Best Dream Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipes

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
• Pour 1/4 cup melted butter into an ungreased 9×2 inch pie dish or round cake pan. (Make sure the pan is 2 inches deep. I recommend this pie dish, which is 1.8 inches deep but I never have an overflow issue.) Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Blot any excess liquid off the fruit with a clean towel or paper towel. (The wetter the fruit, the more likely the cake could overflow or the topping could seep over the sides when inverted.) Arrange about 6-7 blotted pineapple slices and all the cherries on top of the brown sugar. I like to halve 3 pineapple rings and arrange them around the sides of the pan, too. See my photo and video above for a visual of the arranged topping. Place pan in the refrigerator for a few minutes as you prepare the cake batter. This helps solidify or "set" the topping's arrangement.
• Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed until creamed together, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. On high speed, beat in the egg whites until combined, then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer onto low speed and as the mixer runs, slowly pour in the pineapple juice and milk. Beat on low speed just until all of the ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
• Remove topping from the refrigerator. Pour and spread cake batter evenly over topping.
• Bake for 43-48 minutes, tenting foil on top of the cake halfway through bake time to prevent the top from over-browning before the center has a chance to fully cook. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean- a couple moist crumbs are OK. Don't be alarmed if your cake takes longer or if the cake rises up and sticks to the foil. (We serve the cake upside down anyway!)
• Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for just 20 minutes. Invert the slightly cooled cake onto a cake stand or serving plate. Some of the juices from the topping will seep over the sides- that's ok. You can slice and serve the cake warm, but the slices will be messy. I find it's best to cool the cake completely at room temperature before slicing and serving. Do not refrigerate the cake to speed up the cooling process because it could end up tasting overly dense.
• Cover leftover slices and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature. I don't recommend freezing the cake as a whole because the topping arrangement doesn't thaw very nicely. See make ahead instructions below.

PINEAPPLE DREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the bottom and sides of an 11x13-inch pan with oil or butter, or line with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, beat the cake mix, water, butter, and eggs on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 more minutes.
• Add the sour cream and crushed pineapple to the batter and mix until combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 33 to 38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, prepare the whipped topping. Whisk the pudding and drained crushed pineapple until combined. Gently mix in the whipped topping.
• Spread the whipped cream frosting over the cooled cake. Chill for 30 minutes before serving. Slice and enjoy!

DREAM PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Drain pineapple, reserving 2 Tbsp. juice; set aside. Combine sugar and butter in 13x9-inch pan. Arrange pineapple slices in pan, cutting if necessary to fit. Place cherry half, cut-side up, in center of each slice. Sprinkle with reserved pineapple juice, then nuts.
• Beat remaining ingredients with mixer until blended; pour over ingredients in pan.
• Bake 50 to 55 min. or until top springs back when lightly pressed in center; cool in pan 10 min. Invert cake onto plate. (Do not remove pan.) Let stand 1 min.; remove pan. Serve cake warm or cooled.

EASY PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). In 13x9-inch pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Arrange pineapple slices on brown sugar. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice, and arrange remaining cherries around slices; press gently into brown sugar.
• Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 1 cup. Make cake batter as directed on box, substituting pineapple juice mixture for the water. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries.
• Bake 42 to 48 minutes (44 to 53 minutes for dark or nonstick pan) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down onto pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake 5 minutes so brown sugar topping can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Cool 30 minutes. Serve warm or cool. Store covered in refrigerator.

LAYERED PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease the bottom and sides of two 9-inch round, 1 1/2-inch tall cake pans.
• Combine brown sugar and butter for topping in a saucepan over medium heat; stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is bubbly, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Pour mixture into one of the prepared cake pans. Arrange pineapple rings in a single layer on top.
• Whisk together both flours, baking powder, and salt for cake in a large mixing bowl. Beat sugar and butter in a separate bowl with an electric mixer until creamy and light. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream in two additions each, beating well after each addition.
• Pour 1/2 of the cake batter over the caramel and pineapple topping. Pour remaining cake batter into the second cake pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 60 to 75 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let sit in the pans for 5 minutes. Turn the cake without the topping layer onto a serving platter. Turn the cake with the topping layer on top of that. Serve warm.