This pineapple upside down cake features a sweet caramel topping over rich cake. Ground almonds in the batter give it a unique, nutty flavor. Serve it with your favorite ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream!
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The single most requested cake at our family and friend gatherings is my father’s homemade pineapple upside down cake.
It is hands down the best pineapple upside down cake recipe I know! Dad will look for almost any excuse to make it, and we never get tired of it.
The Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
This pineapple upside down cake is dense, like a sour cream pound cake, with ground almonds in the flour to give it even more substance and a slight almond flavor.
The caramel pineapple topping is so good, you’ll want to pick every crumb.
The Best Pan To Use
You’ll need a high-sided 10-inch cake pan for this recipe.
If you don’t have a high-sided 10-inch cake pan, you might try making this in a springform pan. If you do, line the inside with foil so the caramel doesn’t leak, and bake on a rimmed baking sheet just in case it does.
How To Make the Caramel Topping
There are a couple of ways to make the caramel topping for this cake. The easiest way is to just melt brown sugar and butter together. This is the default method for the recipe.
My father prefers using white sugar (with a little corn syrup) instead of brown sugar to make the caramel base. He caramelizes the white sugar and corn syrup first, before adding butter. (Instructions are in the recipe note below if you’d like to try his method.) He prefers white sugar to brown sugar because brown sugar has flavors of molasses that he doesn’t want in the cake. A small amount of corn syrup helps keep the sugar from crystallizing.
His approach uses twice as much sugar, but creates a deeply flavorful, rich topping for the cake. Both toppings work, feel free to use either one!
How To Store Pineapple Upside Down Cake
This cake is delicious served the day it’s made, and is so rich and moist it will still taste wonderful for several days. Just cover it with plastic wrap and store it at room temperature or in the fridge.
The cake freezes well. To freeze, just wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil. Unwrap the cake before defrosting it in the fridge or at room temp.
Interested in learning more about Pineapple Upside Down Cake? Check out the history of Pineapple Upside Down Cake from my friend Tori Avey.
Love Upside Down Cakes? Try These
- Plum Upside Down Cake
- Cranberry Upside Down Cake
- Apple Upside Down Cake
Watch This Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
Other Pans for Baking the Cake
This recipe calls for a high-sided 10-inch cake pan. You can make this in a 10-inch cast iron skillet, making the topping directly in the skillet.
You can also try making this in a springform pan. Line the inside with foil so the caramel doesn’t leak, and bake on a rimmed baking sheet just in case it does.
More Pineapple Recipes To Try!
- Zucchini Bread with Pineapple
- Hummingbird Cake
- Carrot Cake
- Ambrosia Salad
- Piña Colada
My dad’s alternative caramel topping:
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, 1/4 cup light corn syrup, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup butter. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium until all sugar is dissolved. Boil until syrup becomes warm amber in color (5 to 10 minutes). Remove from heat. Add 1/4 cup butter, carefully as it will foam up a bit. Swirl the pan so that the butter is all incorporated, stirring with a wooden spoon if necessary. Pour out into cake pan. Continue with recipe as noted.
For the topping:
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1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
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1 cup (200g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
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1 (20 ounce) can pineapple slices
For the cake:
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1 1/2 cups (200g) all purpose flour
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6 tablespoons (55g) cake flour
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6 tablespoons ground almonds (from 2 ounces/56g blanched almonds)
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3/4 teaspoon baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1 3/4 cups (350g) sugar
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1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
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4 large eggs
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3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
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3/4 cup sour cream
Optional:
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8 candied or maraschino cherries
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Preheat the oven:
Place the oven rack to center position and preheat the oven to 325°F.
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Grease the pan with butter:
Generously grease a 10- x 2-inch round non-stick cake pan with butter.
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Make the caramel topping:
Heat the brown sugar and butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbly, several minutes. (After the sugar melts, don’t stir.)
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Pour the caramel into the pan and top with pineapple:
Pour the caramel mixture into the pan. Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer on top of the caramel mixture.
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
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Make the cake batter:
Whisk the flours, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter together until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream in 2 additions each, beating well after each addition.
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Add the batter to the pan:
Spread the cake batter over the pineapple and caramel so that it is smooth on top.
Elise Bauer
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Bake the cake:
Bake the cake at 325°F until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, about 1 hour.
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Turn out the cake:
Cool the cake in pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a platter, after the cake has cooled for 5 minutes, and while the cake is still warm.
If some of the topping sticks to the cake pan (it often does), just scoop it out with a butter knife and patch the cake.
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Add cherries, if you like:
If you want to add candied or maraschino cherries for decoration, just put one in the center of each pineapple round.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 481 | Calories |
| 26g | Fat |
| 60g | Carbs |
| 5g | Protein |
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 12 to 14 |
|
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 481 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 26g | 33% |
| Saturated Fat 14g | 71% |
| 113mg | 38% |
| 153mg | 7% |
| 60g | 22% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 5% |
| Total Sugars 44g | |
| 5g | |
| Vitamin C 19mg | 97% |
| Calcium 72mg | 6% |
| Iron 2mg | 9% |
| Potassium 153mg | 3% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.