Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Recipe - Easy and Quick (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to flip a pineapple upside-down cake? ›

Top the Pan with the Platter: Place your platter (right side-down) on top of the cake pan. Place one hand (with an oven mitt) on top of the platter and your other hand (with another hot pad) under the cake. Flip with Ease: Now you can easily flip both the cake and the platter over!

Simply replace the oil, milk, or water called for in the recipe with pineapple juice in equal proportions. A yellow or white cake works best, since the pineapple flavor could clash or get lost if you use chocolate or another flavor.

To get the goo to stay where you want it and not impede the release of the cake, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper or a silicone cake-pan liner after you grease the pan. That should allow easy removal, and then you can peel the paper off of the cake.

A well-buttered pan and the naturally seasoned cast iron surface will prevent the topping layer of the cake from sticking—more on that later. For mini upside-down cakes, the mini cake pan is just the right size.

There are two culprits to watch for that could cause your cake to turn out this way: 1) Over-mixing the dry ingredients (just stir until the wet and dry ingredients are combined, don't overdo it!) and 2) over-baking the cake.

Have any leftover pineapple upside-down cake? Store it in a covered container in the refrigerator. It is fluffy and tender vanilla cake base with a gooey brown sugar topping with baked pineapples for that burst of natural sweetness. Plus, it's so easy to make you don't need your mixer!

One common ingredient swap that is known to help make cakes remarkably moist is using milk instead of water. Try switching out any water in your recipe for full-fat milk or buttermilk for a moist, decadent texture. Another ingredient that can enhance the moisture of your cake is mayonnaise.

Let it cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes and up to half an hour, then lay a flat plate over the top of the cake pan. Carefully flip the cake over onto the plate. Bang on the bottom of the pan for good measure, then lift the pan off.

Most box cake recipes will tell you to add water to the mix. Instead, try adding milk using the same proportions. This will make the cake richer and creamier because it ups the fat content. You can even use buttermilk here for a pleasant tang.

Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. By substituting pecans (or other nuts) for the usual maraschino cherries, this twist on a classic upside-down cake is less sweet and crunchier than the usual recipe.

How do I make sure my upside-down cake doesn't stick? ›

The trick with upside down cakes is keeping the caramel and fruit from sticking to the pan when you unmold it. The answer is parchment paper. Prep your pan by greasing the bottom, placing a circle of parchment cut to fit in the pan, and then greasing the parchment.

Since parchment paper doesn't have a helpful “this end up” sign with an arrow, it takes a little detective work. Just hold the paper up to the light and look for the side that's slightly glossier or shinier. It is the shiny or glossy side of the parchment paper that should be face up on your baking sheet or cake pan.

Footed Pan: If your tube pan has little feet on the bottom, simply set it upside down to cool on a wire rack. Unfooted Pan: If your tube pan does not have feet, invert the pan onto the neck of a glass bottle and let it cool that way.

It's important to pay attention to the specifics called for in a recipe, but in general, most cakes are best removed from the pan after cooling for 10 to 20 minutes. Try it too soon, and it may fall apart. Wait too long, and it may stick.

In order to keep the fruit in place and protect the caramel from sticking, line the bottom of the pan with parchment. A smooth stovetop caramel is also key to the perfect upside-down cake. This recipe uses reserved pineapple juice and cornstarch to ensure the caramel stays nice and velvety.

Cool the cake slightly before removing from the pan.

The hardest part of making pineapple upside-down cake is the maneuver which turns the bottom of the cake pan into the top of the cake. Cooling the baked cake slightly before flipping it allows the topping to cool and stick to the cake before turning out.

Cool Before Flipping

When you remove your cake from the oven, don't flip it out of the pan right away! Instead, let the cake cool for ten minutes in the pan. Then, placing the wire rack over the base of the cake, invert the pan. Peek under the wire rack and see if the cake has dropped out.

Turn the pineapple upside down and place it on a plate; allow it to rest 30 minutes. Since pineapples are stored stem side up, gravity makes the juices run to the bottom. Resting the pineapple upside down for 30 minutes helps the juices to run back down and distribute for evenly juicy pieces.

Angle food cake needs to be cooled upside-down so that the structure of the cake can be maintained without it contracting as it cools. If you greased the sides of the pan and cooled it right-side up, you'd end up with a rubbery, dense cake, not a light, airy sponge.