The Best Pineapple Upside-Down Cake — So soft, moist, and really is the best!! A cheery, happy cake that’s sure to put a smile on anyone’s face! This 100% from-scratch cake is an EASY reader favorite you’re going to love!!
Homemade Pineapple Upside Down Cake
My 7-year-old had never had pineapple upside down cake and she loves pineapple. Whoa. How did that happen?
So I decided to get busy and make a homemade pineapple upside down cake. It turned out to be the best pineapple upside-down cake I’ve ever had, and one of the best cakes I’ve ever put to my lips.
I think it would be a perfect cake for Easter, Mother’s Day, baby and bridal showers, brunch, or anytime you want a cheery, sunny, happy cake!
It’s an easy cake to make, and you don’t even a mixer. For the cake base, I adapted my favorite buttermilk coffee cake that I’ve used for so many cakes, including my Blueberry Muffin and Buttermilk Pancakes Cake, Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Bliss Cake, Peaches and Cream Fluffy Muffin Cake, Cream Cheese-Swirled Cherry and Mixed Berries Cake, and more.
I love this cake base because it’s fast and easy to make, and the cakes always turn out supremely moist, springy, and fluffy thanks to the buttermilk, sour cream, and oil. That trifecta of moisturizing and tenderizing ingredients makes it impossible to have a dry cake.
Not to mention, the buttery, brown sugary pineapple juice that seeps down into the cake from the slices on top make the cake so soft, moist, and buttery that it just melts in your mouth.
The cake is soft, sweet, with an almost imperceptible tang from the buttermilk that adds another layer of flavor. The pineapple slices add chewiness and texture to the otherwise falling-apart-soft crumb.
While baking, the pineapple caramelizes in a butter and brown sugar bath, giving the pineapple upside down cake its signature glistening top and adding so much rich, browned butter flavor to the pineapple.
There’s no better way to get your Vitamin C than via pineapple baked in it’s own brown sugar-browned butter sauce.
The maraschino cherries add a burst of sweet flavor, and they’re so eye-catching on the cake. And my daughter loves cherries.
It feels great to make nostalgic and classic recipes, and between how this pineapple upside down cake looked and how it tasted, it just made me so happy.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Ingredients
To make this easy pineapple upside down cake, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Canned pineapple slices
- Maraschino cherries
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Egg
- Buttermilk
- Sour cream
- Canola oil
- Vanilla extract
You must use each of these ingredients as they’re listed. Substitutions like whole wheat flour or an alternative sweetener may result in a less than stellar upside down cake.
How to Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Making pineapple upside down cake from scratch is so easy! First you’ll arrange the pineapple-cherry topping, then you’ll prepare the cake batter.
Here’s how the homemade pineapple upside down cake is made:
- Arrange the pineapple-cherry topping: I used one 20-ounce can pineapple slices. I kept one slice whole for the center of the cake, and then fanned 12 halves around it. My pet peeve about most pineapple upside-down cakes is that there’s not enough pineapple if you keep the rings whole and intact. The focus of a pineapple upside-down cake should be on the pineapple, so I tried to maximize the pineapple coverage on top by using a fanning technique.
- I used the remaining 3 slices (6 halves) to line the sides of the pan. Nobody likes bald sides.
- Make the cake batter: After getting the pineapple and cherries in the pan, whisk together the cake batter and turn it out into the pan. I filled my 9-inch round cake pan about 3/4-inch full with batter.
- Let the cake cool before flipping: I made the cake before bed and let it cool overnight in the pan with a sheet of foil over it. There’s no big rush to get it out of the pan. And honestly, inverting cakes gives me sweaty palms every time and I was stalling. Because of how buttery the topping is, the pan is so well-greased that the cake just plopped right out. Not even one slice of pineapple or cherry out of order.
Tip: Although the cake doesn’t rise a ton, it’s still a cake and rises some, so don’t exceed about 3/4-full, the same idea as when filling a muffin tin. Discard the last bit of batter if need be. I mention this because all cake pans, the exact amount of pineapple, cherries, etc will vary slightly.
Can I Make This in a Regular 9-Inch Cake Pan?
No, regular round cake pans aren’t deep enough. You also can’t use a 9-inch square baking pan for this. You have to use a 9-inch round springform pan, otherwise this homemade pineapple upside down cake recipe won’t turn out right.
Which Springform Pan Do You Recommend?
I recommend making this easy pineapple upside down cake in this 9-inch springform pan. This is the exact pan I use at home and it works every time!
Can I Make This Into Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes?
I haven’t tried that before because I just don’t have the patience for it! So unfortunately I can’t tell you if this pineapple upside down cake from scratch can be made as cupcakes.
Can I Turn This Into a Layer Cake?
I don’t think layering pineapple upside down cake is a good idea. This cake is incredibly moist and heavy, and I think if you tried to make two layers and stack them on top of each other the entire cake would fall apart.
Can I Make This in a Bundt Pan?
Yes, you just have to be precise with your arrangement of the pineapple upside down cake topping in the bundt pan before you add the cake batter. The bake time may need to be altered slightly, so watch the oven and not the clock.
Is There a Sour Cream Substitute I Can Use?
Full-fat sour cream makes for the best homemade pineapple upside down cake, but lite sour cream may be used in its place. You can also use plain Greek yogurt, but note that regular yogurt won’t work (it’s too runny).
Can I Make This With Fresh Pineapple?
I’ve only ever made this cake as written, so I can’t say for sure whether fresh pineapple would work in place of canned. Most likely yes, but please let me know if you try this and it works out!
Can I Use Pineapple Juice in Place of the Buttermilk?
No, you need real buttermilk to help this cake rise properly. You can use the leftover pineapple juice in the can in cocktails, smoothies, and more though!
Is There a Buttermilk Substitute I Can Use?
If possible, get your hands on real buttermilk.
If that’s not possible, you can try making a buttermilk substitute (for every 1 cup of milk, mix in 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar). If you have to make a buttermilk substitute, you should use 2% or whole milk for the best results.
Can I Use Cake Flour Instead of All-Purpose?
The recipe was written and tested with all-purpose flour so I do not know what will happen if you try to use cake flour. My guess is that because this is already such a moist cake — and cake flour is so soft and fine — that it might not hold up well.
How Long Does Pineapple Upside Down Cake Last?
You can store the cake at room temperature for up to five days. Cover the pan with foil. The cake will stay super moist thanks to the juicy topping.
Can Pineapple Upside Down Cake Be Frozen?
Since this is such a moist cake that’s loaded with fruit, I do not recommend freezing it.
Tips for the Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Make sure you are using a good quality springform pan that you know is reliable. From time to time, people write to me saying their springform pan leaked, butter went all over, and they get upset with me. This is not my fault, peeps. It’s your pan that leaked. The solution?
Test your pan with water in it. Does it leak? If so, it will probably leak with the melted butter in it. Don’t make this pineapple upside down cake from scratch until you have a pan you trust, simple as that.
This is the 9-inch springform pan I currently use and I have never had it leak with this cake. I have, however, had it leak when I quickly (and I was half asleep) put it together and sealed the latch carelessly. I do recommend it and it’s been a workhorse with other cakes over the years. I bought it in 2015 and it still looks and works as good as new.
Note that you should wind up with just enough cake batter to fill the 9-inch springform pan 3/4 full. If you somehow wind up with a little extra batter, it’s better to discard it than overfill the cake pan.
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The Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake
This pineapple upside down cake is so soft, moist, and really is the best!! A cheery, happy cake that’s sure to put a smile on anyone’s face! This 100% from-scratch cake is an EASY reader favorite you’re going to love!!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- one 20-ounce can pineapple slices
- about 12 maraschino cherries
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (or Powdered Buttermilk, use 2 tablespoons with the dry ingredients + 1/2 cup water added with the wet)
- 1/3 cup sour cream, lite is okay (plain Greek yogurt may be substituted)
- 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Pour the butter into a 9-inch springform cake pan. Use your finger to run a bit of butter around the side of the pan so it’s well-greased.
- Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter.
- Add 1 whole pineapple slice to the center of the pan.
- Halve the remaining slices vertically. Stagger them in a fan-like fashion going around the cake. I used 12 slices.
- Place the remaining slices around the sides of the cake pan with the curved side pointing down toward the bottom of the pan (see photos for reference). There will likely be bare side patches with no pineapple coverage, that’s okay.
- Place 1 cherry in the center of the whole pineapple slice in the middle of the pan.
- Place 1 cherry in the center cutout of all the fanned pineapple slices; set pan aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, optional salt; set aside.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the next 5 wet ingredients (through vanilla).
- Add the wet mixture to the dry, mixing lightly with a spoon or folding with a spatula until just combined. Small lumps will be present, don’t overmix or try to stir them smooth.
- Gently turn batter out into prepared pan, being careful to not disturb the pineapple slices on the sides or bottom. Fill pan only to about 3/4-full. If you have a little extra batter, discard it rather than overfilling your pan.
- Place pan on a cookie sheet (to catch anything that does overflow) and bake for about 40 minutes, or until center is set and not jiggly, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Only go down about 1-inch with the toothpick, not all the way to the bottom where you’ll hit gooey pineapple juice.
- Place pan on a wire rack and allow cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before inverting, slicing, and serving. I allowed cake to cool overnight, covered with a sheet of foil, before inverting.
Notes
- Cake will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Cake base adapted from Blueberry Muffin and Buttermilk Pancakes Cake.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 299Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 172mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 1gSugar: 44gProtein: 6g
More Easy Pineapple Desserts:
Layered Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – A tender and moist classic two-layer carrot cake with tangy-sweet cream cheese frosting!
Pineapple Coconut Oil Banana Bread — Banana bread spiked with pineapple and coconut oil that’s so good!
Hummingbird Cake — A super SOFT and moist cake with bananas, pineapple, coconut, cream cheese frosting, and pecans!! Makes a huge cake that’ll feed a crowd!
Pineapple Poke Cake With Pineapple Glaze — A pineapple version of a poke cake with a pineapple glaze that you’ll adore!
Tropical Escape Pineapple Crumble Bars — Soft, tender bars that have a great crumble topping that will remind you of the tropics!
Angel Pineapple Lush Parfaits — This is a 4-ingredient, no-bake dessert that’s ridiculously easy, you don’t need a mixer, and you don’t have to turn your oven on.
Pineapple Coconut Bars — Eat your piña colada rather than drinking one with these fast, EASY, no-mixer bars that taste TROPICAL!! Pineapple, coconut, white chocolate, and cherries!!
Recipe originally from March 2014 and reprinted in May 2018
Thank you so much for a this delectable recipe! I wrapped my pan in foil, it still leaked, but it in no way affected the recipe! Beautifully impressive cake for just the family, and also for special guests. I remember making this with my cousins as a child, only because of our lack of knowledge in the kitchen, we used the orange flavoured boxed cake mix! Thanks for providing a trusted recipe and for the nostalgia Averie! 🙂
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this recipe worked well for you and it was impressive and had nostalgia too for you!
I have never used a spring form pan for an upside down cake. I use a cast iron skillet. I have made them in a bundt pan and I have made cupcakes. no problem. You just need the pan you are going to use to be well greased before putting the Batter in. I melt my Butter and Brown sugar in my skillet and brush a little of the butter on the sides of the skillet. The cake was great. No problems at all, I love the recipe. Just use the right equipment for the job
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad your cast iron worked and was deep enough to accommodate and everything worked great!
Can I double the recipe for a larger cake?
I would make two separate cakes rather than doubling this recipe because of the constraints of the springform pan. I really don’t know how you’d pull that off. Better, easier, and simpler to simply make 2 cakes if you need a larger quantity.
NO MEASUREMENTS FOR THE RECIPE, THIS IS A JOKE
You probably didn’t scroll far enough, all measurements are listed in the recipe card.
This is a delicious cake! I did learn, though, that a springform pan isn’t necessary as long as the pan you use is 2+ inches deep. I used an Emile Henry 9” square baking pan that was 2” deep because my springform pan has leaked in the past. The cake came out picture perfect and plopped right out after cooling for about an hour. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly as written, including adding a little salt, and I will definitely be making it again!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love the cake! Glad you will make this again!
Just as a caveat though, square pans hold more volume than round pans. You will have to go back to your geometry days or consult the internet on how to measure the volume of a circle vs. square. So that is why you can get away with using a 9-inch square without issue. But a standard 9 inch round, no, it would overflow and that is why I call for a springform. Technical, yes, but otherwise I would get lots of irate emails from people telling me I told them to use the wrong pan.
Oh, man…this is an amazing recipe! I made it just as written except I used 1/4 cup egg whites instead of an egg (didn’t have any, just had whites!) and I used 5 T of butter instead of the 1/2 cup because I was too lazy to open another stick of butter…LOL Turned out perfectly! I inverted it after about 2.5 hours and it came out with no problem at all. I will definitely make this again! Thanks, Averie!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this turned out perfectly with your little tweaks! Great to hear you will make it again!
