A moist cake with a touch of pineapple and dressed with caramelized brown sugar pineapples and cherries. If you’ve had pineapple upside down cake before, you know how delicious it is. If not, give it a shot with this easy recipe! It might just become your favorite cake- it’s my dad’s!
What makes this recipe just like my grandma’s is a cast iron skillet. You could make this cake in any pan, though. You just might have to adjust the amount of pineapple rings needed to line the pan.
Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can pineapple rings (could use more depending on preference/pan)
Maraschino cherries
Eggs (refer to box)
Oil (refer to box)
Pineapple juice – from crushed pineapple/rings – replace amount of water for cake mix with this
The first thing I like to do is drain the juice from the crushed pineapple. This will ensure that all your ingredients are ready to go from the start and save you time later on. I find it easiest to get a large liquid measuring cup and set a small strainer inside. This seems to leave me with less mess and makes the process easier. Set aside both juice and pineapple.
Cut the butter into slices and in the skillet/pan, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, remove from heat. Add in the brown sugar. Stir to combine. Allow to cool a bit.
With a spatula, spread the brown sugar mixture evenly and pull up the sides of the pan/skillet a bit. This will help the pineapples on the side to be caramelized like those on the top.
Carefully line the pan/skillet with pineapple rings. In the center of each ring, place a maraschino cherry.
In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix and ingredients according to box. Remember you will replace the water it calls for with the pineapple juice you drained from the crushed pineapple (might need some juice from the rings too).
Add the crushed pineapple to the cake batter and stir to combine well.
Carefully pour the cake batter into the pan/skillet. Smooth the top with a spatula and place in the oven. Mine took about 75 minutes to fully bake. I started with the maximum time on the box and went from there until a toothpick came out clean.
When the cake is done, allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and then flip. To flip, place a serving plate on top of the pan/skillet and flip upside down. The cake should slide out easily. Enjoy!
Grandma’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 can crushed pineapple – in juice 20 oz
- 1 can pineapple rings – in juice 20 oz
- eggs according to box
- oil according to box
- pineapple juice to replace water amount on box
- maraschino cherries
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F.
- Drain the crushed pineapple. Set aside juice.
- Cut the butter into slices and melt in skillet.
- Once butter is melted, remove from heat and mix in brown sugar. Allow to cool a bit.
- Using a spatula, spread the brown sugar mixture up the sides of the skillet. This will give a base for you to put pineapples on the side of the cake.
- Line the skillet with pineapple rings. Make sure to cover the bottom of the pan and as much of the sides as you can. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each ring.
- In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix ingredients per box instructions. Replace water with pineapple juice.
- Add the crushed pineapple and mix well.
- Slowly pour the cake batter into the skillet as not to disturb the pineapples. Smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. I have a smaller skillet which produced a thicker cake and took about 75 minutes to cook.
- Allow cake to cool 5-10 minutes and then carefully flip onto a plate.
