An old-fashioned classic, Easy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake features caramelized pineapple and maraschino cherries over a rich delicious cake! Nothing says spring or summer like a yummy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake!
Because Pineapple Upside-Down Cake is traditionally baked in a cast iron skillet it was originally called a Pineapple Upside-Down Skillet Cake.
What is a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake?
If you have never had a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, you might be wondering, just exactly what it is? Well, simply, it’s a cake that is cooked in a single pan. The topping or in this case, the pineapple, cherries, butter and brown sugar goes in first, then the batter is poured over the topping. After the cake has baked, the pan is flipped upside down. And, you end up with a glorious homemade Pineapple Upside-Down Cake!
This Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe is easy because you start with a box of yellow cake mix. Yes, you could make the entire thing from scratch. But for this cake, using a cake mix saves time and ingredients, and the outcome is scrumptious. And, isn’t this what cooking is all about?
More old-fashioned cakes:
Along with this cake, if you like old-fashioned and classic cakes you might also like these recipes:
- Minnie Lee Croley’s Sour Cream Pound Cake
- Georgia Cornbread Cake aka Pecan Cake
- My Favorite Carrot Cake, and
- Apple Dapple Cake with Caramel Glaze.
Need more ideas, check out all of my Dessert Recipes here. And, if you like sheet cakes, you should definitely take a look at my roundup of 28 Incredible Sheet Cake Recipes to Make Now.
How to make Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Gather the ingredients and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Drain the can of pineapple and reserve the juice to add to the cake mix. If the amount of juice doesn’t equal 1 cup or the amount specified in the cake mix directions for water, add water to make it equal to the amount called for.
Follow the directions on the cake mix box to make the batter, substitute the pineapple juice for the water. Set aside.
Melt butter in a cast iron skillet or 10-inch cake pan over medium-low heat on the stove.
Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the melted butter in the skillet and stir continuously until the sugar melts. This should take just a minute or so.
Remove the skillet from the heat and evenly space the pineapple slices around the bottom of the skillet over the butter and sugar mixture. Add a cherry to the center of each pineapple slice. (Optionally, you can wait to add the cherries until the cake is done to ensure they stay put, which is what I do.)
Carefully pour the cake batter on top of the pineapple, sugar and butter mixture and spread out evenly. If you use a cast iron skillet leave at least 1/2 inch at the top for the cake to rise, you will have about 1 cup of batter left over.)
Place the skillet in the oven and bake as directed on the cake mix box.
As soon as the cake is done, place a plate over the top of the skillet and carefully turn it upside down. Remove the pan. Voila, Pineapple Upside-Down Cake!
Sharon’s Expert Tips:
- Do not wait to remove your cake from the pan, if the sugar cools, you will not be able to get the cake out of the pan in one piece.
- You can also make this cake in a 9×13 oven-proof baking dish, but you will need more pineapple slices and cherries to cover the top. It is also a little trickier to get out of the pan in one piece.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake - Super Moist and Flavorful
Ingredients
- 15 oz package yellow cake mix I used Betty Crocker, but you can use any kind you like
- 3 large eggs or number specified in the cake mix directions
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or the amount specified in the cake mix directions
- 1 cup pineapple juice or the amount specified for water in the cake mix directions
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 20 oz pineapple slices packed in pineapple juice can
- 8 maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Drain the can of pineapple and save the juice to add to the cake mix. If the amount of juice doesn't equal 1 cup or the amount specified in the cake mix directions, add water to make amount called for.
- Follow the directions on the cake mix box to make the batter, substitute pineapple juice for the water. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a cast iron skillet or 10-inch cake pan over medium-low heat on the stove.
- Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the melted butter in the skillet and stir continuously until the sugar melts. This should take just a minute or so.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and evenly space the pineapple slices around the bottom of the skillet over the butter and sugar mixture. Add a cherry to the center of each pineapple slice. (Optionally, you can wait to add the cherries until the cake is done to ensure they stay put, which is what I do.)
- Carefully pour the cake batter on top of the pineapple, sugar and butter mixture and spread out evenly. If you use a cast iron skillet leave at least 1/2 inch at the top for the cake to rise, you will have a little less than 1 cup of batter left over.)
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake as directed on the cake mix box.
- As soon as the cake is done, place a plate over the top of the skillet and carefully turn it upside down. Remove the pan. Voila, Pineapple Upside-Down Cake!
Notes
- Do not wait to remove your cake from the pan, if the sugar cools, you will not be able to get the cake out in one piece.
- You can also make this cake in a 9x13 oven-proof baking dish, but you will need more pineapple slices and cherries to cover the top. It is also a little trickier to get out of the pan in one piece.
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