I rarely bake cakes. This was delicious ! I made very small changes. I wanted to use up what I had on hand. Fresh pineapple and fresh cranberries. Also.. I rented a temp studio by the ocean and the oven is very small and even though it is brand new not exactly what I’m used to. I make do with what I brought. A deep fluted glass pie pan instead of recommended spring form . It took longer to bake due to my oven but I nailed it. The batter I followed exactly. The amount of batter was perfect! Zero waste and used up what I had! That’s how I cook. Thanks Averie! I love your site and your helpful tips! I nearly completely flubbed it though..I added the melted butter and arranged the fruits then as I was about to add the batter I realized I forgot to add the brown sugar. Yikes I just scrapped onto a plate and added sugar and continued. I will definitely need to double up the miles on my morning beach walks . Happy Holidays to all!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was delicious! And bravo to you for using what you had on hand, making due with the oven you had, and the pie plate, too. That is also how I cook and TBH basically how my blog was born…use what I had/have on hand and make use of it but in as fabulous of a way as possible :)
Hello, I have a question. Can you use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour for the cake if you like?
The recipe was written and tested with all purpose flour. So I do not know what will happen if you try to use cake flour. My guess is that because this is already such a moist cake, and cake flour is so soft and fine, that it might not hold up well
I wont use a spring form pan next time. Butter leaked out all over.
Some spring form pans are more prone to leaking than others, that is just the nature of them unfortunately. Test it with water before you even add batter/butter and see what happens.
hi! thank you for this wonderfully moist pineapple cake recipe! the best i have ever tried yet! i doubled my batter coz i was worried it might not be enough and ended up throwing some of it but it still turned great! yummmm!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is the best pineapple cake recipe you’ve tried! The amount of batter does work perfectly in a 9-inch springform pan, even though it appears a little skimping at first, it bakes up just right.
Picture perfect! I lined the pan with parchment because I was nervous it would stick. It came out great. Probably didn’t need to take that step.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that this was picture perfect! Lining with parchment can usually never hurt but because of all the butter in this recipe, probably not necessary.
So I followed this recipe almost exactly. I added maybe 1/8 teaspoon almond extract in addition to the vanilla because I love almond extract. I also used mexican vanilla because i always get compliments on its flavor. I used a 9×9 cake pan (not springform), and doubled the batter because I got nervous it wasnt enough batter….I think the normal batter batch or maybe 1.5 at most would have been perfect…the double amount was a little too much and increased cooking time by 25 min!! I let it cool and SLAMMED that bad boy out onto a cutting board….gotta make sure it plopped out nicely..and it did!!! Super delicious cake, will definitely make again.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this worked out wonderfully for you, even in a 9×9 pan and all was just great!
thank you for taking my comment just would like to know how would I adapted to make a sheet cake format. Family reunion . Thanks again.
I haven’t ever tried this as a sheet cake so can’t recommend anything specifically.
Do think it’s possible to make this is as a Bundt cake?
Yes you just have to be precise with your arrangement of the fruit in the bundt pan before you add the cake batter.
VEGAN ALTERNATIVE recipe! I made this recipe twice. Once as a traditional cake and once as Jumbo Muffins. Both times I altered it to be Vegan by substituting the egg for 1/2 a mashed banana, using coconut creamer in place of buttermilk, Vegan sour cream instead of traditional, Vegan butter substitute for butter and finally as I do with most of my baking, I used applesauce instead of oil. Both times it was absolute perfection!
Thanks for the five star review and glad you were able to veganize this and thanks for sharing what you did!
Best, Best, Best Cake I ever made
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it’s the best best best cake you’ve ever made! That’s a huge compliment!
Best ,Best,Best Pineapple Upside down Cake Ever
Easy to make II am proud of making it for my family They love it I can not thank you enough for your Recipe
I did not have Buttermilk so I follow your instructions and I add 1 York egg 1/2 Teaspoon of butter and 1 Tablespoon of Cornstarch and 2 Teaspoons of Carnation milk
I Mix it with a hand mixer and I cook it for one minute to get it to thicker. Let get cool and I add to my liqueur mix It wok Marbles
And glad you were able to makeshift some buttermilk, too!
…great recipe. I didn’t have buttermilk, so used Oatmilk with little lemon juice. Turned out fantastic. My pan leaked a bit, but no biggie, just put a pan underneath. The wife loved it, good as orgasm. 😊
Well it doesn’t get much better than that :) Looks like this cake is a keeper for you!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you were able to substitute for the buttermilk with oatmilk and lemon juice.
So I really wanted to make this recipe but I didn’t have buttermilk…so I used water instead. Flooded the recipe to a tee…except I backed mine in a cast iron pan. 10 inch…great taste, light fluffy cake…
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it still came out great for you without buttermilk.
Easy to make and really delicious. Thank you!
Glad to hear it was easy and delicious!
This is such a delicious recipe — moist, tender, full of buttery vanilla flavor and of course caramelized pineapple! I used a 3 inch deep 9-inch (diameter) pan and put a circle of parchment in the bottom then sprayed it with pam. Ran a knife around the edge after 20 minutes of cooling and the cake came out easily. Also I highly recommend the optional salt. I put a little in the pineapple as well. I was inspired to try this recipe because I had a bunch of fresh pineapple to use up. I cooked it down for 20 minutes so that some of the juice evaporated and didn’t make the cake soggy. So good! Thank you for a family favorite!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved the cake and that it helped you use your pineapple!
The recipe is good but the recommended springform pan leaked first use – had to send it back.
Sorry that the pan leaked, not my fault though! Sorry you took off a star for that alone. I have never had issues with it but sorry you did.
Glad the recipe is good!
All springform pans leak when baking, a little anyway, that’s why you wrap the bottom with Reynolds wrap before baking.
I agree Diane. Every once in awhile you get lucky and they don’t but just about the time I ‘trust’ mine and don’t wrap it, it’ll leak on me. Nature of the beast.
This is the most utterly delicious cake I’ve made in a long, long time.Made it twice in a springform, and once in a silicone pan. All of them turn out just fine, but the one in the silicone overbaked the edge. The sprinform will give the best results. I line the outer edge of the pan with foil to catch the little bit of butter that leaks, but the brown sugar soaks up the rest inside the pan. Just sprinkle the sugar around the inside edge first to create a “sandbag” effect, then do the middle. I feel like that keeps more butter in, if your pan has a small leak.I added 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract the first time because I was out of vanilla, and might again even with the vanilla.This cake is worth the bit of prep time making the nice top, and the flavor is the absolute best of any pineapple upside-down cake ever. :)
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it’s one of the best cakes you’ve baked in a long long time! Also wonderful to hear that it has the best flavor of any pineapple-upside-down cake ever!
And I love hearing the trials you’ve done, twice in a springform and once in a silicone pan. Glad to hear that the springform still gave the best results!
There is no way the cake in the pictures is in the pan you recommended. The Amazon listing says the pan is 3″ deep. Pineapple ring halves aren’t large enough to reach the top of a 3″ pan.
I used the same size pan as the one in the Amazon link and it filled halfway.
Now I’m worried about how I’m gonna get the cake out without it breaking…
Any suggestions??
That is the pan I used, it worked fine for me. The pineapple does reduce in thickness as it bakes (naturally). Not sure what to say but that is the pan I used, that is how I made the cake, there’s even a video showing what I did. Good luck! I am sure it will be fine.
The cake should turn out fine if you buttered the sides of the pan as the recipe directs. If you’re nervous, run a butter knife gently around the edge of the cake before loosening the ring.
The pan in the recipe PHOTOS looks just like the one that is linked on Amazon. The one in the video is different. The video one is red, and it has a lip to catch leaks, which the pan from the Amazon link does not have.
The original recipe post is 5+ years old. My assumption is that video helps have been added more recently, and this video used a new pan.
If you ignore the one used in the video, what is recommended in the post IS consistent.
The pan in the photos and in the Amazon link is the same.
In my videographers kitchen, a different pan was used to make the video.
I have only ever used the pan in the photos and it has always been fine for me.
Just 1tsp of vanilla and 1 tsp on coconut extract. Rediculous recipe as is but the coconut sent it through the roof. So much you can do with a basic moist yellow cake like this one. Very nice recipe. Just know coconut and pineapple is a marriage made in heaven.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love the cake!
Made cake exactly as recipe suggested, for my mom’s 78th bday. Pineapple Upside-down is her favorite. This cake turned out super moist and delicious. My mom said it was the best she ever had. Sooo pretty and easy to make.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this cake was the best your mom had ever had! Happy 78th birthday to her!
This cake is very good. I did not have buttermilk. I substituted 1/4 pineapple juice from the canned pineapple, mixed with whole mile and a 1/2 tsp of vinegar which = 1/2 buttermilk. There was way too much butter so next time I will use 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) melted. Thanks for a good recipe.
This was really easy to make and turned out beautifully! I made it for Thanksgiving and my family ate the whole cake that night! They asked me to make another one today, thank you for the awesome recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was easy for you and turned out beautifully!
I made this for the first time and it was amazing!! So light And fluffy. Great taste.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was amazing for you!
Hi
I just finished making this cake and I had a couple issues, but both isn’t in regards to the recipe. First, my brand new springform pan was leaking some of the butter but I add a little more so hopefully it won’t affect the cake. Secondly, after mixing the wet to the dry my batter wasn’t as loose as yours so I don’t know what went wrong. Do anyone have any advice just in case I have to do it over.
Leaking springform – buy a new one. They are prone to leaking and some are just worse than others. It can take a few to find one that works for you.
A batter not as loose – possibly too much flour/heavyhanded when measuring the flour, I would cut back a smidge.
I am not a great baker but love pineapple upside down cake! This above all other recipes feels right so I will try it!
Can I use a 12 inch springform pan?
Probably but the cake will be shorter since it’s a bigger pan.
Thank you for your reply……Your cake is just beautiful, I have never seen one so lovely… It not only looks great but taste even better, it is so good.
Thank you so much!!
Thank you for this lovely cake……It is so good. My whole family loves Pineapple Upside Down Cake and this one is a big hit.The only changed I made was to put 3 TBSP of Caramel Sauce over the Pineapple before I put the batter on. It is very good with the Caramel too.
I am glad you loved the cake and I am sure the caramel sauce was a great touch!
I tried this recipe with quite a few modifications and it turned out quite nicely. I made it gluten free. I substituted the regular flour with gluten free self raising flour.I used fresh pineapple instead of cannedI didnt have a springform tin that didnt leak, so i used a silicone cake tin instead.it was a very nice recipe thank you. if i had followed everything 100% im sure it would have been beyond perfect
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it worked out well with your modifications, including most notably for me, GF flour!
WOW !! I made it yesterday for my 4th of July celebration and my guests kept coming back for more !! What a DELICIOUS cake, I can’t wait to make again !!! I MEAN THAT ! Thanks again for yet another grade A recipe from you !
I am so glad to hear your guests kept going back for more and that this turned out so deliciously!
If my springform pan leaks with water inside it, can I solve this with aluminum foil or parchment paper?
I guess it would depend on how bad it’s leaking and your ability to not care if you go to the work of making the cake and then if your pan failed on you, would you be okay with that? I would be livid. I would personally buy a new pan before going to the work of making the cake so I was sure it would turn out.
I double the butter and sugar and use a 12″ cast iron skillet. The “glaze” almost goes through the entire cake somehow and my cake is taller. I also make a vanilla-nutmeg sauce to go over the cake. Talk about food porn.
How did it come out ? I had used a 10″ pan but it is not spring form pan 😭 I have it in the oven now
Hi
I wanted to know if there’s a fair portion of cake because in the picture up top it looks like very little cake and more toppings. I would like to make it for thanksgiving but I want to make sure it’s enough cake, because dealing with my family they criticize everything. Help
The cake itself is not a ‘tall’ cake. It would depend on how many people you’re serving. If you have more than 8-10 then you’d want to also make another dessert is my rec.
Do you Add the water as the Recipe shows? The video does not have the water added. Thank you.
I don’t understand your question. There is no water in this recipe.
Only add water if you use the powder buttermilk.
I am so making this cake ! could i omit the oil the recipe calls for and use a substitute of any other type ?
No
Can I use pineapple juice to replace the buttermilk? If so would it still be the same amount – 1/2 cup? If can do this – would the rest of the ingredients and directions stay the same?
I really don’t know. I have only made it as written and don’t know what will happen if you change things up.
Yes you can I’ve made it like that same amount & add a splash of Lemon Juice or Apple Cider Vinegar any acid it interacts with the Baking Powder & makes it rise more.Makes it fluffier too.
