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While pineapple upside down cakes are a relatively new dessert (made possible by the invention and perfection of canned pineapple in 1903 by Dole), the idea of an inverted, fruit-topped dessert is not new. It began centuries ago when the most common cooking vessel for a cake was a cast-iron pot or skillet. Fruit layered across the bottom of the pan cooked under the cake and then created a sauce when flipped out. It's a cooking method that makes it easy to impress family and guests without really adding much work for the cook. If you can bake a regular cake, you can bake a pineapple upside down cake.
The basic elements of a pineapple upside down cake are a caramel topping, a dense cake, and of course, rings of pineapple. The basic technique is to coat the bottom of a cake pan with the caramel, artfully arrange the pineapple (and often maraschino cherries) across the pan, cover with the cake batter, and bake. Then when you invert the finished and mostly cooled cake, you get this lovely presentation of caramelized pineapple rings on top of the cake with a built-in glaze. Kitchen Daily presents a good basic Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipe here.
However, as soon as you start with basic elements, you can be sure that someone out there has cooked up a recipe to put a twist on things. The elements that are easiest to tinker with are the caramel and the cake itself. You can try infusing the caramel with special spices like ginger or cinnamon to your taste, or perhaps even add a bit of a liqueur like Gran Marnier for an extra flavor kick. The cake can be adjusted to almost any kind of cake you like -- although do be careful when altering baked goods recipes as measurements and proportions do make a significant impact on the science of baking. This Carrot Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipe provides a yummy alternative.
You can also try this lighter version inspired by the classic dessert -- Frozen Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Instead of baking a dense cake on top of pineapple rings, you make a light mousse/meringue, cover it with angel food cake, and freeze. Sounds appealing for a warm summer day, doesn't it? Of course, don't feel limited by the availability of pineapple in your store or pantry -- these recipes could just as easily be made with whatever fresh, dried, or canned fruit you have on hand. Try to keep the consistency of the caramel about the same so that you'll always get a nice moist topping, but otherwise, let your imagination run wild!
While you can make a pineapple upside down cake in nearly any cake pan you already have, there are also specialized pans available to make sure your pineapple rings come out perfectly placed every time. For super special occasions, think about making individual cakes too!
Email This
While pineapple upside down cakes are a relatively new dessert (made possible by the invention and perfection of canned pineapple in 1903 by Dole), the idea of an inverted, fruit-topped dessert is not new. It began centuries ago when the most common cooking vessel for a cake was a cast-iron pot or skillet. Fruit layered across the bottom of the pan cooked under the cake and then created a sauce when flipped out. It's a cooking method that makes it easy to impress family and guests without really adding much work for the cook. If you can bake a regular cake, you can bake a pineapple upside down cake.The basic elements of a pineapple upside down cake are a caramel topping, a dense cake, and of course, rings of pineapple. The basic technique is to coat the bottom of a cake pan with the caramel, artfully arrange the pineapple (and often maraschino cherries) across the pan, cover with the cake batter, and bake. Then when you invert the finished and mostly cooled cake, you get this lovely presentation of caramelized pineapple rings on top of the cake with a built-in glaze. Kitchen Daily presents a good basic Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipe here.
However, as soon as you start with basic elements, you can be sure that someone out there has cooked up a recipe to put a twist on things. The elements that are easiest to tinker with are the caramel and the cake itself. You can try infusing the caramel with special spices like ginger or cinnamon to your taste, or perhaps even add a bit of a liqueur like Gran Marnier for an extra flavor kick. The cake can be adjusted to almost any kind of cake you like -- although do be careful when altering baked goods recipes as measurements and proportions do make a significant impact on the science of baking. This Carrot Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipe provides a yummy alternative.
You can also try this lighter version inspired by the classic dessert -- Frozen Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Instead of baking a dense cake on top of pineapple rings, you make a light mousse/meringue, cover it with angel food cake, and freeze. Sounds appealing for a warm summer day, doesn't it? Of course, don't feel limited by the availability of pineapple in your store or pantry -- these recipes could just as easily be made with whatever fresh, dried, or canned fruit you have on hand. Try to keep the consistency of the caramel about the same so that you'll always get a nice moist topping, but otherwise, let your imagination run wild!
While you can make a pineapple upside down cake in nearly any cake pan you already have, there are also specialized pans available to make sure your pineapple rings come out perfectly placed every time. For super special occasions, think about making individual cakes too!