Pineapple Upside-Down Cake (Cakes)

 

The upside-down topping

• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened pineapple juice
• 7 canned pineapple rings, well drained, reserve juice
• 12 glacéed or candied cherries, rinsed in very hot water and patted dry

1. In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, melt the butter ; add the brown sugar and pineapple juice, stirring to combine.
2. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a rolling oil ; lower the heat to medium and stirring frequently with a wooden spoon and continue to cook for 1 minute.
3. Handling it with care as the syrup will be very hot, remove the panfrom the heat and let cool about 5 minutes ; pour the syrup into a 9-inch round metal cake pan 2 inches deep, and arrange the pineapple rings and cherries on it.

The cake

• 1½ cups sifted bleached all-purpose flour
• 2¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange or lemon peel
• ¾ cup milk, at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
2. In a medium bowl, stir together with a wire whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt ; sift the ingredients into a bowl.
3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy ; beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition.
4. Mix in the pineapple juice, vanilla, and peel.
5. Add the dry ingredients in 3 equal additions alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour ; after each addition scrape down the bowl and mix only until combined.
6. Pour the batter evenly over the arranged fruit ; bake the cake about 40 minutes, until a cake tester or wooden pick inserted in the cake (not the fruit) comes out clean.
7. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes ; then run a thin knife around the edges of the pan.
8. Place a serving plate over the cake and invert the baking pan so the the fruit side is now the top.
9. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Note : The type of pan that provide the best result releasing the cake after baking is a heavy-gauge nonstick 9-inch round, no pineapple rings stuck to the bottom pan.

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