Yes you can use Applesauce & mayo for the eggs 1 dollop size like an egg.Also really simple get a box of yellow cake mix follow instructions for the pineapple upside down part then follow directions on box of cake mix.It’s the easiest way.If you google what to substitute in recipes that will help you out.I’ve made this before both this recipe & different variations.Also you can use other fruits I’ve even used Fruit Cocktail get the Sugar Free drain the juice b/c to me it’s way too sweet if you get the Fruit cocktail in heavy syrup.I’ve also added Cinnamon,Nutmeg,& Ginger to the batter really good.Sprinkle in to your desired taste do this before adding the eggs to taste the batter to make sure it’s up to your liking.
You can, technically. I’ve used avocado oil, melted shortening and coconut oil. The only oil that slightly altered the texture was the coconut oil, but that makes sense. Coconut oil firms at cooler temps. Canola and vegetable are best though, because they are flavorless, unlike stronger oils such as olive. They also do not firm up at cooler temps.
Will regular 9″ cake pans work?
No, not deep enough.
Is there anyway that I can make this eggless without losing the moisture and leavening power from the egg? Thanks.
I have never experimented doing this so I really can’t say.
I actually made the cake this morning and I replaced the 1 egg with 1/4 homemade applesauce and added a little of the pineapple juice and it came out beautifully. Lovely recipe and soooooooo easy and quick!!!
Thanks for the five star review and glad that your changes worked out great for you!
In all my years of baking, I’ve never made a pineapple upside down cake. Do you drain the pineapple?
Essentially yes since you are just arranging the pineapple slices by hand around the pan; you just pick them out of the can.
I will be making this for my son. However, I will be using self-rising flour because that is what I have in my house. Can you tell me how to make the necessary changes to the recipe when I use the self-rising flour please? Thanks so much!
I have no idea since I’ve never used self-rising flour for this cake and personally, to give some advice, I would not want to try it with a cake that’s as labor-intensive as this one in case you guess incorrectly, and the cake does not turn out.
I was looking for a cake recipe for the whole family and I stumbled on this article. I read and followed the instructions carefully and I made it deliciously! Every member of my family is so happy! Thanks for this!
I am so glad you and your family loved it so much!
My entire house loves this cake. Delicious. However, I did run into a problem as I was making it. I used a 9×9 square pan and followed the recipe exactly, but when I poured the batter into the pan it didn’t entirely cover the pineapple and cherries, so I quickly whipped up another batch of batter and poured it on top of the first batch in the cake pan. So my cake was made with two batches of batter and turned out great. I believe I added another 10 minutes bake time.
You’re supposed to use a 9 inch round springform pan not a 9×9 inch square pan. Step 3.
And you can see all the photos show a round pan. Glad it tasted great though.
5 stars!
Awesome recipe! We made this and it was amazing!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad it was amazing!
Hi I live in Mauritius and zero chance of finding buttermilk! Can i try to make a nut milk / ACV or lemon juice buttermilk alternative or will it ruin it?
I would make a real dairy-based version of homemade buttermilk (don’t use nut milk; use actual milk) using lemon juice or ACV and go with that instead. I haven’t personally tried this but that is my guess.
Loved the look of the pineapple but the butter/brown sugar mixture seeped out of my springform pan and itis a good one…made a huge smoky mess in my oven! Would make this again in a regular cake pan.
Trust me, I have had ‘good ones’ and cheap ones over the years and sometimes accidents do happen with springform pans, but sorry your pan leaked on you.
I’ve been making pineapple upside down cake for years. Thye are always dense and bread like. I tried this recipe. It was amazing, soft, pineapplely and a big hit!! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad it was a big hit!
I made this cake yesterday and although it didn’t cook thoroughly it still tastes great after a one minute nuke in the microwave. Do you have any suggestions for high altitude? At 40 minutes the toothpick came out clean but after cooling and inverting the middle was a pudding consistency.
I really don’t have expertise with altitude cooking and the adjustments that you’d need to make but there are tons of websites with that type of info if you google it.
Clearly though if it was pudding-like in the middle it just wasn’t done and I would easily add 10-15 minutes based on your description just as a first guess type of solution. Glad you were able to salvage it though and a quick nuke is working!
I recently made this dessert for a dinner party of 6. We all agree, it’s the best pineapple upside down cake recipe. I plan to make this again.
I recently made this dessert for a dinner party of 6. We all agree, it’s the best pineapple upside down cake recipe. I plan to make this again.
I’m glad to hear all 6 of you agreed it’s the best pineapple upside down cake!
This recipe is hands down the best I have ever had. I got a hankering for this cake after a local bakery made little mini versions of these. Their cakes didn’t come close to this one. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is the best you’ve ever had and better than your bakery’s!
If I want to make this in an old fashioned ring pan do you think I would double the amount of cake batter? It’s not quite as large as a bundt pan.
I haven’t tried it so cannot say for sure how that would work out. With this cake, I recommend making it exactly as written.
Can you use fresh pineapple when making this since you don’t use the juice? Would one be enough?
I have only made it as written and cannot guess what will happen if you use fresh pineapple. Probably fine but I haven’t tried it so I cannot say for sure.
It’s in the oven now, looking and smelling great! Question: could this be made gluten free with a different flour?
I have only made it with all purpose so I’m not sure but if you were to try it I would use one of the gluten-free blends that’s a one for one replacement with normal flour.
O-M-G!!! This cake is amazing! Love It, really. Thanks for sharing this recipe. 😍 🍍
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you love the cake!
I have made this about 10 times now, so I can say with certainty that this recipe is an absolute hit! My father-in-law requests it every year as a Christmas gift, and I make it whenever I am in a pinch and would like to give a homemade treat as a gift. Thank you for the wonderful recipe, Avery!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that this is an annual Christmas gift for your FIL and that you give it to others as a homemade treat!
I made this tonight and it was seriously the best pineapple upside-down cake I’ve ever had. We could not get enough of it! Thanks for the recipe and we’ll definitely be making this many more times!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that it was the best pineapple upside-down cake you’ve ever had!
My “go-to” pineapple upside down cake! I’ve made this a few times now and I love how delicious it is and how beautiful it looks. This is my husband’s uncle’s favorite type of cake and I make it for his birthday when he’s around. Always a hit!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad this is a family favorite that you’ve made multiple times already!
Absolutely wonderful. Very moist. I cut down the sugar a bit. I will definitely bake this again
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that you’ll make it again!
Never done a review for anything before – but this cake is amazing. I’ve made a bunch of different upside down cakes in the past, and this certainly wins the award!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that this cake wins the award for upside down cakes!
So it’s my turn to make a comment. I tried the recipe today and I have to say, after hunting for the perfect recipe for the past month, I decided to stop right here, because after the reading all the positive reviews, I said to myself, this must be THE ONE! My hubby’s birthday is tomorrow and this is his favourite dessert. Well let’s just say, the cake will not last till tomorrow since it’s already halfway gone. It came out perfect! And this is even though I substituted half of the buttermilk for the pineapple juice and I used mayonnaise instead of sour cream because I didn’t have any. Yes mayo…I use mayo in my chocolate cakes. It’s a magic ingredient that makes it nice and moist. And no, you don’t taste it. Anyway…I have since received two orders for later this month so this is the recipe I will be sticking with. Thanks Averie!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you decided that this was The One for your hubby’s bday tomorrow! I use mayo sometimes in a pinch too. After all it’s really just oil and eggs, can’t hurt in a cake :)
Thank you so much. I made the cake this afternoon. It is for a party so I will have until tomorrow to taste it.It is helpful to wrap the bottom of the springform pan to avoid leaking.
Thanks for the five star review and I hope it’s a hit at your party!
I really want to try this cake tonight but I have no yogurt or sour cream – which I usually keep on hand for baking, is there anything else I can use in its placce 😥
I would wait to make it until you have one or the other.
This cake is amazing! The recipe was easy to follow and it came out just as pictured.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was a hit for you and that it was easy and came out just as pictured!
I have been craving Pineapple Upside Down cake ever since it popped up in a conversation with my Aunt last month. I’m so grateful I happened upon your recipe and website. I made it with what I had on hand and I must say, it turned out AMAZING. Better than any other I’ve tasted. My 2 subs, only because I was limited to what I had on hand, were Kefir instead of buttermilk, and coconut oil. Had no springform pan, so used cast iron skillet. Delicious! Thank you so much. Will make this again and again.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved this cake! Glad the kefir and coconut oil did the trick. I can actually see coconut oil being amazing in this cake. Coconut + pineapple + cherries = essentially a pina colada (cake) !
I wasn’t sure about your directions on the buttermilk. If I use just regular buttermilk, do I also add half a cup of water? Going to make it for my hubby’s Birthday. Thanks!
If you’re using real buttermilk just use 1/2 cup real buttermilk, no water.
My 9 year old daughter made this recipe with me for my birthday cake and it was AMAZING! The only swap we made was using a 2″ deep cake pan (9″) since our springform pan was leaking out the butter. Still turned out perfect and was even better the next day!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it worked out in a 9×2-inch round cake pan!
Has anyone doubled this recipe and used a sheet cake baking dish? Need to feed a crowd.
Very easy and VERY DELICIOUS! Highly recommended!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it turned out great for you!
This is a moist and delicious cake! Its easy to make, too! I’ve made it at least 5 times, always using fresh pineapple. Fantastic Recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love this cake and have made it at least 5 times! Glad the fresh pineapple works well for you too.
hey girl- this cake looks amazing!
Thanks so much! One of our favorites!
Retro recipes are the best! I love your fanning technique. I haven’t had pineapple upside down cake in soooo long …. time to remedy that!
It’s such a classic cake but the classics never go out of style :)
This is such a wonderful classic!! I love the idea of cutting the pineapple rings in half to better cover the pan.
Yes it’s a nice little trick to get complete coverage!
Am I missing it or do you not have Pinterest for each recipe? I want to save then there and anxious to try your recipes. I would appreciate your help with this.
Thank You!
Hover over the corner of any photo on the top left-hand corner of the photo and they are all Pin-able.
This sounds great. My MIL coming to visit so I’ll be making this and can’t wait.
Great, enjoy it!
Not sure why 4 stars came up. Sorry. This is a 10 star cake
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love the cake!
I just took this cake out of the oven and am scared of how it may turn out. There is SO MUCH butter and brown sugar that leaked onto the baking sheet… Not sure if they’ll be much camelization or moisture from the butter,sugar and pineapples. I was baking this for a sunrise. Now, I’ll be surprised if it turns out. Oh well…..
It sounds like your springform pan is leaking. That is always a concern with springform pans. Sorry that yours is a leaker.
Can I substitute the pineapple juice from the sliced pineapples instead of Buttermilk for the liquid?? I have no buttermilk on hand
No because it will not help the cake rise like buttermilk will. You need buttermilk for this cake to work.
Thank you. I did use the buttermilk but I did add a tad of pineapple flavoring.. it came out delicious and It rose perfectly… I did use a 9 by 9 Square cake pan also.. Thanks again for the such a great recipe..I will use it again..????
Excellent! Glad it came out great for you and that using a 9×9 pan worked just fine. Glad you will make it again!
Can this recipe be tripled? I would like to make 3 layers of this cake. Or would I have to make 3 seperate batters?
This is not a cake I recommend making as a layer cake. It would be very heavy and I don’t think will hold up well to being stacked in layers. Make as written is my advice.
I’ve always been on a lookout for a great pineapple upside down cake recipe, but none that we’ve liked enough to keep using. Tonight I found it. Thanks you! :)
Thanks for letting me know that this recipe is your new winner! Glad you have found it now!
I made this for my great nephew’s 14th birthday. It was absolutely wonderful. It was very moist and had a wonderful flavor.
I doubled the cake part because I baked it in a 9 x 11 pan.
This is the recipe I will use in the future. Thanks
Thanks for letting me know it was a hit for the bday party!
I set out to make 2 cakes, so I doubled the ingredients. I ended up pouring considerably more batter into the first cake tin which was not a bad thing since I used fresh pineapples, with the result that the top was wetter than expected. A thicker layer of cake meant that the liquid had more cake to seep through while still leaving a decent layer of unsoaked cake (not soaked in the caramel or the water from the pineapple). I used greek yogurt instead of sour cream which is not readily available in my country. It works perfectly, although I will surely try with sour cream as soon as I get my hands on some. The cake took exactly 40 minutes in a 180 degrees Celsius fan oven. I did not have buttermilk, and substituted it for whole milk with a tablespoon of vinegar. Given all the substitute ingredients (fresh pineapple rather than canned, greek yogurt instead of sour cream and milk/vinegar instead of buttermilk), I was VERY pleasantly surprised with the outcome.
