Who doesn’t love pineapple upside down cake? I am a big fan of such cakes. I received some requests to make that cake. But I decided to do individual ones instead. So this recipe, for, Individual Pineapple Upside Down Cakes is just that.
Being individual they make for a perfect dessert, looking so inviting on the plate. Each cake has a single ring of pineapple and a glacé cherry on the top. Often, in the UK, it would be served with custard. But that is just a suggestion. Cream or ice-cream would work just as well.
The individual version can be made in a jumbo muffin pan, or in ramekins, since rings of pineapple from a can fit perfectly into the base. However the recipe can also be used to make a large cake instead, that is great for anyone who doesn’t have ramekins or a jumbo muffin pan. For a large cake use an 8 inch/20cm round cake pan, and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes.
Although I used canned pineapple rings the recipe works with fresh pineapple too. But, if using fresh pineapple you would use milk instead of the juice from the can which is called for in the recipe.
The recipe calls for butter and sugar to be melted to use as a caramel in the bottom of the pan. There will be a little of that sauce left over. You can use that later. Just turn the cakes out of the pan and drizzle the excess over them, if you wish.
This recipe is so easy and can be ready to serve within an hour. So it is ideal as a last minute recipe too.
My Bake
My cakes turned out very well indeed. The caramel coated the pineapple, and seeped into the sponge cake.
They looked so good too, when turned out of the pan. Not only did they look good but they tasted great too. The vanilla sponge complemented the fruit top, with the pineapple and cherry.
Another easy dessert is Individual Berry Pies.
Individual Pineapple Upside Down Cakes
Course: Cakes, DessertsCuisine: InternationalDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes25
minutesIngredients
- Pineapple top
77g(5 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter
133g(2/3 packed cup) light brown sugar
6 pineapple rings(7 if making a large cake)
6 glace cherries(7 in making a large cake)
- Cake
140g(10 tbsp) softened unsalted butter
140g(3/4 cup minus 2 tsp) caster sugar
140g(1 cup minus 1 tbsp, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) plain flour
12g( 3 tsp) baking powder
5 ml(1 tsp) vanilla extract
2 medium eggs(large in USA)
55ml( 1/4 cup minus 1 tsp) juice from can of pineapple(or use milk if not using canned pineapple)
Directions
- Grease and flour a jumbo muffin pan.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F.
- Place the brown sugar and butter into a saucepan and heat, stirring all the time, until the sugar has dissolved and combined fully with the melted butter to make a caramel sauce.
- Spoon about 20ml(4 tsp) of the caramel into each cup of the pan.
- Place a ring of pineapple into each cup of the pan, onto the caramel.
- Put a cherry into the hole of each pineapple ring.
- Set the pan aside.
- In a large bowl place the butter and sugar and beat together until light and fluffly.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk until fully combined.
- Then add the vanilla extract and the juice and beat again.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, to get them nicely combined.
- Then sift again, onto the top of the wet mixture and gently fold in until everything is just combined.
- Spoon the cake batter onto the top of each pineapple ring, distributing evenly between the cups.
- Level off the batter and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, until the cakes have risen and a skewer test comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and leave for 2 minutes.
- Place an upturned baking tray onto the top of the muffin pan and turn the cakes out by turning both pans over.
- Carefully transfer the individual cakes on to serving plates.
Notes
- You can use self-raising flour instead of plain flour, but in that case use only 4g(1 tsp) baking powder.