Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I get a lot of requests to make this and it's one of the easiest desserts to make.  You only need a few things to make it and they are all pictured here:

This recipe uses a box cake mix.  If you would rather make a cake from scratch, that's fine too but it's not necessary.  I've found the box mixes taste good and very few people I know can tell the difference.  


The box mix uses three eggs, oil and water.  For the remainder of the cake you will need a jar of maraschino cherries, half a box (roughly) of brown sugar, a stick of butter and a can of pineapple rings in pineapple juice.  Do not use pineapple in heavy syrup.  Place the butter in a glass 13" x 9" baking pan.  It is very important to use a glass pan as it will make it easier to see the results when you invert the cake.  Put the pan in the oven while it's heating up and let the butter melt.  Keep an eye on it so the butter doesn't burn.

Drain the pineapple rings into a large measuring cup.  You will be using the juice in the cake mix.  Check the box to see how much water you need and add to the pineapple juice to equal that amount.  In this case I was able to strain a little over one cup and I needed 1 1/3 cups for the cake.  Add enough water to equal 1 1/3 cups.  If you have pineapple juice you can also add that.  If this is a cake for adults, you can also add whiskey or brandy.  Just realize that anything you add other than water will change the flavor of the cake.

 When the butter has melted, distribute the pineapple rings in the bottom of the pan and place a cherry in the center of each.

Then sprinkle the brown sugar over the rings.  This picture shows about half a box of brown sugar.  You can use more but I don't think it's necessary.  I don't have a better measurement of the amount as I don't measure it.  I know it uses about half a box.  Also, note that this is one of the few recipes where you don't have to firmly pack the brown sugar.  Just sprinkle it over the pineapple.

Prepare the cake using the instructions on the box but substitute the pineapple juice for some of the water.  This will give the cake a slight pineapple flavor that will go well with the topping.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Follow the baking times on the box for a 13" x 9" cake pan.  When the cake is done, test it by inserting a toothpick into the center.  If it comes out clean, the cake is done.  Place is on a wire rack and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Then take a rubber spatula and run it around the edge several times, each time going deeper into the dish.  You want to make sure the sides are loose but also get a little along the bottom.  


If you have a platter that is big enough to hold the cake, use that.  If you don't have one, you can also take an old cookie sheet and cover it with aluminum foil.  The one I used is barely big enough for this cake but it works.  Invert the covered cookie sheet (or platter) on top of the cake and hold it tightly by both ends.  You'll probably need to wear oven mitts for this.  Then, as quickly as you can, flip the entire thing over so the cake falls onto the prepared platter.


If you're using a glass pan you'll be able to see immediately if all of the topping comes out in one piece.  If it doesn't, don't sweat it.  Simply use a spoon or spatula to pick up the rings that stuck to the pan and place them back on the cake.  You'll easily see where they go.  Then use the spatula to scrape up any of the sugar that stuck.  It will still be in a liquid state so it scrapes up very easily.  Spread it on the bare spots of the cake and you're done.

Four of the rings on this cake stuck to the pan, as well as some of the topping.  Once you put it back and let the cake cool, no one will know.


Bon appetite!

Making a Crumble

If you've never had one, a Crumble is a type of dessert made with fruit and a crumbly topping.  They're easy to make and can be made with many different fruits, such as apricots, berries, peaches, apples, pears, etc.  This one is made with nectarines.


First, assemble your ingredients.  You will need:

Starting at the top and going clockwise: 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (brown sugar is ALWAYS firmly packed, which makes me wonder why it doesn't come that way from the store), 1/2 tsp. salt, generous 1/4 tsp. of both cinnamon and nutmeg, one stick of butter (at room temperature), 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 2 tsps. fresh lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. flour, 1/3 cup sugar and 3/4 cup flour.  The flour is plain flour.  

Pit and chop the fruit.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Get a baking dish (no larger than 9 inches) and butter the inside. I just pick up the butter (with clean hands, of course) and butter the dish that way.

Mix together the 3/4 cup flour, the brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Chop up the butter and scatter it across the top like the next picture.  Use a pastry cutter (in the lower left corner of the picture) to mix the butter in until it has a crumbly texture.  If you don't have a pastry cutter, get one.  Or you can use two knives but it's much easier with the cutter and they don't cost much.  Put it on your Christmas list, if you must.

The crumble should look like this:

Next, in a large bowl add the vanilla and lemon and then toss the chopped up fruit to coat.  Once it's evenly coated, add the 2 Tbsp. flour and the sugar and toss again until all pieces are evenly coated.

Place the fruit in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the crumble evenly on top.  It will look like this:

Toss it in the oven for 40 minutes.  When it's finished, it will look like this:

And it will taste fantastic!

Bon appétit!