I have always wanted to make a pineapple upside down cake which is as perfect as Bree Van der Kamp’s (from Desperate Housewives). This was my first attempt and I think I have found just the recipe I am going to swear by! Thanks a lot!
Thanks for all the feedback about what you did, changed, and that in the end, you are very happy with the results!
And I love the Housewives :)
Can put this in a bundt pan
I’ve only made it as written so not sure how a Bundt would work.
I made this cake tonight and it was very good. It was only approx.
“1 thick. Is that correct?
One-inch thick sounds very thin. It’s a thinner/flatter cake but not that thin. I would say 3-4-inches probably. The batter alone when you pour it into the springform pan is probably 2 inches worth, then the pineapple, and then it rises. Maybe your springform pan was bigger than mine.
This is by far the best pineapple upside down recipe I’ve made! I come from a family of frosting-haters so I’m always making frosting-free cakes and trying different recipes but from now on I’ll stick with only this one. Cake came out extremely soft, dense, and crazy moist! it tasted just as a pineapple upside down should taste :) Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad you love it and will always stick with this one! I agree with everything you said about the cake and as frosting-free cakes go, you can’t go wrong with it!
I have made this cake several times and everyone who have eaten it have loved it. This is the only recipe I follow. I feel like I have mastered the art of making this cake.
I am so glad you feel you’ve mastered the art of making it! I am glad it’s always a hit!
I just made this cake for my birthday. I followed the directions and cooking times. The top was a nice golden color, it had pulled away from the sides, and 2 toothpicks in different places came out clean. I cooled it for about an hour and when I flipped it over the middle was still raw. I had no idea. So I dumped the cake back in the pan, reheating my oven, and attempting to cook it some more. I’ve baked a lot and this has only happened to me one other time years ago also when I was making a pineapple upside down cake. What gives? Why do the toothpicks come out clean and other signs point to be done when they are still raw?
Not sure what’s going on with your particular kitchen, equipment, etc because I’m not there but because there is so much juice from the pineapple, the batter is wet and therefore you need to bake it until it’s truly done in the center. That may be longer than the baking estimates provided, since everyone’s climate, ingredients, ovens, etc. run differently. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Girl, this just happened to me. I even read your review and made super sure to check the middle with a toothpick; it came out clean in several places. It was pulling away from the pan and otherwise looked done. Cooled it and flipped it. Raw in the middle. Did you ever try this again and find out why this happened? It’s so frustrating!
I cannot explain how you tested it in multiple places (I assume the middle) and it was clean and done, or so you thought, but wasn’t actually done. I know this is frustrating and as a baker, this happens to me from time to time. I would just bake another 5-10 minutes in your case if you try again. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Hi. I was wondering if i can make this recipe with fresh fruits rather than canned. Also im thinking about making 2 or 3 cakes and build them up into a layered cake by adding whipped cream between the layers then covering the whole cake with whipped cream and finish with some white chocolate shaves. Knowing that you have tried this cake, do you think adding these twists would turn out well ?
Based on how moist this cake is it is definitely best to make it as one single layer and make it exactly as the directions indicate. I also would use canned fruit rather than fresh. There is a reason I chose all the ingredients and method that I did rather than going in different directions with it. Of course, feel free to experiment, however I don’t know if you have much luck making it as a layer cake or with fresh fruit.
This is a certain keeper. My husband loves pineapple upside-down cake. I made this for him tonite for our 27th anniversary, and he loved it – ate 1/2 of the cake, even after a full steak dinner! It’s definitely a keeper. Thanks so much! Because my springform pan is a bit wider, the cake was thinner, and I may have overcooked it a bit, but because of all the moistening elements, it was very forgiving and turned out great. And it flipped out of the pan perfectly and looked great. He was very happy, and I am so pleased with with this recipe. Thank you so much! You have a new fan ;)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Happy Anniversary and glad that this is a keeper and that half the cake was eaten, even after a steak dinner!
This cake was really great! I doubled the recipe for a larger cake (bit longer baking time) but it came out wonderful! It was a total party success!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Love that it was a a total party success!
OH MY GOD. I made this cake today. Okay, so here’s what I did differently: I used almond extract instead of vanilla. I poured the pineapple juice from the can in (I used the powdered buttermilk and I didn’t add water because I put in the juice). Next time, I probably won’t do the slices on the sides because they kept wanting to fall off, but otherwise, the cake looks lovely and tastes awesome. I lined my springform pan with heavy-duty foil and it still leaked a little bit, BUT then I went on Amazon and found a 9-in. round cake pan that is extra deep (3″); same depth as my springform pan. I did have to bake about 10 minutes longer than the 40 min baking time but all ovens are different. I hope you don’t mind that I made some changes! Thank you very much for the recipe. Today’s cake was the tester cake; I’m going to make this for my book club in two weeks. And I bet I will want to make it frequently!
Your changes sound amazing! I love the idea of using the juice + powdered buttermilk (no water) to boost the pineapple flavor. Great idea about lining your springform and then finding a gem on Amazon, too. Your book club is going to be REALLY lucky!
Can you make this in a cast iron skillet?
Haven’t tried it that way so I can’t speak to results.
I’m not a regular reader but I used this recipe for a coworker’s birthday and it was a huge hit at my office. SO delicious. I didn’t use a springform- I ended up using a 9″ round corningware ceramic dish with high sides and lined the bottom with parchment to make sure it would invert easily (and it did! ). I used greek yogurt instead of sour cream, dark brown sugar instead of light brown, and lowfat buttermilk instead of full fat. I ended up baking around 50 minutes, letting it cool for around 40 minutes, then inverting it. It was still a bit warm but I think that helped it invert. Readers be warned – the dark brown sugar kind of gave it a burnt look since it is darker than the photos here. This didn’t effect the taste at all imo and we all really enjoyed it. AMAZING recipe!!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and was a big hit at the office!
Best pineapple upside down cake recipe ever! (And I’ve tried a lot). I am excited to try your other recipes.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and lived up to it’s THE BEST namesake!
Looks delicious! Need to try this :)
This recipe is total perfection. Not much else to say. It really is the BEST!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And that it really is the BEST!
Hi Averie
I am excited to try your recipe and was wondering if you could tell me if you think a 10″ spring form pan would be ok or would the cake be too flat?
Thank you
Would probably be okay but I haven’t personally tried it so can’t say for sure.
This really is THE best Pineapple Upside Cake! Other recipes are just yellow cake with brown sugar & pineapple, but the texture of this is what a real PUC should be. Delicious and I love it!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And I agree, there are TONS of PUC’s on the internet that are just doctored up cake mix. I really tried my hardest to come up with a great, but easy, scratch recipe!
Oh, and I used a 9×2 cake pan…perfect!
This truly is the best! I have been on a search forever and this is it! Very moist and delicious! Thank you!
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you!
Hi! I live in Caracas, Venezuela, and prepared the cakes today. Although we don’t have all the ingredients (no buttermilk, no sour cream here), it came out just perfect. I used Greek yogurt and milk plus vinegar instead. We neither have light brown sugar, I used dark one. It looks like the one in the pictures. My spring form pan did leak, but it was all the pineapple juices. I thought it was going to be extra sweat, but no, it is just fine. Thanks for the recipe, we are loving it.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you even with the tweaks you had to make!
Cake is the perfect, I love pineapple. Looks very juicy and delicious, beautiful photos.
Can I use fresh pineapple for this cake? Also, I do not have canola or vegetable oil on hand. Can I substitute olive oil?
I haven’t made the cake any other way other than how I wrote the recipe so can’t speak to the results when other ingredients are used.
Hi! I’m hoping to bake this today. Not only is this cake gorgeous, but surprisingly it’s one of the only pineapple upsidedown cake recipes that I can find that don’t use a boxed cake mix….I don’t like those things u_u
I was wondering if this recipe would work for cupcakes as as well and if this recipe is okay to double.
Thank you!
I’ve never made it as cupcakes because I don’t have the patience to do all that work with all the upsidedown business as cupcakes rather than just one big cake but I believe if you read through some comments there are some readers who have done it. I also have never doubled the recipe as this makes a cake definitely big enough for my family. Good luck and LMK how it goes!
I have baked this recipe several times. The last time I made it, I used a 9″ cake pan because the time before the springform pan leaked. It came out fine. No reason to use a springform pan.
That’s great that your 9-inch cake pans are deep enough. Mine aren’t which is why I use a springform. Glad you’ve made the recipe several times!
I substituted pineapple juice for water and this turned out well. It is especially good warm! Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Hi there! My husband’s aunt requested a pineapple upside down cake for her birthday this coming Saturday. I prayed that you had a recioe for one, and thank goodness you do!!! You never fail me lol. Can’t wait to try this recipe! Thank you!
Hi Averie,
I am going to try your recipe tonight. My family loves homemade baked goods…and I have never made pineapple upside down cake. Plus, I have a 9in. springform cake pan! I will let you know how it turns out.
Regards,
Anna
Hope it turns out great!
Hello Averie,
I sent you an email, but never received a reply. Anyway, wanted you to know that the cake turned out amazing! I used more pineapple around then what you directed, and less butter. Still delicious and super moist.
I didn’t see your email but thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Thank you so much. I am going to give it a try today. I appreciate you getting back to me. wish me luck!
Can you only use a springform pan with this recipe? This looks great and this is my daughters favorite cake, I am wanting to make it today for her birthday tomorrow.
Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to hearing back from you.
I have only made it with a springform pan so can only speak to the results if you use one. Being that it’s going to be a birthday cake, I suggest using a springform pan that you know works well and have used successfully in the past as some of them do unfortunately leak depending on the brand.
I was really excited about this cake and followed every direction. It looked cooked and like your picture when I took it out of the oven. However, when I inverted my cake, it looked very uncooked. I only waited a couple hours, not sure if it would’ve looked better if I waited longer. I put it back in the pan and in the oven for 10 more minutes, but it was still a mess. What did I do wrong?
It sounds like the cake was underbaked if it looked underbaked to you. All ovens, pans, pineapple, climates, etc vary and sounds like your cake required a bit longer in the oven than mine did. I would try that next time if you try again. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Being my first time ever making a pineapple upside down cake, I wanted to find a good recipe. And I did just that. My cake came out great!!
I actually used my 10 inch cast iron skillet, and was pleasantly surprised with how well it came out. (I tested my older springform pan with water over the sink a few times, and had a lot of leakage… Time to upgrade!) I was unsure if the baking time would be the same using a little larger skillet, but everything was perfect. The cake was SO moist. I can’t stand dry desserts, and honestly I’m not really a cake person, but this was amazing! Also, pineapple is my all time favorite fruit, so fanning it out over the top is a great idea. And it looks cool, too!
On top of it tasting so good, it was such an easy recipe to follow. I think the hardest part was waiting 30 minutes for it to cool. Seriously. I waited exactly 30 minutes. The smell was too much to handle, and I caught myself staring in that direction… A few times. Lol!
Thank you for this awesome recipe. I looked at others, but kept coming back to yours, and I’m glad I did. Plus, your pictures are what lured me in… They’re all so nice. I will definitely be making this another time, and probably sooner than later! Thanks again!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Even in a cast iron skillet!
It was my daughter’s 18th bday and she LOVES pineapple upside down cakes! So my 13 year-old son (who loves baking) decided to make one for her. However he was disheartened when he heard you needed a springform cake pan (we didn’t have one). Fortunately I found a springform cake pan at Walmart and we were able to make this cake. My 13 year-old son made it, all by himself! The pan did leak some butter, but the cake turned out beautifully!
WOW!!!! It is so good!!! Thank you so very much for this wonderful recipe!
God bless you and your work!
Here is a link from my Facebook of his cake:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1584352261880158&set=a.1478007939181258.1073741827.100009161999705&type=3&theater
Happy Bday to your daughter and your son needs a job on the Food Network!!! The cake is GORGEOUS. The pineapple is arranged PERFECTLY with the cherries. It’s seriously one of the prettiest reader-submitted cakes I’ve ever seen and certainly the best job I’ve seen on this cake which is not the easiest cake to make. I am really blown away!
And I think almost all springform pans do leak, some more than others, and even ones I have that were super expensive will still leak from time to time.
If you make any other recipes of mine, please send photos! :)
Hello! I was thinking of making this recipe because it looks AMAZING… but I do not have a springform cake pan. I have 9″ inch cake pan about 2 inches tall. Would this work for this pineapple upside down cake recipe???
Thank you SO much!!!
I fear a regular 9-inch pan will be too skimpy because you have to account for the thickness the fruit adds to the bottom and sides of the pan.
This is even better when you add some nut pieces in with the pineapple rings and cherries. My mother-in-law gave me this recipe 50 years ago.
