
📖 Recipe
Upside-down pineapple cake
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons melted salted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 can pineapple slices chopped & drained (20 ounces)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 3 whole eggs
- ½ cup pineapple juice from the canned pineapple
- ½ cup Mazola® Corn Oil
- 1 cup plain yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350º F (180ºC)
- Spread the melted butter around the inside of a 9-in round baking pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar all over the bottom of the pan, and then arrange the pineapple chunks so that they cover all the base of the baking pan/mold. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Set aside.
- Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl, then add the Mazola® Corn Oil and mix well. After this, stir in the yogurt and the pineapple juice. Keep mixing until everything is well combined. For these steps, you can use a whisk, a handheld electric mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- As you continue mixing, slowly start integrating the dry ingredients (the flour mixture from step 3) into the wet mixture. Working in stages, continue mixing until everything is well incorporated and it forms a uniform cake batter. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to collect all the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. Make sure to check on your cake during the last few minutes, since every oven works differently and the required baking time can vary. Your cake will be ready when a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- To place the cake on a serving plate: run a knife around the outside edge of the baking pan, place a plate on top of the cake pan, and carefully invert them. Slowly remove the cake pan to uncover the cake.
- Wait a couple of hours to slice your Homemade Pineapple Upside Down Cake, and enjoy!
Lisabeth
Delicious cake! I used canned pineapple tidbits, instead of cutting rings into bite size pieces. I dolloped whipped cream on each serving and garnished with maraschino cherries.