U: Upside-Down Pineapple Cake

For the last Super Bowl I whipped up this upside-down pineapple cake from The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book: Essential Recipes for Today's Home Baker. It is an old American classic so I thought it would be an appropriate choice for the occasion. For those like me who occasionally attend Super Bowl parties without understanding any of the rules of American football, you must make sure that you are armed with lots of snacks in order to make the evening as enjoyable as possible.  This tasty little number seemed to do the trick and was so easy to make!

Pre-peeled pineapple

Ingredients:

Nonstick vegetable-oil cooking spray

1/2 of a pineapple, peeled and trimmed 

4 Tbsp (2oz/60g) unsalted butter

3/4 cup (6oz/185g) firmly packed brown sugar

For the Cake:

1 3/4 cups (9 oz/280g) all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 large eggs

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup (6oz/185g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup (8 oz/250g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) whole milk

1) Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease a 9-inch (23-cm) round cake pan with the cooking spray.

(Just a personal note: for cake pans with removable bases, I always place tinfoil around the outside of the bottom of the pan in case any batter leaks out)

2) Cut the pineapple crosswise into slices 1/2 inch (12 mm) thick. With a paring knife or small cookie cutter, remove the core from each slice. Cut the pineapple rounds into half-moons and set aside.

3) In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and stir until small bubbles appear, 2-3 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and pour into the prepared pan.  Arrange 7-8 pineapple half-circles in the pan in a circular pattern. Set aside.

   

4) To make the cake, in a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg; set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla; set aside.

5)  In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat for 2-3 minutes longer. Slowly add the egg mixture, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the milk, beating on low speed after each addition.  Continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the batter is completely smooth. Do not over mix the batter.

   

6) Pour the batter on top of the pineapple slices in the prepared pan, spreading it evenly.  Bake until the top of the cake is lightly golden and the centre springs back when touched, 35-45 minutes.  Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes, then turn out onto a platter and scrape the remaining juices over the top of the cake. Let cool slightly and serve warm.