Pineapple upside down cake is a classic dessert and I’m sure there are 50 year old recipes. This one is only about 5 years old from when I created it :)
I’m a first timer so pls understand. I noticed that you mentioned a box cake for the cake base all the way up before even listing the ingredients. But i didn’t c u mention it in the directions. Can u give me light? I’m gonna try this for my husband b day tomorrow. Thanks.
There is no boxed cake used in this cake. Make the cake as written in the recipe section.
Thank you! I will let you know how it goes :-)
Hi! Making this for a family dinner this weekend….did you serve with whipped cream or ice cream?
Neither because it doesn’t need it in my opinion but do as you prefer.
Thank you and were the pineapple slices in juice or syrup?
Juice.
I made this cake for some dinner guests as I hadn’t made one in decades, and I thought it would be a nice change. I actually do quite a bit of baking, but I’ve never made one of these from scratch before. My pan did not leak at all and when it was baked, looked exactly like your photos. I waited for about an hour or so before inverting it. I unlatched and inverted, but at least half of the cake and pineapple did not release. The cake flavor was absolutely fantastic and no one minded the appearance, but I was so disappointed that it looked so messy. No one else seems to have had that problem. Any ideas what would have made it stick? It was a brand new pan and I rinsed it and dried it thoroughly before pouring in the butter and other ingredients but didn’t wash it in hot soapy water first. Wondering if there was some residue, though I could not detect any. Just guessing here. I plan to make it again within the next couple of days because it was SO fantastically wonderful, but I really want it to look like yours. Thanks for any tips you can provide.
Hmmm it sounds like some cake and fruit got stuck and that would lead me to believe it was in the pan or not enough non-stick spray being used before hand. It could have been, like you said, a fluke reaction with the coating on the first time use. I would suggest REALLY spraying it well with cooking spray and trying it again. If you still have the same problem, it’s the pan and replace it. This is the one I use. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008BULFWS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008BULFWS&linkCode=as2&tag=lovvegyogruna-20&linkId=CFPCZPPILNDWXCQG I’ve never had it stick at all, super easy release. If I’ve used it for 20 cakes, I would say that 19 times it has been fine. One small leaker, but that could have been because I was in a hurry and it was my error re-latching it. Keep me posted how things turn out!
Oh My Gosh! This really is the best Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipe. I made two over the weekend, and both were absolute hits!
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you! And that you made two!
My husband loves Pineapple cake. i want to make this recipe in a heart shaped pan. what suggestions can you give me to make sure that the cake comes out without tearing up
I really can’t offer any advice because I’ve never tried making it any other way than what I wrote. Honestly this cake while it isn’t a hard cake to make, it’s a little more time-consuming that others because you have to layer down all the fruit and you definitely do need a springform pan and I would recommend just making it as written in a regular springform pan.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes and beautiful photography! Made this cake and had great success. Tasted great and the presentation impressive. It is such a pretty cake with the pineapple half slices that allow more cherries. And your photography is to be admired! My cake looked good, but yours was awesome with every plump cherry exactly the same size. I bought a spring form pan and it leaked too. :-) But I did put it on a cookie sheet and that saved my oven. Next time I will also add foil around bottom of pan. The only change I made to your recipe was to use part of another can of pineapples so I could have full coverage around the sides of the cake. Even prettier! And the leftover pineapple was used elsewhere.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Thanks for the compliments on my food styling and photography!
Springform pans can be pesky but glad the cookie sheet was a helpful trick.
You don’t really need a springform pan for those who have a problem with theirs leaking. You can use a regular cake pan but line the bottom
With parchment paper and if you want, the sides too. That will prevent the cake from sticking and will come off smoothly.
Most regular cake pans are not deep enough for this recipe, they’re 9-inch rounds and 2-inches high, which isn’t at all deep enough for this cake and it will overflow! Not advised!
Thank God I was smart enough to put the pan while it baked, everything leaked. followed exactly. the batter was not enough…its baking now – hopefully something was salvaged or i will have to bake a new cake for tomorrow.
Sorry that your pan leaked. Sometimes springform pans can do that! I suggested that in the recipe tips as well, just as insurance!
I made this the other week and it turned out beautifully :) I actually had a similar concern as another, that there might not be enough batter…but it turned out perfect. It is a delicious recipe that brought back the nostalgic feelings of eating this for the first time way back when. I could definitely see boozing up the caramel sauce to make it a bit more adult ;)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And I love your idea of boozing up the caramel sauce :)
Discard extra batter?!!! Are you crazy?!!! I see pineapple up-side down extra batter cupcakes in my future. I’ve baked a lot of this kind of cake before, and I’ve never tried it in a springform pan. Very interesting.
I would totally make cupcakes too if I had extra batter….or just…eat it :)
I want to make this cake for Thanksgiving, because it is one of my dad’s all time favorite cakes. I have all the ingredients on hand, but I was wondering if I could substitute cake flour for the all purpose. I have some cake flour to use up, so just wondered if you ever tried.
Cake flour and AP flour aren’t interchangeable in baking and I don’t recommend using it with this recipe as it wasn’t tested and developed that way. Enjoy the cake!
I’m planning to make this cake on Saturday for my mother’s 65th birthday. PUC is her favorite! I’m noticing lots of reviews mentioning springform leaks and that was also my main concern when reading the recipe. That leads to my question…what’s the benefit of a springform pan versus a regular cake pan?
With a springform pan you’re guaranteed that this very sticky cake will release from the pan; with a regular cake pan, it’s a gamble plus it’s simply not deep enough. The cake would overflow.
Leaks all depend on the pan itself. Some are more trustworthy than others. Hope your mom enjoys the cake on her bday!
My mouth is watering as i type. Its been ages since i had this.
just one question, can i use regular plain yogurt for sour cream?
Was just wondering how you used the springform pan to invert the cake. Did you leave it latched or did you unlatch it? Thanks!
Unlatch, then invert. Enjoy!
Was just curious to know how you inverted the cake since you used a springform pan-did you unlock the pan or leave it latched, did you just flip the bottom piece over…? I’ve never made a cake in a springform to invert it. Don’t want to get it made and then damage it when I invert it lol
Thanks!
My husband loves pineapple upside down cake, but I could never find one that I liked as well. Until now. I baked one and took it to Easter with the in-laws, it was a major success, I should have made two of them. Now they ask me to make them for every family get together.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and that now you bake it for all the family get togethers! What a great story and thanks for sharing :)
Hi Averie,
Just made this cake. Turned amazingly delicious. Am an avid fan. Could you tell me please if I can substitue the egg for something else?
Thanks,
Ritu
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! In terms of subbing the egg, I haven’t tried and don’t know in this case how well this cake would fare being egg-less. I honestly wouldn’t tinker with it if it came out great for you :)
I made your pineapple upside-down cake today without changing a thing in your cake recipe and it is by far the best I have made in a while! I used my cast iron frying pan as I have in the past, cooled it for about 40 minutes and it came out all in one piece. Thank you. It will be my new ‘go to’ recipe for this cake. Some others I have tried were too dry.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! I HATE dry cake (or dry desserts in general, just not worth the calories to be eating dry ones!) so I always make sure nothing of mine is ever dry! Glad you’ll be making it again and it’s your new go-to!
I baked this cake the other day for my mother-in-law’s birthday. She loved it! Well… everyone loved it! I’ll definitely be saving this recipe. I had some issue with my pan leaking as you mentioned could possibly happen, but other then that it was a breeze to make and a treat to eat!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Happy Bday to your MIL, too!
Yes, springform pans and especially varying on the brand, can leak from time to time. Even my one that I ‘trust’ not to leak 9 times out of 10 will be great and then it’ll leak, but go back to being trustworthy. I think sometimes re-assembling them just exactly-so can make the difference, but who knows. Glad you’ll be making the cake again!
I just made this yesterday and loved it. I used a 12″ cast iron skillet, so I doubled the cake recipe, and added about 10 minutes to the bake time. I also added crushed pineapple in the empty spaces. It was so moist and delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you in a cast iron skillet after doubling it – wonderful!
When I remember, I wrap the bottom of my springform pan with foil just in case there are leaks. I am generally using it for cheesecake. I have always made my pineapple upside down cakes in my cast iron frying pan and I think I will try this in it as well. If it doesn’t work out, it will be my own fault, so no complaints will be forthcoming. Very pretty cake and lots of good reviews!
Followed the recipe AS WRITTEN and it turned out great. Thank you!
I will note, after reading the comments, I used a regular 9″ round pan and not a springform. Had no problems with inverting it, and no leakage. The ONLY change I would make to the recipe is I will probably up the amount of brown sugar to 1 cup. Loved this, and my daughter has already requested it again. Also can’t wait to try out the cake base of this in other ways. :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Glad that a 9-inch round pan worked for you and that you loved the cake base enough to try it in other ways!
What brand of spring form ban do you use? I just ordered a Kaiser Gourmet from William-Sonoma website online. Hopefully this one is better than the crap last minute attempt buy I bought at Wal-Mart. Wasn’t expecting much, but this baby is LEAKING like crazy so I am curious as to which brands are best.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008BULFWS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008BULFWS&linkCode=as2&tag=lovvegyogruna-20&linkId=CFPCZPPILNDWXCQG
It’s the best one I’ve found. I’ve never tried the Kaiser Gourmet one you mention but Williams-Sonoma is always reputable and if you have issues, return that thing! Good luck!
I tried out this recipe and overall it didn’t turn out well for me. I think I will cut the butter in half for the pineapple base part because it was just dripping everywhere and the cake was really soggy throughout its entire thickness, not just around the pineapple layer part. I even baked it longer than recommended because the inside of the cake was wet still and wouldn’t seem to set ever. I’m not a bad baker, and I can follow instructions pretty. I appreciate you posting your recipes though (and the photos are amazing). I also like how you’ve arranged the pineapples, it’s nicer than the full circles. I googled other recipes for pineapple upside down cake and many use half the amount of butter so I’ll give that a try. The cake was underdone and ended up with a custard-y texture almost so it was still edible and we ate it.
Thanks for trying the recipe and many others have had great success with the cake and it’s always hard for me to say when someone doesn’t have success, what exactly went wrong. In this case, I think it’s probably the pineapple itself. It’s a fruit, from Mother Nature, and no two are alike and I am thinking yours was pretty juicy and maybe that contributed to the wetness aspect and why it took a long time to bake. If you think less butter would be better, go for it. For me, based on the pictures, it was the perfect amount of butter and I didn’t experience any issues and have remade this cake many, many times since posting it. Have also re-make it as a Caramelized Banana Upside Down Cake https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/07/caramelized-banana-upside-down-cake.html I’m glad you were still able to eat the cake.
have your cake in the oven right now–pineapple upside down cake has always been a favorite of ours. I just always used a different recipe. My springform pan is also leaking as I speak but my only question would be–since it is leaking, should I invert it right after it comes out of the oven so the sauce doesn’t all leak out while it cools? would sure hate for the top to be dry
It’s really your call when to invert it based on your judgment and your pan. I wait a bit, but whatever you think is best. Hope you’re enjoying the cake!
My American boyfriend asked for his birthday a pineapple upside down cake. Instead of panicking since I had no idea how it tastes or looks I decided to look for recipes. Yours seemed and sounded amazing, plus it was the first time that I saw so many comments talking about successful results without altering the recipe.
I followed religiously your instructions and the cake looked and tasted as you promised! Amazing! Thank you so much, it was such a big relief that not only I didn’t ruin the dinner I had prepared, but he was raving to his family about it. And I discovered a new favorite cake.
P.S. I did not have a spring form and made it in a simple circular pan. Nothing changed and it popped within an hour super easily and without any piece having moved. Success!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and that your boyfriend and his whole family were raving about the cake! Wonderful! And great that a regular round cake pan worked just fine, too!
I made this for Father’s Day this year, and we ate the entire cake in one sitting!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and was gone in a sitting!
Also do you need to pat dry your pineapple and the cherries?
No.
Can you make this in a iron skillet them seem to give more flavor?
I’ve never tried it that way because I love the recipe, as written, so I can’t say how the results will be in cast iron.
I tried it with a cast iron skillet and it I loved the way it turned out!
That is great to hear!
Is there a fig recipe anyone has that uses this cake recipe from the pineapple upside down cake…I would love to try it
Hello. Great recipe and the comments are really beneficial. However, it seems I am missing something in step 3. We can not pour 1/2 up of melted butter in a spring form pan unless it was meant to say only to grease the pan with sides but then I can’t see where to use all the remaining butter. Can someone please explain more? do we really REALLY pour all the butter int he pan before adding the batter?
Thank you,
Yes you really pour it.
This is indeed the best pineapple upside down cake ever. To be honest I’ve only had this type of cake like once or twice before in my life haha- but this was delicious. I made the cake, my sister and my boyfriend and I ate it all right away, and pineapple is my boyfriend’s favorite fruit. He loved it so much I baked another cake a couple days later for him. Thanks so much! One of my favorite recipes
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and that you impressed your boyf and sister! And then….baked another one! That’s awesome!
