Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Name: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 8-10
Ingredients: 1½ cups unsalted butter, plus more for greasing; 4½ cups sugar; 1 small pineapple, peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced crosswise ½" thick; 2 cups cake flour; 1 tbsp. baking powder; ½ tsp. salt; 4 eggs; ⅔ cups milk; 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Serves
serves 8-10

JAMES OSELAND

The recipe for this caramel-topped cake, which first appeared in our December 2013 issue along with Mike Colameco's article All is Calm, All is Bright, comes from Colameco's wife, pastry chef Heijung Park-Colameco.

Ingredients

1½ cups unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
4½ cups sugar
1 small pineapple, peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced crosswise ½" thick
2 cups cake flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
4 eggs
⅔ cups milk
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

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Instructions

Step 1

Heat oven to 375°. Grease a 10" cake pan with butter; set aside. Bring 3 cups sugar and 1 cup water to a simmer in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until sugar is melted and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Swirl pan occasionally until caramel is an amber color, 2–3 minutes more. Immediately pour caramel into prepared pan. Arrange pineapple slices over caramel; set aside.

Step 2

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining sugar until fluffy, 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add milk and vanilla; beat until combined. With the motor running, slowly add dry ingredients; beat until batter is smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour batter over pineapple; bake until cake is golden and set, about 1 hour. Let cool 30 minutes, then invert cake onto a plate. If necessary, return cake pan to a 200° oven to remelt hardened caramel; pour over top of cake. Let cool before serving.

Heat oven to 375°. Grease a 10" cake pan with butter; set aside. Bring 3 cups sugar and 1 cup water to a simmer in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until sugar is melted and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Swirl pan occasionally until caramel is an amber color, 2–3 minutes more. Immediately pour caramel into prepared pan. Arrange pineapple slices over caramel; set aside.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining sugar until fluffy, 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add milk and vanilla; beat until combined. With the motor running, slowly add dry ingredients; beat until batter is smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour batter over pineapple; bake until cake is golden and set, about 1 hour. Let cool 30 minutes, then invert cake onto a plate. If necessary, return cake pan to a 200° oven to remelt hardened caramel; pour over top of cake. Let cool before serving.