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My classic Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe is a retro dessert idea that’s a sweet option any time of year. Using fresh or canned fruit, the easy cake recipe calls for just 10 minutes of prep time.
Back in high school, when I first dipped my toe into baking, Pineapple Upside-Down Cake was one of the first cake recipes I mastered. I was lured in by the eye-catching appearance of the caramelized pineapple topping, the vibrant pops of cherry red, and the luscious layer of cake underneath, of course.
Lucky for me, the retro cake recipe is actually a breeze to make. The key: Starting with fruit that you’ve blotted dry so it doesn’t make the batter too runny. Even with that step, this quick and dessert calls for just 10 minutes of prep time.
You (and everyone you share this with) will flip over this Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient and equipment notes
- Cake pan: To prevent the cake from overflowing, choose a 9-inch round cake pan with sides that are at least 2 inches tall (with a volume of 8 cups).
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown; either will do.
- Pineapple: To substitute fresh pineapple rings for canned, you’ll need about 1 ½ pounds of fresh fruit.
- Cherries: To substitute fresh cherries, it’s a one-for-one swap. Simply slice 10 fresh cherries them in half, remove the pit, and drain on paper towels to remove excess juice.
Step by step instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. To the bottom of a 9-inch round by 2-inch tall cake pan, add 4 tablespoons butter.
- Place pan in preheated oven and heat butter until melted, about 2 to 4 minutes. Brush butter up sides of pan.
- Sprinkle brown sugar over the melted butter, then stir to combine. Pat brown sugar mixture into an even layer.
- Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer over brown sugar mixture. Add one cherry to the center of each pineapple ring. Add more cherries if desired (for decoration).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In an electric mixer on medium speed, or by hand using an electric mixer, cream together remaining 8 tablespoons of butter and granulated sugar until fluffy and light, about 3 to 6 minutes.
- One at a time, beat in the eggs and egg white. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Add ½ milk and beat until incorporated. Repeat with ⅓ of dry mixture, then milk. Add remaining dry mixture and mix until incorporated (batter will be thick).
- Pour batter over the pineapple and smooth top. Gently tap the pan on counter to remove any air bubbles and settle the batter.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with few, moist crumbs attached, about 45 to 50 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through to ensure even baking.
- Allow cake to cool in pan 10 minutes. Place a large plate or serving platter on top of cake pan, turn plate and pan over (careful; the pan will still be warm).
- Allow cake to release itself onto the platter, about 1 minute, without shaking or tapping the pan. Remove pan and allow cake to cool completely, about 2 hours.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This Pineapple Upside-Down Cake makes 8 generous slices (or more or less depending on the width of your wedges and your appetite level, of course!).
- Storage: Cover extra Pineapple Upside-Down Cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: After baking, leave the cake in pan. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate; aim to enjoy within 4 days. When you’re ready to share the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, reheat it in a 375-degree oven until warmed, about 4 minutes. Turn the cake over onto serving platter as directed in step 7 and serve.
- Freezer: Allow the cake to cool completely, wrap it in plastic wrap, then store the tropical cake in an airtight freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature while still wrapped, about 1 hour, and reheat if desired (as explained above in the “make ahead” section) or enjoy as-is.
- Tropical Party: When I decided to create a Tropical Party menu, Pineapple Upside-Down Cake was the unofficial star. I suggest crunchy Coconut Shrimp, Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, (an official component of “plate lunch” in Hawaii), and Pineapple Salsa with tortilla chips. Offer frosty Blue Hawaiian cocktails to round out the menu (although Mai Tais and Piña Coladas are fun, tropical options too).
Recipe FAQs
It’s important begin this Pineapple Upside-Down cake with softened butter so the fat creams beautifully into the batter.
Cold butter usually softens in about 30 minutes when left at room temperature; much longer if you start with frozen. To soften butter in the microwave, cut each stick of butter in half, unwrap, and place on a microwave safe plate. For this recipe, you’ll use three 4-tablespoon pieces. Cook the butter at 10% power for 1 minute. Gently press on the butter with your finger. If it still feels too firm, cook for another 40 seconds at 10% power.
Just like the better temperature, egg temp does make a difference. Room temperature eggs blend more evenly and easily into the batter, and help the cake itself rise better than if you opted for cold eggs. Chilled eggs tend to result in a lumpy batter and generally mean your bake time will need to be longer. (And who wants more time between them and their first slice of Pineapple Upside-Down Cake?)
To bring eggs to room temperature, place them out on the counter 1 to 2 hours before you plan to mix up this recipe. Or to speed up the process, fill a bowl with warm tap water, gently add the eggs, and within 5 minutes, the eggs should be ready.
Use it for an egg wash for pastry crusts or other baked goods, mix up a batch of mayonnaise, or whisk up some hollandaise sauce.
More retro desserts
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Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons butter cut into 12 pieces (1 tablespoon each), softened and divided (1 ½ sticks)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 20 ounces canned pineapple slices drained (about 10 slices, see note 2)
- 10 maraschino cherries drained, plus more as desired, without stems (see note 3)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 egg white room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup milk
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. To the bottom of a 9-inch round by 2-inch tall cake pan (see note 1), add 4 tablespoons butter.
- Place pan in preheated oven and heat butter until melted, about 2 to 4 minutes. Brush butter up sides of pan.
- Sprinkle brown sugar over the melted butter, then stir to combine. Pat brown sugar mixture into an even layer.
- Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer over brown sugar mixture. Add one cherry to the center of each pineapple ring. Add more cherries if desired (for decoration).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In an electric mixer on medium speed, or by hand using an electric mixer, cream together remaining 8 tablespoons of butter and granulated sugar until fluffy and light, about 3 to 6 minutes.
- One at a time, beat in the eggs and egg white. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low.
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Add ½ milk and beat until incorporated. Repeat with ⅓ of dry mixture, then milk. Add remaining dry mixture and mix until incorporated (batter will be thick).
- Pour batter over the pineapple and smooth top. Gently tap the pan on counter to remove any air bubbles and settle the batter.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with few, moist crumbs attached, about 45 to 50 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through to ensure even baking.
- Allow cake to cool in pan 10 minutes. Place a large plate or serving platter on top of cake pan, turn plate and pan over (careful; the pan will still be warm). Allow cake to release itself onto the platter, about 1 minute, without shaking or tapping the pan. Remove pan and allow cake to cool completely, about 2 hours.
Notes
- Cake pan: To prevent the cake from overflowing, choose a 9-inch round cake pan with sides that are at least 2 inches tall (with a volume of 8 cups).
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown; either will do.
- Pineapple: To substitute fresh pineapple rings for canned, you’ll need about 1 ½ pounds of fresh fruit.
- Cherries: To substitute fresh cherries, it’s a one-for-one swap. Simply slice 10 fresh cherries them in half, remove the pit, and drain on paper towels to remove excess juice.
- Yield: This Pineapple Upside-Down Cake makes 8 generous slices (or more or less depending on the width of your wedges and your appetite level, of course!).
- Storage: Cover extra Pineapple Upside-Down Cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: After baking, leave the cake in pan. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate; aim to enjoy within 4 days. When you’re ready to share the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, reheat it in a 375-degree oven until warmed, about 4 minutes. Turn the cake over onto serving platter as directed in step 7 and serve.
- Freezer: Allow the cake to cool completely, wrap it in plastic wrap, then store the tropical cake in an airtight freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature while still wrapped, about 1 hour, and reheat if desired (as explained above in the “make ahead” section) or enjoy as-is.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.