Hi, I just wanted to tell you this recipe is delicious. I made it for my mom for mothers day. She loved it. I used coconut oil and had to make the buttermilk with milk and vinegar . This cake is is moist. The last recipe I tried was more dense. My pan did leak but it still was great. The person who posted that it did not fill her may have a pan like mine. My pan filled only half way, but my side pineapples where only halfway up in the panand I noticed in your photos that you side pineapples went to the top of the pan, so it is probably a deeper pan. The batter did come to the same place on the pineapples. Thank you for posting the recipe.
I have been looking at some of your other recipes and I want to make the peanut butter bread with the Nutella for my sons, I texted my son to bring some Nutella when he gets off of work..
Valerie
Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing what you did and glad you enjoyed the cake! Yes, all springform pans vary in depth, leakability levels, etc. Glad your pan overall seemed to work just fine for the cake and so nice of you to bake for your mom, and next the bread for your boys! If you try it, LKM how it goes!
I just made this cake and had to tell you my story! My husband LOVES pineapple upside down cake. He has ranted about his mom’s pineapple upside down cake basically since the day I met him. I told him I would make one for his birthday but I wanted to use a different recipe than his mom’s. He didn’t say anything (because he knows better) but he definitely had the attitude of “I’m sure it won’t be better than my moms but go ahead and give it the ol’ college try”. I followed your recipe exactly, except I used my 9″ cake pan and it worked perfectly for my specific pan.
First, he was amazed by the appearance, it was beautiful! He ate his whole piece and said “This is the best pineapple upside down cake I’ve ever had, out of any cake I’ve ever had!” I never thought I would see the day when he would say my cooking is better than his mom’s! Thank you so much for the awesome cake recipe :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you AND the part where your husband said: “This is the best pineapple upside down cake I’ve ever had, out of any cake I’ve ever had!” Now that speaks volumes AND on top of that, it trumps his mom’s recipe, which is almost impossible to do b/c those kind of childhood and nostalgic recipes live on in our memories and almost nothing can top them but glad my recipe did the trick!
I just made this cake for our church bake sale. I followed the instructions exactly. I let it sit overnight covered with foil. I got up this morning to invert it as I read that’s what you did. I noticed that some of the topping had seeped out of the bottom. Once I inverted it, the center pineapple stuck to the pan and the pineapple on the side fell over. I also had to wipe up some of the topping as it had run over some. My cake sure doesn’t look like your photo. I just hope it tastes good. Not sure if I’ll try this again. Typically I don’t try a new recipe on anyone for this reason.
Upside down cakes are not always easy but it’s good you gave the recipe a try. Even if it looks a little messy, I’m sure it will taste great!
I wish I would’ve trusted my baking instinct when I saw “melted butter” and “springform pan.” I ended up with butter everywhere in my oven. I really liked the cake though. Thought it was great. But a little small for my taste. Maybe a double batter for the cake and use extra banter for muffins or something.
I also made the Pineapple Upside Cake for Easter. It was a hit!! So rich and wonderful. Thank you so much. I will be back to try more of your recipes.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and that it was a hit at Easter! If you make other recipes, Sharon, please LMK how they go! Love the pics you sent too :)
Not a success for me. First, there is nothing wrong with my springform pan. Leaked everywhere. I am personal chef and caterer. I bake everyday. I have not had success with a few of your recipes. Dont know why. Your pics are beautiful. The raspberry buns were not a good one for me as well. I will keep trying
I don’t believe I have a raspberry buns recipe on my site. I have lots of other fruit-filled rolls but that one doesn’t ring a bell. Maybe you are thinking of another blog, as lots of bloggers do have raspberry roll recipes.
As for the pineapple cake, sorry that your springform pan leaked! With all due respect, if there’s nothing wrong with your springform pan as you said, then it shouldn’t have leaked. Sometimes when I bake with mine, it leaks. Other times it doesn’t. It’s a Caphalon and I’ve tried many brands but for me, it’s the best of the bunch and sometimes I think I just re-assemble it slightly so ‘off’ and it can then leak. Maybe that’s what happened to you? Not sure. I hope the cake tasted okay if you tried it; other than the fact that your pan leaked.
Thanks for trying the recipe and for the compliments on my photos.
Made this cake for Easter and my family loved it. The cake was moist and would taste good just by itself. Thanks for the recipe! I will definitely make this again. I made 1 cupcake with some of the extra batter and pineapple and it was really adorable, maybe I will make a batch of those next time.
Thanks for trying the recipe and so glad it was a success for you on Easter and I’m sure you impressed your family :) Glad you even had extra batter to make a cupcake!
Something is wrong with this recipe. The batter only fills the very bottom of a 9″ round spring pan not 3/4 of the way up. I know something was wrong when it called for only 1 cup of flour. I’m very disappointed and have to start over with a different recipe.
Many, many people (read the glowing comments) have made this recipe with great success and I’ve made this cake oodles of times, as well as adapted this batter for a banana upside down cake and many other cakes. There is nothing wrong with the recipe. If your pineapple is stacked correctly and you measured correctly and are really using a 9 inch spring form, then 1 cup of flour is not too little when you account for how much ‘room’ the pineapple takes up in the pan at the base and sides. Thanks for trying the recipe.
I made his cake for my hubby. Pineapple upside down is his favorite. He and my 19 year old devoured it. Moist and delicious. I substituted coconut oil for the canola, because that is kinda what I do know. It gave it a tropical flavor. I am sure the canola would be delicious as well..Thank you for a delicious recipe. (as a side note, I am glad I have a self cleaning oven, I placed my pan on a cookie sheet as directed, but I still had a lot of juices on the oven floor – just an observation….it was sooo worth it)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! I love baking with coconut oil too and have made this cake with it and it’s lovely and more tropical-ey! And some springform pans are leakers. And I have one that sometimes it is perfect and never leaks and other recipes, it leaks horribly. They can be so temperamental! Good luck finding a new springform pan and at least your oven is self-cleaning :)
If we wanted to make this in a 9×13 pan, would we have to double the batter? Thanks.
Hard to say since I’ve never baked this round cake as a rectangular cake. I would say yes….but with reservations since I haven’t tried it, and round cakes and rectangular cakes cook differently and you can’t always just interchange them.
I just made this last night in a mini pineapple upside down tin I purchased from williamsonoma. They come out looking like mini pineapples….this was the best cake I ever had. I’ve never been a fan of the pineapple upside down cake, but I still decided to give it one more try and I’m so glad I did. This isn’t just the best upside down cake, but the best cake! Thanks for sharing! My family loved it!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and that not only was it the best pineapple upside down cake, but the BEST CAKE you’ve ever had!! Wow, that’s such huge praise and I really appreciate it! Your little W-S tins sound adorable, too!!
OMG!!!!! I called myself making this for my boyfriend because he had never had one. The kicker is I haven’t had one either UNTIL NOW…poor boyfriend and cake LOL
I hope you and your boyfriend enjoy it!
I’ve never been a huge fan of pineapple upsidedown cake (& never have baked one as a result) but I think I’ve only had ones made with a mix rather than totally from scratch. Well, tomorrow’s Hubby’s birthday and guess what he requested? Your recipe looks like just the thing for this first timer! Love the way the slices fan out! My pan is a 10 inch though so maybe I won’t have to toss any excess batter? Thank you for posting and fingers crossed mine looks and tastes as yummy as yours!!
I think a 10-inch should work great. Enjoy!
I, too, have never made a cake from scratch and only one boxed cake. I was going to make this today until I read that I need a springform pan. I’ll have to wait until I get one. Then, you mentioned most all of them leak so now I’m afraid. What brand should I search for? I really want to make this cake and others you have mentioned.
I would go shopping and see and feel the pans at your local store. You will be able to tell what you think looks like a winner and not. Just feeling them you will see the ‘clasp’ not as solid on some vs. others.
i was looking for something different in a pineapple up side down cake and this is it! I just made it,its in the oven now.the recipe was easy to follow and now just waiting for the taste test!!! Sounds so good!!!! And i love using butter milk so i am excited. Thank you!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it was easy for you and hope you’re loving the finished product!
Made this yesterday for Valentine’s Day and it was delicious! It’s rare for me to bake something perfectly the first time around – a definite credit to your recipe. I also used a regular round 9-inch pan and it came right out. I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And on the first try, too! Keep me posted what else you try!
I just made the cake and it looks beautiful and the taste is amazing! Loved not have to get out my mixer and also loved the way you fanned the pineapples on top – it looks so nice!!! My mind is now thinking about other upside down cake possibilities like peach upside down cake in the summer… Thank you! I will make this recipe again soon!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! I made this cake with bananas because I truly love the ‘fanning’ look as well! And it would be great with peaches, nectarines, plums…some of those fruits are a little ‘slippery’ to handle but with patience, totally do-able! https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/07/caramelized-banana-upside-down-cake.html
There’s one big mistake in recipe of yours.Cake will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days – yeah,right, gone in 1 hour !Best pineapple cake ever
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and that it disappeared fast!! Wonderful to hear it’s the best pineapple cake ever!
Will be trying this as soon as I get home! Fingers crossed!!! It sounds perfect!
This was SO good! My parents grew up in the 60’s, when this was apparently the big thing, and I love making one for my dad once in a while because it has such strong memories for him. I’ve made several different recipes, but this will definitely be my go-to. The beautiful pictures definitely sold me, too. Thanks!
So glad it was a hit with your entire family and brought back great memories and will now be your go-to recipe!
I made this for a holiday party and everyone loved it. I don’t bake much, but it looked and tasted amazing. So moist and tender! My 12 year old son requested it for his birthday cake. Easy and delicious- LOVE IT! I’m going to try some of your other recipes for my family. Thanks!!
I love that your son requested this for his bday cake!! He’s got great taste :) And glad the cake turned out perfectly, even though you said you’re not a frequent baker! Keep me posted what other recipes you try!
I forgot to add that I added 2-3 spoons of rum before serving. This suggestion came thru a friend who was in hotel industry for 30 years. Next time I will serve without rum.
Thank you thank you and thank you so much for the recipe.I always wanted to bake one in my dreams :-)… Yes I was so scared. Well, I followed the recipe as it is but didn’t have buttermilk so I added 1/2 cup water to 1/2 cup natural yogurt . The cake turn out to be yum and was gone in less than 10 min.
Guys pay attention to every detail. I used baking paper to line the pan and just to avoid any accident I placed tray on lower shelf. I was surprised that the tray was caramelised
Glad this turned out to be the cake you always wanted to bake, in your dreams :) and that it came out perfectly. The water/natural yogurt idea was a great stand-in for the buttermilk – great thinking! And yes lining your baking pan/and/or making sure that you place your springform pan on a tray is really a nice insurance policy because most springform pans unfortunately leak. Ugh. Glad the cake was a perfect!
I’m just getting into baking and decided to surprise my aunt with this beautiful cake for her birthday. I’ve never made cake from scratch before, and I did not find a springform pan in my local BBB! I let it cool overnight and bit my nails…
The inversion was seamless. I inspected the sides to make sure nothing was sticking, you could see the cake glide in the pan. So I inverted and tapped…. It came right out. The cake was simply beautiful! Just like the photo.
I can’t believe you’ve NEVER made a scratch cake and this was the first one you’ve ever made…not that it’s a ‘hard’ cake but it’s 100x fussier than most…if you can make this cake, you can now make any cake, ever! Congrats! So glad that it turned out beautifully and tap-tap and it was out! Love it when everything works out exactly as hoped!
Thank you for sharing your pineapple upside down cake recipe. It’s the best I’ve ever had and was easy to make. I only had cake flour on hand and the texture of the cake was very light and moist. My husband said it reminded him of the cakes his mom baked when he was a child. Our new year’s eve dinner was a hit. Thanks again!
Glad that the cake was a big hit and I’m sure the cake flour was a wonderful touch in it! Glad that it reminded your husband of cakes from his childhood – what a nice memory!
I made this for my Thanksgiving dessert and I received many compliments – wonderful recipe! Thank you for posting it – it’s a keeper! I didn’t use traditional buttermilk (I didn’t have any) so I used a splash of vinegar and remainder half and half to make a 1/2 cup, let it sit for five or so minutes and it thickened up perfectly to use in my recipe.
I agree with another poster that when I first poured the batter, I double checked the recipe because you referenced 3/4 full in the springform and it didn’t look like it was even halfway, but it was the perfect size. I wrote a note to my future self on the printout that it may look like less, but it will still turn out perfectly. Thanks again!
