Homemade Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
Published July 15, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This unorthodox homemade pineapple upside-down cake will absolutely be your new go-to recipe after making this. You will never go back to the old way of eating soggy overcooked fruit cake after eating this one.
There is nothing like a delicious cake to finish off a tasty meal. If you have the same school of thought then for sure check out my Angel Food Cake or Lemon Polenta Cake.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Pineapple upside-down cake is a dessert made by covering the bottom of a cake pan with butter, sugar, and decoratively arranged pineapple, and then cake batter. During the baking process the butter, sugar, and fruit juices caramelize to create a browned glaze. Right before you serve the cake, you flip it upside down so the fruit is on top.
Pineapple upside-down cake has been around for generations and was created using a skillet that would be cooked over an open flame or stove and then inverted upon serving. These popular cakes were known as, “skillet cakes.” Before canned pineapple was invented, skillet cakes just used any seasonal fruit, which still can apply to today’s cooking.
My only qualms with pineapple upside-down cake are they tend to get really soggy, very quickly. See the video below for my workaround on how to make a delicious pineapple upside-down cake.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pineapple – I like to use fresh pineapple for my version of pineapple upside-down cake, but you can use spiraled canned.
- Cherries – Fresh cherries are so good on this, but jarred Marciano cherries will do.
- Nuts – I like to use walnuts or pistachios.
- Flour – You’ll need all-purpose flour for this.
- Sour Cream – A good full-fat sour cream works wonders in this.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar and brown sugar are needed for the cake and caramelizing of the pineapple.
- Butter – Always use unsalted butter so you can control the salt content.
- Vanilla – A shot of good vanilla will help bring out more flavors in this recipe.
- Oil – Any neutral-flavored oil will work.
- Eggs – Whole large eggs are perfect for this.
- Leavening Agents – I used baking powder and baking soda in this recipe.
- Salt – Sea salt will help season up our cake to perfection.
- Alcohol – You can use either Brandy or rum for our caramel sauce.
- Heavy Cream – I use this to aid in the making of the caramel.
How to Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake from Scratch
Use these easy-to-follow procedures and pictures to make my version of pineapple upside-down cake.
Process some walnuts and/or pistachios until it becomes like a course meal.
Add them to a 9” cake round that has been prepared with parchment paper and non-stick spray and spread it out and gently pack down. Bake at 350° for 12-13 minutes. Let Cool.
Next, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined. Set aside.
In a separate bowl whisk together the sour cream, milk, oil, and pineapple juice and set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on high speed for 5-7 minutes or until it become light and fluffy.
Turn the speed down to low and add in the vanilla, and then add in 1 egg at a time until mixed in.
Scarpe the bowl and then add in alternating dry and wet ingredients beginning with dry and ending with dry just until mixed in.
Pour the batter over the top of the toasted nuts and smooth out using a spatula.
Bake in the oven at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Come back halfway through and tent the cake so it doesn’t get overly browned.
Set the cake on a rack and cool for 20 to 35 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the pineapple to get 8-9 coreless pineapple circles.
Melt some butter in a large frying pan over medium heat and place in the pineapple.
Immediately add in ¼ cup of the brown sugar and cook for 2 – 3 minutes or until it becomes slightly caramelized. Flip over and cook for 1 more minute before removing and setting to the side on a plate.
Add the remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar to the pan over medium heat and additionally add in the cream and cook until smooth.
Remove from the heat and finish by whisking in brandy or rum. Set aside.
Flip the cake over onto a serving plate and add the pineapple rings to the top covering the cake but not overlapping.
Drizzle on the remaining caramel over the top of the cake.
Place the cherries inside the pineapple circles. Slice and serve
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this cake up to 1 day ahead of time.
How to Store: Cover and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Place it in the refrigerator cover for up to 5 days. You can freeze this covered for up to 3 months and thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Heat: If you want to serve this warm, place the desired number of pineapple upside-down cake slices onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 350° for 4 to 5 minutes or just until warm.
Chef Notes + Tips
- You can use canned pineapple circles in place of fresh ones for this recipe.
- Feel free to use jarred Marciano cherries for this.
- I like to serve this up with homemade whipped cream.
- You can use either walnuts or pistachios or both.
- Don’t worry if the foil attaches some of the cake, we’re flipping it over.
More Cake Recipes
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Video
Homemade Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups walnuts
- ½ cup no salt pistachios
- 2 ¼ all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup neutral flavored oil
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- 2 sticks softened unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons brandy or rum
- 1 peeled and cored pineapple cut into circle rounds
- 5 pitted fresh cherries cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Add the walnuts and/or pistachios to a food processor and pulse until it becomes like a course meal.
- Add them to a 9” cake round that has been prepared with parchment paper and non-stick spray and spread it out and gently pack down. Bake at 350° for 12-13 minutes. Let Cool on a rack.
- Next, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the sour cream, milk, oil, and pineapple juice and set aside.
- Cream together 1 ½ sticks of softened unsalted butter and sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on high speed for 5-7 minutes or until it becomes light and fluffy.
- Turn the speed down to low and add in the vanilla, and then add in 1 egg at a time until mixed in.
- Scarpe the bowl and then add in alternating dry and wet ingredients beginning with dry and ending with dry just until mixed in.
- Pour the batter over top of the toasted nuts and smooth out using a spatula.
- Bake in the oven at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Come back halfway through and tent the cake so it doesn’t get overly browned.
- In the meantime, prepare the pineapple to get 8-9 coreless pineapple circles. See notes on canned.
- Melt the remaining ½ stick of unsalted butter in a large frying pan over medium heat and place in the pineapple.
- Immediately sprinkle in the ¼ cup of the brown sugar and cook for 2 – 3 minutes or until the pineapple becomes slightly caramelized. Flip over and cook for 1 more minute before removing and setting to the side on a plate.
- Add the remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar to the pan over medium heat and additionally add in the cream, whisk, and cook until smooth, which takes about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and finish by whisking in brandy or rum. Set aside.
- Flip the cake over onto a serving plate and add the pineapple rings to the top covering the cake but not overlapping.
- Drizzle on the remaining caramel overtop of the cake.
- Place the cherries inside of the pineapple circles. Slice and serve
- Set the cake on a rack and cool for 20 to 35 minutes.
So good!
Appreciate you trying it! many thanks!
I made this a couple of times, rave reviews
My grandkids love pineapple upside down cakes & so do I! But they are allergic to nuts except peanuts, almonds & hazelnuts & I THINK macadamias. What would work best as a substitute? Thanks!
I’ve made this twice. I give it 5 stars. Soooooo dang good. I recommend everyone try this. Way better then any Pineapple upside down cake I have ever eaten*****
my pleasure!
pineapple upsidedown is my favorite! Thank you!
my pleasure!
Hello, found this recipe today, are you measuring by, grams, or ounces? Thanks
Volume
A winner! My Mother used to make it on the stove/oven. It was good but your’s is outstanding. Fresh pineapple is the best.