Pineapple Upside-Down Cake from Scratch
A from-scratch pineapple upside-down cake with caramelized brown sugar, pineapple rings and cherries baked on top of a soft, buttery cake.
20% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 20 min
- Cooking
- 42 min
- Resting
- 40 min
- Serves
- 10
- Calories
- 365
- Protein
- 4 g
- Per serving
- $0.75
Why this recipe works
Upside-down cake bakes its own topping: butter and brown sugar melt under the fruit into a glossy caramel, and the cake rises around it. A cast-iron skillet gives the best caramel, but a deep 9-inch cake pan works too.
- Pineapple juice in the batter flavors the cake itself, not just the topping.
- Blotting the pineapple rings dry keeps the brown sugar topping thick and caramelized instead of watery.
- Turning the cake out after 10 minutes, while the caramel is still soft, releases the fruit cleanly; wait longer and it sticks to the pan.
Ingredients
For the topping
For the cake
You will need
- 10-inch cast-iron skillet, or a 9-inch round cake pan at least 2 inches deep
- Stand or hand mixer
- Large serving plate
- Oven mitts
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Make the topping
Heat the oven to 350°F. Pour the melted butter into the skillet or pan and sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over it. Pat 8 pineapple rings dry and arrange them in a single layer on the sugar, with a cherry in the center of each. Cut any extra rings to fill the gaps.
Cream
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat the soft butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time and the vanilla.
Finish the batter
Stir the sour cream and pineapple juice together. On low speed, add the flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the juice mixture, and mix just until smooth.
Bake
Spoon the batter over the fruit and spread it gently without moving the rings. Bake until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
Flip
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, set a large plate upside down on top and, holding both with oven mitts, flip in one quick motion. Lift off the pan and replace any fruit that stuck. Cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
Techniques in this recipe
Crowded: steams and turns grey Spaced out: browns and crisps Don't crowd the pan
Give food space in the pan or on the sheet pan so moisture can escape. Crowded food steams and turns grey; spaced-out food browns and crisps.
Read the full guide
Cook's notes
- If your 9-inch pan is less than 2 inches deep, set it on a baking sheet to catch any caramel that bubbles over.
- Fresh pineapple works too: cut it into ½-inch rings and use ⅓ cup of pineapple or orange juice in the batter.
- It's best the day it's baked. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
Nutrition per serving
365 calories
$0.75 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 4% of calories | 4 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 57% of calories | 52 g |
| Fat | 39% of calories | 16 g |
| Fiber | 1 g | |
| Sodium | 290 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
Do you flip pineapple upside-down cake hot or cold?
Warm, about 10 minutes out of the oven. The caramel is still soft enough to let go of the pan but has set enough not to run off the cake.
What are common upside-down cake mistakes?
Wet pineapple, which makes a runny topping; a pan that's too shallow, which overflows; and waiting too long to flip, which glues the fruit to the pan.
Can I make pineapple upside-down cake with a cake mix?
Yes. Make the topping in a 9x13-inch pan with double the butter and brown sugar, pour a yellow cake mix batter over it (using pineapple juice in place of the water) and bake as the box directs for a 9x13 pan, checking with a toothpick.