Glad it came out perfectly for you and the vinegar/half-and-half trick is a good one. I’ve done that once or twice myself :)
And yes the batter and pan sizes and how full is full…it can vary based on everyone’s exact pan dimensions but I’d rather have a slightly shorter cake than one that overflows all over the oven which is why I am careful how I write things to try to prevent mistakes before they even happen with readers :) Glad this is a keeper for you!
making this right now, tried some of the batter…..YUMMY!
can you give me some more clarity on the buttermilk proportion. If i use 1/2 cup of liquid buttermilk do i still add 1/2 cup of water to it. Pls. confirm.
Brands of powdered buttermilk vary but you’ll want to add enough powder to make 1/2 cup buttermilk. If you’re using regular, liquid, traditional buttermilk, then you don’t add any water. Water only comes into play if someone is using powdered buttermilk and it needs to be made into a liquid.
Can i use Splenda for thie Recipe??
I haven’t tried it, so can’t say for sure…but my guess would be that it’s not going to caramelize like real sugar would. You can try and see how it goes.
Hi, I’ve made pineapple upside down cake many times using a boxed cake mix, and it always comes out fine. This time I tried your recipe, and while the taste was good, the batter, using just the one cup of flour that you recommend, barely covered the topping. Is it a typo, or should only one cup of flour be used? Thanks in advance!
It’s not a typo. There isn’t ‘tons’ of batter but there’s plenty to cover the pineapple.
I would doublecheck to make sure your springform pan isn’t larger than I indicated. That could be one possible issue.
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad you enjoyed the taste of the cake.
Excellent recipe. I did not have any milk so I used the pineapple juice. I have a 9 inch cake pan that is 2 in deep and had no difficulty inverting the cake onto its plate once it was cool. I never use a springform pan for cakes with sauce because of the risk of leaks.
I never use a springform pan for cakes with sauce because of the risk of leaks = and if you trust your pan to be nonstick, that’s a great way to go! I have tried soooo many springform pans and some are better than others but none are perfect. Sigh.
Glad the cake came out great for you, even without milk! Great way to use literally everything in the can of pineapple, including the juice!
I was very excited to make this for my husband’s birthday. It was a horrible experience…. My brand new springform pan leaked everywhere and the cake did not even cook. So disappointing
Sorry that it was your PAN that failed, not my recipe! (just don’t want anyone reading this to think it’s the recipe). I have had springform pans leak and it’s Soooooo frustrating! Been there!
I made this cake this afternoon after trying your banana upside cake recipe a couple of weeks ago.
It turned out amazing!
Thank you so much once again :)
Thanks for trying both of my upside-down cakes and glad you loved them both!
Hello there! After so many comments from readers who actually made the cake, I’ve decided to make this my first recipe I try from your website! I’m so excited!
Do you have a recommendation for the temperature of the egg? It makes a pretty big difference in certain circumstances.
Thanks!!
You know I’ve made this cake base with room temp eggs, eggs out of the fridge for 5 mins, and eggs straight from the fridge. I’d say go with 5 to 20 mins out of the fridge, but I will admit this cake base is extremely forgiving…like I’ve made it 25+ times and I really don’t think it will matter a ton. But you’re right, in some recipes, it does!
Thanks for answering my question. I made this cake last night and I’m turning it over today after work! Super excited to see how it turns out. I’m wanting to try this cake base with other fruits in the bottom!
I’ve done it with bananas https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/07/caramelized-banana-upside-down-cake.html and you could do peaches, nectarines, plums, probably strawberries…really so many things! LMK how the inversion goes and what you think of the cake!
My great grandma would make a pineapple upside down cake every year for my grandma’s birthday when she was young, and I thought it would be nice to bring back the tradition. After reading several recipes, I decided to go with this one… We absolutely loved it! I’m sure I’ll make it again next year.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this and thanks for selecting my recipe after reading several. Great that you’ll make it again!
Hi Averie. So far I’ve made two of your recipes……Fudgy Banana Bars (twice) and Sweet Cream Vanilla Coffee Cake. Both have been yummy!!!!! There are times I may not have an ingredient and, in this instance, I was wondering if the sour cream/greek yogurt can be substituted with additional buttermilk. Many thanks.
Yes I think you’d be fine. Just add it very slowly and use less than the 1/3 c called for, at least at first. You just don’t want to thin out the batter too much. It’s a pretty thick batter. Enjoy!
Thank you so much. I’ll let you know how it turns out. Have a nice day.
Hi! Can u please tell me if I can substitute the sour cream/greek yoghurt with milk?
Not really because milk isn’t as thick and it will alter the texture and results.
Can u plz tell ur recipe in gm n ml …as measuring cup sizes vary with the brands …tx
A 1 cup measuring cup in the USA is a 1 cup measuring cup, brand does not matter.
Question… Do you have to use a springform pan? I am making this for my Momma’s birthday today and want to make sure :) I have to buy the pan to make it lol.
Just read an above post that says you do! Oops, thanks! :)
I just made this cake. Used Greek yogurt, and as I had no buttermilk or regular milk home, I used cream with a tsp. lemon juice added. Turned out awesome. It even looked like the picture! It smelled so good that I couldn’t wait to try it, so I inverted it onto the plate after only about 20 minutes and ate it while hot. I can barely stop myself from going back for more (a lot more)! Thanks for a great recipe!
So glad you made it and that Greek yog + lemon juice did the trick! Great that it turned out like the pics and that you inverted it right away without issue. Glad you’re stealing bites of it, too :)
Granddaughter and I made this cake today. It was delicious and looked great. We didn’t have excess batter like you mentioned in the recipe. I would double the batter next time. What did we do wrong? I double checked the dry ingredients. The cake was very thin. I think it probably would have filled a nine in regular cake pan.
Well your pan may just have been slightly deeper than mine, thus no excess; pan sizes vary slightly.
The fact that the cake tasted great but batter seemed thin; well I use Trader Joe’s buttermilk and King Arthur all-purpose flour. I swear by that flour specifically and flour or buttermilk variances in brands could result in the cake batter being a different texture/thickness, but you said the cake came out great…so I don’t know exactly how to explain it. You could try changing flour and see if that changes the thickness of the batter or change buttermilks.
I made the cake in a 9-inch springform pan as stated in the recipe. I’m wondering if I should have used a 9-inch round instead? Thanks so much in advance.
Springform is correct. It’s far too much batter to fit into a typical 9-inch round given the layer of pineapple/cherries. Plus, getting it out would be less of a sure-thing.
Perfect! Thank you!
Averie, I have been knowing and following your recipes for only a month now but every recipe I tried from your blogs has turned out perfectly. I have tried the cherry bread, chocolate chip cookie, chocolate chip strawberry muffin and cherry chocolate chip blondies (yes, I have a thing for chocolate chip and fruits!). And you know what, they all came out beautifully! My boyfriend lovessssssss them and so do his family. Whatever I baked was always gone in the next morning! I’m trying this tmr since he’s begging me to bake smth pineapple. Wish me luck!
And thank you! You are my favourite!
Thanks for finding me and for trying so many of my recipes already! Wow, you’ve done a lot of baking and that’s awesome! So glad everything has worked perfectly and that everyone else is loving the treats, too! Enjoy this cake, it’s one of my all-time favorites!
Pineapple Upside Down Cake is my absolute favorite cake and until last year, I’ve had one every year as far back as I can remember (for my birthday). Like you, I always felt like there wasn’t enough of the pinneapple goodness. Once I started making these myself, I opted for crushed pinneapple which consistently covers the cake and gives pinneapple in every bite (I choose to omit the cherries, but the ‘crushed’ recipe works with or without the cherries). Also, my Aunt actually doubles the pinneapple/butter/brown sugar topping and, to me, it makes it even yummier. Maybe you or your readers can find this info. useful and/or adapt it as you/they see fit.
I’m looking forward to trying this tonight. Any idea how I can scale this to a larger springform pan. I have one that is 10.5 inches.
I would just use a few more bananas and bake a little less time possibly since the cake will be thinner since your pan is a bit bigger. Just guessing of course, since I havent tried it personally. Enjoy!
My husband asked for a pineapple upside down cake this year for father’s day. After searching online, I found this recipe and I am so glad I did. The cake turned out beautifully, just like the picture. My husband loved that there were extra pineapples on top (different from his childhood memories). I turned the cake onto my cake server, but there was no real need. Within minutes, my husband and three sons had consumed the treat. I am not a fan of pineapple cake, but in the sample piece I had, I loved the base cake and will be using it as a base for many other recipes. This was a great recipe. Thanks again for sharing it!
I am thrilled to hear this cake was a big success, both in terms of taste, visual appeal and it turning out just like my photos, and that you plan to use this cake base for other recipes. Yes, and as I mentioned in the post, I tweaked and adapted my favorite small-cake cake base that uses buttermilk because it’s such a keeper! It never lets me down. Many of the “Related Recipes” I linked use a very similar base so you can check those out for inspiration if you’d like!
I made this for my dad today and it was a huge hit! I’ll definitely be making it again :) thank you!!
Thanks for trying this cake, Kara, and glad you’ll be making it again! And how sweet of you to bake for you dad on Father’s Day :)
Love your newsletters
This turned out superb! I have yet to be disappointed in any of your recipes (and I’ve made a quite a few). It is moist and not too sweet: the perfect combo. The only thing I would mention to readers is that I used half of the brown sugar and butter that was recommended for a 9 in pan. I only used enough to cover the pan generously but still had a ton of each leftover. And it still turned out GREAT!! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for trying many of my recipes and glad you loved this cake and that the tweaks you made worked out just fine! Thanks for LMK you made it!
I made this yesterday for my mom for Mother’s Day. I followed the recipe exactly, I did use Greek yogurt in lieu of sour cream. You weren’t fibbing this really is the best Pineapple Upside Down Cake EVER!!! Thank you!
Thank you for trying it and glad that you agree that it really is the best :) How sweet of you to bake for your mom, too!
The Pineapple Upside Down Cake sounds good, but mine is better! I cook the pineapple in the butter and brown sugar in a large sauté pan on the stove first. This allows the pineapple slices to caramelize. Then I arrange the pineapple slices on the bottom go the pan, adding the cherries and pouring the butter /brown sugar moisture over the fruit. I add the pineapple juice from the can of pineapple to the cake mixture and I also add some coconut flakes to the cake mixture. When the cake is done, while it is still hot, I poke the cake all over and pour a can of Creme de Coconut over the cake and allow the cake to absorb it. The cake cannot be turned out of the pan. It is too moist and will fall apart. It must be scooped out. When the cake is cooled, I cover it with homemade whipped cream. Now that is the best Pineapple Upside Down Cake!
No… yours is not a pineapple upside down cake as you freely admit you don’t invert the cake. Drowning the cake in other flavors is another cake foul in my book.
Don’t be so rude, your post was offensive and I am just a reader of the blog.
I def agree with Jason! And I’m sorry but your version sounds way too soggy, mushy and sweet. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I loved this recipe! I’m am just like your daughter. I love pineapple but have never had this cake before. I was moist and full of flavor. My husband, who usually doesn’t like cakes because they are too dry, liked this cake too. Thank you for another wonderful recipe Averie!
Thanks for trying this cake (and your first ever pineapple upside down cake!) and so glad your husband even liked it! Glad you’re happy & thanks for the feedback!
I made this last night for a dinner party. It was very good!!! Thank you so much!!
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for trying it!
Hi Averie, I made another upside down pineapple cake for easter and was not pleased with the results. I saw your receipe and tried it today. You are right…it is the best ever. The only thing I did different was add a little almond extract. Thank you so much for your great recipes. I have never been disappointed with any of your creations.
Oh I love almond extract & I can see it being great in here! Thanks for saying it’s ‘the best’. After not having luck with another recipe which is so frustrating – I am glad you’re happy with my recipe! And with my other recipes, too!
It looks totally yummy!
But, isn’t the amount of fats in the batter too small? Other recipes call forse something like 1/2 cup of butter in the batter, this one only needs 3 tbsp of oil… I’m confused… Anyway I’m gonna tra this recipe tomorrow! What if I add the juice from canned pineapple to the batter? Would it be too liquid?
Thank you!
Follow the recipe as I wrote it; I promise it works like a charm. Don’t make alterations since I have no idea if what you want to do will work or not – what I wrote, works. Enjoy the cake!
I’ve made my very first pineapple upside-down cake following your recipe. This came out just amazingly beautiful (almost the same as in your pics) and sooo delicious!!! Thank you, Averie for great recipes that actually deliver! Your blog is officially my favorite!
Thanks for saying my site is your favorite and glad your cake came out just amazingly beautiful! Isn’t it just such a PRETTY cake! I love this one!
I haven’t made one of these cakes in ages! …but I will be making this one of
yours! Beautiful post…thanks for sharing! Love all the pics!
Great & LMK how it goes!
