Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Recipe

This Pineapple Upside-Down Cake is light & moist cake topped with chunks of pineapple, a thick caramelized sugar layer & whipped cream. So easy & delicious.

Are you a pineapple lover? I sure am! I don’t know what it is about it, especially when it is paired with a light & sweet cake & a thick caramelized sugar layer. So it’s no wonder I can’t get enough of this Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.

I have an obsession for pineapple. In the summer months, we always have at least 1-2 fresh ones in the house & that is my breakfast every morning. I LOVE it.

I have become so spoiled having it fresh that I really won’t eat it canned anymore. In the winter it is obviously harder to get them – especially up here. So I enjoy them while I can.

I had a whole bunch & I was going out of town soon & needed to use it up. We all decided on a good ol’ Pineapple Upside-Down Cake because it had been forever since I last made one & we all love it.

I think the recipe the hub’s grandmother gave me was using canned pineapple, box cake & pretty much no imagination. So I decided to go with an old tried & true recipe I had here & it came out great.

After photos we ate it with the whip cream. The next night we warmed it up with some butter pecan ice cream on top. Oh yeah- it was DELISH!

This post contains some affiliate links. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Traditional pineapple upside-down cake uses pineapple rings & cherries. Since I was using fresh pineapple & I had already cut it into chunks we opted to just go with it.

Since the hubs only likes fresh cherries & not maraschino cherries, we decided to leave those out altogether. It was just as delicious – no one missed the cherries. Well…I may have just added a couple to my serving afterward.

Here are some commonly asked questions

How do you serve Pineapple Upside-Down Cake?

Once the cake is cooled, you can serve it up in a variety of different ways. I like it with just a little dollop of whipped cream on top, as you see here. But my family loves to have it a la mode, which is great too.

Can I use canned pineapple for this recipe?

Yes, you can use canned if you don’t have fresh pineapple on hand. If you are using canned, just make sure to drain well before adding to the pan.

Baking right from the can will add a lot of extra moisture to the pan & change the consistency in the final result of the cake & may effect the baking time too.

How to I make sure my cake comes out of the pan correctly?

I always get so excited to flip the cake, but I ALSO always get a bit nervous that it won’t completely flip out of the pan. Honestly, I just went through all the work of mixing & baking & I’m so so so looking forward to enjoying it. It really would be a travesty if a portion of the cake stuck to the bottom of the pan & the whole thing was ruined.

So, I will make it a point to tell you now, GREASE YOUR PAN WELL! This is so incredibly important & follow the instructions in the recipe when it comes to getting the cake out of the pan. The instructions are written as they are to make sure you are flipping the cake at the right time so you will have the best result when it comes time to flip that cake.

Can this recipe be frozen?

I don’t recommend freezing this cake once it is baked. Because of the pineapple & the stickiness of the caramelized sugar, I think it would be a soggy mess once thawed. No one wants to eat soggy cake.

How can I reheat this cake?

Just place your slice on a microwave-safe plate & microwave for about 30 seconds. If you are reheating after it has been refrigerated, then you will want to microwave for 60-90 seconds.

HOW DO YOU MAKE PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE?

1. Prepare your pineapple- set aside.
2. Butter or grease a 9″ round cake pan.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. In medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder & salt- set aside.
5. In small saucepan, combine 4 tbsp butter & the 1/2 cup brown sugar.
6. Bring to a simmer- stirring constantly until mixture is slightly darkened & thick.
7. Pour into prepared pan & spread out.
8. Add pineapple in single layer in pan.
9. Sprinkle generously with more brown sugar.
10. In stand mixer, beat remaining butter with granulated sugar on med-high until fluffy. Scrape down bowl as necessary.
11. Beat in eggs one at a time.
12. Beat in vanilla.
13. Reduce mixer to low- add flour mixture. Beat until combined.
14. Carefully spread batter over pineapple & bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean- approx 55-60 min.
15. Let cool at least 10-15 min before inverting on serving platter.

Can this recipe be halved?

Cutting this recipe in half would drastically change the baking time. For the best possible result, it would be better to make the recipe as it is written & then give away whatever portion you won’t use immediately.

That being said, this cake will keep for 4-5 days, so there is plenty of time to enjoy it all.

Do you recommend this as a gift for the neighbors?

This Pineapple Upside Down Cake makes a fabulous gifts for all your friends & neighbors. We like to pick up these disposable plates for gift giving.

This is especially great on a Friday afternoon so they can have it to enjoy for dessert that evening & have leftovers all weekend long.

Can this recipe be doubled?

I have never tried this. If you decide to do so, I think it would probably work to mix the double-quantity batter & then divide between 2 pans & just have 2 cakes.

I don’t recommend doubling the batter & then baking in one larger dish. This would change the baking time & possibly dry out the edges while trying to get the center to bake.

How do you store this pineapple upside down cake recipe?

The easiest way is to add some plastic wrap or foil over the top of the cake while keeping it on the dish you inverted it onto & store at room temperature.

If you live in an overly humid or extremely dry climate, this cake will keep better if you refrigerate it. This way it is more climate-controlled & will stay fresh for the longest possible time. Please enjoy within 2-3 days.

To make this recipe you will need…

• unsalted butter at room temperature plus a bit more for the pan
• baking powder
• all-purpose flour
• table salt
• light brown sugar
• pineapple chunks
• granulated sugar
• large eggs
• vanilla extract
• 2% milk

Products I love when making this easy pineapple upside-down cake…

This homemade pineapple upside-down cake recipe is so easy and delicious – and you probably already have some of these items on hand like I do!

OR If you’ve never made homemade pineapple upside-down cake before, you might be a bit hesitant – but you’re going to love the how delicious & easy this cake recipe is. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this cake.

• baking pan
• granulated sugar
• vanilla extract
• all-purpose flour
• mixer
• spatulas
• Baker’s Joy
• baking powder
• light brown sugar
• table salt

If you love this pineapple upside down cake from scratch, you’re going to love these other awesome cake recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

Best Yellow Cake Recipe

Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Loaf Cakes

Best White Cake Recipe

Best German Chocolate Cake

Homemade Funfetti Cake

Blueberry Swirl Pound Cake

Oreo New York Cheesecake
 

If you love this simple upside down cake as much as I do, please write a five star review, and be sure to help me share on facebook and pinterest!

---

---