Happy Mother's Day Y'all!
I have a sweet little friend named Hannah that on a really bad day would trade her little brother for a piece of my pineapple upside down cake. It is quite the sweet treat and reminds me of baking with my Mom. I remember her making this cake quite a few times while growing up. The sweet crusty corners of cake soaked with pineapple and brown sugar...so good.
My favorite recipe for this cake comes from The American Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. I really like it because I can easily adapt the cake portion using white whole wheat flour. It makes me feel a little less guilty eating this wonderful delight.
If your looking for a quick dessert to celebrate Mother's Day, this may fit the bill. Don't have any fresh pineapple, than use two cans of pineapple chunks, drained.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 pineapple (4 cups), peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks or 2 (15oz) cans of pineapple chunks, drained
about 12 maraschino cherries
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg white, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1/3 cup whole milk, at room temperature
*(don't substitute skim here, it won't come out right)
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and hear the oven to 350 degrees. Place 4 tablespoons of the butter in a 9-inch round cake pan with 3-inch sides and place in the oven until the butter melts, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Remove the pan from the oven. Stir the brown sugar into the melted butter, then pat the mixture evenly on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Arrange the pineapple pieces and cherries over the sugar in a single layer and set aside. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Beat the remaining 8 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in the eggs and egg white, one at a time, until incorporated, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the vanilla.
4. Reduce the speed to low and beat in one third of the flour mixture. Beat in half of the milk. Repeat with half the remaining flour mixture, then with the remaining milk, and finally the remaining flour mixture-the batter will be thick.
5. Give the batter a final stir using a rubber spatula to make sure it is thoroughly combined. Drop mounds of batter over the pineapple, smooth the top, then rap the pan several times on the counter to settle the batter. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs attached, about 45-50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
6. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a paring knife around the edge of the cake to loosen the pan. Place an inverted serving platter over the cake pan. Flip the cake out onto the platter. Let the cake cool completely before serving, about 2 hours.
Labels: cake, dessert, fruit, In the Kitchen, Sweet Sundays, sweet treats