I’m in the same boat as your daughter…never had one! But these pictures are so mouthwateringly gorgeous I’m half tempted to just go make it right now!! Definitely pinning for a spring occasion. The occasion just might be that I need to try a pineapple upside-down cake :) Pinned!
Okay, seriously, how freaking gorgeous is this cake? You did this cake some MAJOR justice in these photos. Well done, friend!
I loved how bright and sunny these images turned out. The cake was a joy to photograph. Unlike most cakes which are huge, awkward and annoying! Lol
OMG Averie, this is beautiful, sunny, lovely, delicious perfection! I feel like it’s summertime just by looking at your gorgeous photos. You’re absolutely brilliant for the fanning technique AND for putting pineapple slices on the side of the pan. Talk about getting pineapple in every singe luscious bite.
Hey – a weird but REALLLY tasty tip for you – try this one time and you won’t regret it. We got the idea from a garlic cookbook. In place of several of the cherries, put a small garlic clove. (You can remove it when the cake is done – the flavor is all you wanted, not the clove itself).
The garlic imparts a wonderful deep savory counterpoint to the sweetness of the cake and nobody who tastes it will have the slightest clue that it was garlic, they’ll just say it really is good. :-)
I really loathe garlic. Like, I hate it :) I mean HATE IT. I also am allergic to it, so this one won’t work for me but thanks anyway!
This is quite possibly the most beautiful pineapple upside down cake I’ve ever seen. Plus, it looks so much better than the cakes I’ve tried to make in the past. I’m definitely going to try your recipe the next time I have a pineapple upside down cake craving. Thanks!
Thanks, Danielle, I appreciate it! I hope you can try the recipe one day!
This may be your most visually stunning post to date Averie. I love the pop of the cherries, so vibrant! This cake looks so incredibly moist and the cake itself is just beautiful! Pinned girl!
Thanks, Trish, for the high compliment about this post! I really loved the images and it’s not as popular as a drippy chocolate recipe post, but I personally love the pics. So thank you for saying that :) And thanks for pinning!
Wow. I didn’t think I’d ever want Pineapple Upside-Down Cake so bad in my entire life. Looks amazing!
Thank you!
Wow, Averie! This looks so yummy. I can tell how moist the crumb is just by looking at the pictures. Your presentation is so beautiful, too. Can’t wait to try this!
Thanks, Lisa!
This is such a pretty cake! We don’t particularly love maraschino cherries. Any idea what subs well? I’ve never had pineapple upside down cake. I get the heeby-jeebies at the prospect of flipping the cake over. Jitters!
You could just omit if you really don’t like them but the cake won’t have quite the same visual appeal.
Wow! Only you could make a pineapple upside down cake look so immaculate. This really brightened up an otherwise gloomy day. Well done!
This is the most beautiful pineapple (or any type of) upside-down cake I have ever laid eyes on!! The upside-down cakes I’ve made in the past always came out of the pan with an unfortunate *fwump* and ended up with a less than pleasing appearance. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Thanks for the nice compliments! :)
Great idea to line the sides of the pan with pineapple! My mom loves pineapple upside down cake and next time I bake one for her, I’m definitely going to do that.
LMK if you try it!
what a fun burst of sunshine on a dreary day. Thanks.
Looks fantastic. I’ve made pineapple upside down cakes and the grand kids have to have a piece with cherries so I have this weird mangled cake that adults want to shy away from. This way I can have the slices with cherries for all the kids and adults too. Thanks!
This cake look divine, and the photos came out so beautiful! I use a recipe that doctors a cake mix and have been looking for a good homemade version. I’m pinning this so that I can give yours a try!!
Ive seen those too – usually white or yellow cake with pineapple juice/slices added, etc. and I promise this is just as easy as a mix with the cake portion (no mixer needed) and just plop the slices into the pan and you’re set!
What a beautiful cake! It gets me in the mood for spring!
Those pineapple slices are hypnotic. Round and round and round into pineapple cake heaven! It has been so long since I’ve had a slice of this. I wish I was your daughter’s friend right now! ;) She got an incredible cake!
Hypnotic is a good word :)
Oh my gosh your cake turned out so beautiful! My grandma’s favorite cake to bake for the family is pineapple upsidedown cake, so it is special to me :) Yum! Pinning for later!
Oh wow Averie, this cake is really so gorgeous! I can’t even think straight!
I’m going to make this on Sunday for a small party we’re having. Will let you know how it comes out. It looks so beautiful.
That’s great!! Please LMK how it turns out!
Beautiful cake! Love how you fanned out the pineapple! I was just telling Sally that my granny was famous for her pineapple upside down cake but I never liked it as a kid. I want to give it another try in her memory. Do you think fresh pineapple would work?
I think the it would work in the sense of the recipe turning out but you will not have precise uniformity of the slices like you’d get from canned, unless you have amazing knife skills :) Personally, I rec canned for ease & price!
this looks wayyy prettier (is that a word?) than mine ever turns out!
Gorgeous photos. It’s been years since I’ve had pineapple upside down cake. I need to make this. :)
Thanks, Norma! :)
Averie…this cake is gorgeous!!
Thank you and that means a ton coming from you :) xo
I always keep several cans of pineapple slices just for last minute upside down cakes. I like your slice pattern and will certainly do that with the next one. I also put pecan halves into open spaces between slices. I like your addition of the slices on the side.
just for last minute upside down cakes = now anyone who’s making last-minute upside-down cakes is a TRUE BAKER! I love that! Thank you for sharing! If you try my recipe, pls LMK what you think!
Hi Averie! Beautiful cake and looks absolutely delish! My mom would always make pineapple upside-cake when I was little. She passed away when I was 12 and I haven’t had it since. I couldn’t find her recipe anywhere. Thanks for sharing this…it brought me back.:)
Oh what a sweet story :) If you try this, LMK what you think!
Gorgeous cake and beautiful photos Averie!! Perfection right here!
Thank you and that means a ton coming from you, Jaclyn! You’re the queen of gorgeous food :)
Love that you cut the pineapples to fit more in the cake, totally right about getting a pineapple cake with not much that is so wrong!! This cake recipe looks so easy but so deliciously moist!! I need it in my life :)
Oh goodness Averie… I’m, well, QUITE a bit older than your daughter, and I’ve never had a real traditional pineapple upside down cake despite calling pineapple one of my favorite fruits too! How embarrassing. And I’m a baking blogger! Think you can stash a slice in your freezer for me? ;)
I love your tips about the fanning technique and adding the few leftover rings to the sides. It looks so pretty that way, and all that extra pineapple — yum!
That looks absolutely delicious!
We are on the same wavelength this week, lady ;) I just made my niece her very first pineapple upside down cake over the weekend! She loved it, but it definitely wasn’t as stunning as this one!!!
I’m sure your cake was totally gorgeous :) And what a wavelength we’re on :)
Not only did you maximize the pineapple but you maximized the cherries which I can never get enough of. I love your fruit to cake ratio usually there is too much cake for my liking. I’m definitely making this. So yummy.
Oh I know what you mean about the dry cake…ick! There is NONE of that here. I mean none. This cake is falling apart moist, literally. LMK if you make it!
What a beautiful, sunny cake! I wish tomorrow’s weather forecast looked like that, but I guess we’re in for another snowy blast. I love how you arranged the pineapple slices for maximum “fruit coverage”. I bet Skylar loved it. I’ve never made a pineapple upside down cake–I definitely like them but haven’t thought about one in a long time. It’s great to keep the classics alive!
She totally loved it and raved about it and yes to max fruit coverage. Otherwise what’s the point, you know :) Keeping the classics alive, yes. It’s nice to bring back some of these old time recipes!
What a beautiful cake! I love pineapple upside down cake and used to bake them frequently, but never thought to maximize pineapples on top by halving and fanning…genius idea! More cherries that way too! :)
I’m just curious…did your daughter love the cake as well?
Omg yes she LOVED IT! She raved about it and gave it a 10 out of 10 she said :)
Sometimes I feel like pineapple upside down cake is the forgotten cake. I’m not sure why, because it is so delicious! This one you made is no exception. It looks perfectly moist and baked to perfection!
It really is (or could be easily forgotten) and nowadays if it’s not dripping in choc or PB or salted caramel, it doesn’t seem to get noticed. But this is one of my fave cakes in the whole world and wanted to do my part so it would get some attention!
You know what? Jordan loves pineapple and has never had one of these cakes either! But, then again, I’m not a pineapple person (are you surprised?) but I love the flavor of it. This cake recipe sounds so good, and it looks so juicy and good I can almost taste it…I think it’s time I tried pineapple upside down cake…even if I give Jordan all my pineapple and take all her cherries. :)
Completely gorgeous!
What a nice ray of sunshine for this dark winter day.
Absolutely gorgeous cake my dear.
Nobody likes bald sides, lol. This cake is so gorgeous, Averie! I’ve never made a homemade pineapple upside down cake, but I’ve eaten it many times. It always reminds me of summer! I love how bright and colorful this cake is. Like a ray of sunshine. :)
This is an absolutely gorgeous cake that just screams spring! Perfection on a plate. Pinned.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake is so fifties and one of my favourite cakes ever!!! So pinned!! Another gorgey recipe – honestly, that cake needs to be in a bakery window!!
Love pineapple upside down cake! In Brazil we always made banana upside down cake but the pineapple + maraschino cherries make the pineapple one a lot more ‘dressy’ than the banana cakes (although both taste delicious). Would it be ok to use fresh pineapple or do you think they wouldn’t be as soft as canned?
I really don’t know about fresh. You really want the uniformity of the rings that you can get in canned. Yes, you can do it with fresh if you are very skilled with a knife I guess but I prefer canned..it’s also much cheaper :)
Banana-upside down cake. I’ve see them but I don’t know if I’ve ever had one? Sounds excellent! And didnt know you lived in Brazil!
Whoa… this looks awesome!! The photo’s make my mouth water!! I love pineapple and classic desserts, this is one that I will try for sure :)
I love a great upside down pineapple cake, but haven’t made one in years because the hubby doesn’t like it. I think I will just keep staring at these photos and dream that I am eating a piece.
Looks great, Averie!
Well I hope you get to make it! Maybe he will change his mind :)
I baked a Pineapple-Upside Down Cake for my dad’s 66th birthday last month :) I wish I would’ve had this recipe though!
That is so sweet of you to bake one for you dad! And happy bday to him!
That photo was a great way to brighten my day! I’m a huge fan of upside down cakes in any flavor, but I love the old fashioned pineapple best. This looks amazing, Averie!
Old fashioned & nostalgic cakes are so special, aren’t they! Glad you like the pics!
WOW! So pretty. My dad made pineapple upside down cakes but, I never got that recipe from him. Thanks for bring back those wonderful memories. Now I can make them for my kiddo’s!
All those old-time recipes, I know, wish I had more of them too!
When I opened this page I was like “WOW” this cake looks amazing! Love your food photography!
Thanks, Layla, that’s so nice of you to say!
Pineapple upside down cake is one of the prettiest cakes. I love that such a simple cake can taste like you’ve spent hours whisking and baking. This is gorgeous, Averie!
Thanks, Jennie!
I have never had pineapple upside down cake either! This is the prettiest one I have EVER seen though. Gorgeous! And so smart to put the pineapples on the side. Pinned to try one of these days! :)
Thanks for pinning and you will LOVE it! I hope you get to try it one day!
This cake is gorgeous, Averie!I haven’t had pineapple upside down cake in years, and I’ve actually never made one….time for me to get on this!
Thanks, Kelli!
absolutely gorgeous! I love pineapple upside down cakes and cupcakes and this one is oozing with flavor. So moist and delicious
I don’t even like pineapples and you make me want to go make this right now. It’s GORGEOUS! Great job :)
You don’t like pineapple?! Okay I didn’t know that existed! LOL :) Then thank you especially for the compliments!
I just pinned your taco pizzas. Delish looking!
I, like your seven year old, have NEVER had pineapple upside down cake…but I LOVE pineapples. I need to try this out..it is absolutely gorgeous Averie!
And, so simple! Pinned
What! Okay you totally need to try it then! And thanks for pinning & the compliments!
I LOVE pineapple upside down cake. We have a cupcake version we eat every spring…guess I should get that recipe on the blog one of these days!
Oh how fun! I haven’t ever make it as cupcakes. I bet they turn out adorable! And thanks for the BHG pin :)
Gorgeous Averie! Love how you arranged the pineapples and cherries. It came out perfectly!
This definitely makes me feel like spring (and eventually, summer) is here to stay.
I hope spring is here to stay. Every time I think that every year, than it gets chilly again! LOL
absolutely gorgeous! pinned
Thanks for pinning :)
Im loving this cake averie. It’s so bright and sunshiney. Love that you’ve managed to cram a lot of pineapple into the cake.