Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
on Apr 22, 2025
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Discover how easy classic Pineapple Upside-Down Cake is to make! A blend of sweet pineapple rings and vibrant maraschino cherries, nestled in a fluffy, homemade cake batter. It takes about 15 minutes to prep and isn’t fussy at all.
🍰 If I don’t have the hands-on time in the kitchen for multiple pans of cookies going into the oven, then I whip up a simple but delicious cake in no time!
My 2 Best Tips For Making Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
- Drain Fruit Well: After draining the canned pineapple, spread the slices on paper towels and press gently with additional paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible. Do the same with the maraschino cherries. This extra step ensures your caramelized topping stays perfectly sticky rather than wet and soggy.
- Release & Flip Cake: Do these 3 things for the perfectly beautiful cake with no sticking to the pan!
1. Line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper.
2. Run a knife around the edge of the cake before inverting.
3. Flip the cake while it’s still warm after 5-10 minutes of cooling.
🩷 Melissa
I love classic cakes! Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a personal fave because of a few things like these:
→The caramelized brown sugar and butter combine with juicy pineapple and tender cake for an irresistible sweet-tart flavor profile that’s not overpowering.
→The beautiful pattern of golden pineapple rings and bright red cherries is just gorgeous!
→The combination of butter and oil along with pineapple juice for an incredibly moist texture that stays fresh for days.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients
For the topping:
- 1 can pineapple slices (20 ounces), reserve ⅓ cup of juice for cake
- 19 maraschino cherries, stems removed
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
For the cake:
- 1 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 egg large,, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup whole milk, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup pineapple juice, reserved from pineapple rings
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with a parchment paper round that fits the bottom and then spray the sides with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Drain pineapple and reserve ⅓ cup of the juice to use in the cake. Place pineapple slices and cherries on a plate and blot with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Cut 3 pineapple slices in half.
- Pour the melted butter into the bottom of the cake pan, and brush or swirl it to coat the entire bottom. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top of the butter. Place the whole pineapple slices on top of the brown sugar — 8 on the bottom of the pan. With the remaining cut slices, place each pineapple half slice around the sides standing upright, alternating between the slices on the bottom. Place a cherry in the center of each pineapple slice and in between the pineapple slices and around the sides.
- To make the cake, in a medium mixing bowl add the butter, oil, and sugar and cream together until the mixture is light and fluffy. You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer or just some vigorous stirring with a wooden spoon for this.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, and stir to combine.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to combine.
- In another small bowl, mix the reserved pineapple juice and milk together.
- Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture alternately with the milk mixture, mixing well after each addition.
- Pour the batter over the top of the pineapple topping. Some of the pineapple slices may still peek above the top of the cake batter, and that's ok.
- Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. (Don’t insert the toothpick all the way down or you will just get the brown sugar bottom.) The top of the cake will be a deep golden brown and spring back when lightly touched.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan. Use a knife and loosen around the edge of the cake pan, and invert onto a serving platter. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Notes
- I save the remaining pineapple juice to throw in a smoothie or drink.
- Take the butter, milk, and eggs out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you begin baking so the milk and eggs are at room temperature and the butter melts easier.
- The caramelized topping is what makes this cake special, so be generous with the butter and brown sugar layer. Make sure it completely covers the bottom of the pan for that perfect sticky-sweet glaze.
- Make the inverting simple and easy by letting the cake rest exactly 5-10 minutes after removing from the oven. This gives the caramel enough time to set slightly but not harden. Be sure to have your serving plate ready before you begin the flip!
Nutrition
Recipe FAQ
Because we lined the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, it’s so easy for this cake to come out of the pan. Let the cake cool for 5-10 minutes then place a plate that is larger than the baking pan over top of the cake like a lid (serving side of the plate down), then just carefully flip it over. It’ll come right out!
Yes, you can use fresh pineapple! Cut it into 1/2-inch thick rings and pat them very dry with paper towels before arranging. Keep in mind you’ll need to create your own pineapple juice for the cake batter (you can blend and strain some extra pineapple pieces) and the fresh fruit won’t be quite as sweet as canned, so you might consider adding a bit more brown sugar to the topping.
This cake actually tastes even better the day after baking as the flavors have time to develop. You can make it up to 2 days ahead and store it covered at room temperature for 24 hours or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just bring it to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.
Other Delicious Cake Recipes To Try
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