Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This pineapple upside down cake features a soft vanilla cake with the perfect pineapple and cherry glazed top.

Table of Contents

Ingredients For Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake
How To Serve This Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
Storing This Recipe For Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Homemade Pineapple Upside Down Cake You’ll Love
Pineapple Upside Down Cake FAQs
More Recipes You’ll Love
JUMP TO RECIPE

This classic pineapple upside down cake has to be one of the most beautiful looking and best-tasting cakes that exists. Featuring a soft vanilla cake, the magic happens when you flip the cake over after baking to reveal the perfect pineapple and cherry glazed top.

A close up shot of Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients For Pineapple Upside Down Cake

You’ll need:

For The Pineapple Glaze:

¼ cup of butter
½ cup of brown sugar
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
24-ounce can of pineapple rings
Maraschino cherries

For The Cake Batter:

6 tablespoons of butter, softened
¾ cup of granulated sugar
⅓ cup of softened cream cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
¾ cup of crushed pineapple (in juice)
1¼ cups of all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Substitutions And Additions

TOPPINGS: Fresh whipped cream would be delicious. You could also sprinkle coconut on your pineapple cake as well to give it an even more tropical flavor.

FRUIT: This traditional dessert can also be made with a variety of fresh fruit: rhubarb, pear, cranberry, strawberry, blueberry, mango, plum, pumpkin, banana, peach, apple, or apricot.

How To Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 10-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

You can buy pre-cut parchment paper rounds to make lining the pan even easier. You could also bake your cake in a cast iron skillet or a bundt cake pan.

STEP TWO: In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the pineapple glaze (butter, brown sugar, cinnamon).

Melt them together for five minutes until the sugar dissolves, and pour the melted butter mixture into the prepared pan.

STEP THREE: Arrange the pineapple slices in a single layer over the sugar mixture and place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple slice.

Set this aside for later.

pineapples slices arranged over the sugar mixture in a pan

STEP FOUR: Cream the softened butter, white sugar, and cream cheese in a stand mixer at medium speed until it is light and fluffy.

STEP FIVE: With the mixer on low speed, beat the eggs, one at a time, into the butter mixture, followed by the vanilla and crushed pineapple until it’s all combined.

STEP SIX: In a medium bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.

STEP SEVEN: Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until combined.

PRO TIP:

Don’t over-mix the batter, or your cake will be tough and rubbery.

STEP EIGHT: Carefully pour batter over the pineapple and cherry glaze that is already in the pan.

STEP NINE: Bake pineapple upside down cake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick test comes out clean, and then remove from the oven.

PRO TIP:

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cake at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

batter spooned over the pineapples in a pan

STEP TEN: After you’ve removed the cake from the oven, let it cool for about five minutes.

STEP ELEVEN: Invert onto a serving platter. The pineapples and cherry glaze will become the top, and your cake will be on the bottom.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake served onto a serving platter

How To Serve This Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe

This traditional homemade pineapple upside-down cake recipe can be served in a variety of ways.

It’s delightful on its own, but fresh whipped cream with a scoop of vanilla ice cream would also be delicious.

You could also sprinkle the cake with coconut and a bit of powdered sugar before serving.

MORE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE RECIPES

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Pineapple Upside Down Mini Cakes

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Upside Down Apple Cake

For a mini version of this recipe, you will love our pineapple upside down cupcakes. And make sure you check out this berry upside down cake as well – it’s divine!

Storing This Recipe For Pineapple Upside Down Cake

ON THE COUNTER: You can store your cake at room temperature on the counter, covered carefully with plastic wrap, or in a cake container.

If stored this way, it will last for no more than two days.

IN THE FRIDGE: To store your pineapple upside-down cake in the refrigerator, you have a couple of options.

You can use a cake container, or you will want to place toothpicks all over the surface of the cake. Then you can lay plastic wrap lightly over top of the toothpicks and the plate that the cake is on.

That way, the plastic wrap won’t stick to the glazed pineapple and cherry top. If kept in the refrigerator, the pineapple upside-down cake will last for about three days.

IN THE FREEZER: After you have flipped the cake onto a serving platter, let the cake cool down completely.

Then, place it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, wrap your cake in plastic wrap and put it in a freezer bag or container.

Leave it in the freezer until you are ready to serve. When the time comes, you will want to defrost the cake in the fridge, but be sure to take the plastic off before defrosting.

a close up shot of a slice of Pineapple Upside Down Cake being taken out with a spatula

Homemade Pineapple Upside Down Cake You’ll Love

Our easy pineapple upside-down cake is such a classic favorite. It was delicious many years ago, and it is still just as delicious today. This beautiful and moist cake is sure to be a hit no matter what occasion you are making it for.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake FAQs

What is a pineapple upside down cake?

Pineapple upside-down cake is a classic dessert that features a glaze with pineapple rings on the bottom of the pan with the cake on top when baking. Before serving, you flip it over so the pineapple rings are on the top of the cake. It’s so moist and tasty!

How do I flip the cake without making a mess?

Let your cake cool on a wire rack for about five minutes, then lay a flat plate over the top of the cake pan. Carefully flip the cake over onto the plate. Bang on the bottom of the pan for good measure, then lift the pan off.

Can I freeze upside down cake?

If you have any leftovers of this delicious cake (and I’m betting you won’t!), you can wrap the cake in plastic wrap and then store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.

Does pineapple upside-down cake need to be refrigerated?

Pineapple upside-down cake should be refrigerated if you are not planning on enjoying it within 48 hours.

How do you get pineapple upside down cake not to stick to the pan?

To prevent the cake from sticking to the pan, make sure the pan is well coated in butter both on the bottom and up the sides.

Can you make a pineapple upside-down cake in advance?

Pineapple upside-down cake can certainly be made a day or two in advance of serving.

How do you keep pineapple upside-down cake from getting soggy?

To prevent the cake from becoming soggy, make sure to drain the canned pineapple well before lining the pan.

More Recipes You’ll Love

Homemade Pineapple Upside Down Cake

5 from 4 votes

This pineapple upside down cake features a soft vanilla cake with the perfect pineapple and cherry glazed top.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings

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Ingredients

Pineapple Glaze

¼ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
24 ounce can pineapple rings
Maraschino cherries

Cake

6 tablespoons butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup softened cream cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla
¾ cup crushed pineapple, in juice
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 10-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
Combine the ingredients for the pineapple glaze (butter, brown sugar, cinnamon) in a saucepan and melt them together for 5 minutes until the sugar dissolves, and pour the melted butter mixture into the prepared pan.
Arrange the pineapple slices in a single layer over the sugar mixture, and place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple slice. Set this aside for later.
Cream butter, sugar, and cream cheese in a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
With mixer on low speed beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and crushed pineapple until combined.
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients.
Slowly add dry ingredients until combined. Do not over mix!
Carefully pour batter over the pineapple and cherry glaze that is already in the pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Invert onto a serving platter. The pineapples and cherry glaze will become the top, and your cake will be on the bottom.

Video

Notes

You can buy pre-cut parchment paper rounds to make lining the pan even easier.
You could also bake your cake in a cast iron skillet or a bundt cake pan.
Don’t over-mix the batter, or your cake will be tough and rubbery.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cake at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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Upside Down Pineapple Cake