Our Pineapple Upside Down Cake is made in a cast-iron skillet or cake pan. The cake is a moist yellow cake that is made from scratch. A decadently delicious cake with caramelized pineapples and maraschino cherries.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Our cast iron pineapple upside-down cake is a classic cake that's been around since the early 1900s.
- This is a luscious, light, and fluffy Pineapple Upside Down Cake.
- This is an easy-from-scratch Pineapple Upside Down Cake made in the cast iron skillet.
- Our Pineapple Upside Down cake is a crowd-pleaser loaded with pineapple flavor.
Ingredients
- unsalted butter
- brown sugar
- sliced pineapple rings. Use canned pineapple.
- pecans
- cake flour: If you do not have cake flour you will need all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Instructions in FAQs.
- baking powder
- salt
- large eggs
- granulated white sugar
- pineapple juice
- maraschino cherries
Equipment
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Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.
- Preheat oven to 375°F In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- Beat egg yolks until light and fluffy, gradually adding granulated sugar.
- Add pineapple juice and sifted flour, alternatively.
- Beat egg whites until stiff. Then, fold into the cake batter. Set aside.
- Melt butter in skillet.
- Spread brown sugar evenly over melted butter.
- Arrange pineapple slices on top of brown sugar. Place a whole maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple slice. Fill spaces with whole pecans
- Pour cake batter over the pineapples.
- Bake cake in cast iron skillet at 375°F for 30-35 minutes. Check for doneness with a cake tester.
- Cool for 10 minutes. Slide a butter knife around the edge of the cake to loosen. Carefully flip the pan onto a large cutting board or another surface.
- Slice and serve warm. Store covered in the refrigerator for a few days, if it lasts that long.
Make ahead, storage, and freezer tips
Storage: Keep the cake in the refrigerator after being baked.
Leftovers: Place in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezer Instructions: To freeze as slices or a whole cake for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator.
Eileen's Tips for Success
- Pat the pineapple slices dry before adding to the pan. This will keep the cake from getting soggy.
- For best results and to ensure a perfect flip, let your cake cool for at least 10 minutes before flipping.
- Flip the pan over and tap the sides of the pan with a spatula. The cake will come out easily onto the serving platter.
- Use a thin spatula or butter knife to loosen the cake before flipping over.
- Separating the egg yolks and egg white makes the cake extra light and fluffy. For the best results, do not skip this step
- The cake is just as delicious if made in a round 9-inch cake pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you do not have cake flour, use 1 cup of all-purpose flour and remove 2 Tablespoons and replace two tablespoons of cornstarch in a one-cup measuring cup.
The cake can be served warm or at room temperature. Warm it up in the oven at 325°F for a few minutes to warm before serving. Dollop some vanilla icing or whipped cream on top. The cake can also be served at room temperature.
Yes, however, it may not caramelize as well as it does in cast iron. Be sure the melted butter covers the bottom of the pan.
Use a wooden skewer or cake tester stick it into the center of the cake. It should come out clean without any batter on the skewer. The cake is finished baking.
The cake is just as delicious if made in a round 9-inch cake pan.
Serving Suggestions
Cake and coffee are the perfect combinations. For the over 21 crowd, try my Dad's famous, Irish Coffee.
Copycat Starbucks Caramel Macchiato is another great choice.
For my tea drinkers, try soothing Cranberry Tea with the cake.
Ginger Green tea is always a hit and can be served hot or cold.
I love any comments or questions, please feel free to leave them below.
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Thank you for your continued support. I am forever grateful.
Eileen xo
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Cast Iron Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
Equipment Needed:
- Cast Iron Skillet 10 inch cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup cake flour Note 1
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs seperated, separate the yolks and egg whites into 2 medium-sized mixing bowls.
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 Tablespoons pineapple juice
- ½ cup unsalted butter no need to soften the butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 20 ounce can, pineapple slices 8 slices per can
- 14 whole pecans
- 8 whole maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift dry ingrdients together; 1 cup cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer with beaters attached, add 3 large egg yolks and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. (set the egg whites aside in. medium size mixing bowl)
- To the yolk mixture, gradually add 1 cup granulated sugar and continue to beat the mixture until well combined., another 2-3 minutes.
- Alternately add 5 Tablespoons pineapple juice and sifted flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture. Set the cake batter aside.
- Use a hand mixer with beaters attached to whip the 3 egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. A stand mixer with a whisk attachment can also be used. Fold whipped egg whites into the cake batter and set the bowl aside.
- Place the cast iron skillet over medium heat and melt ½ cup unsalted butter in the skillet. Spread 1 cup light brown sugar evenly over the melted butter.
- Place the 8 pineapple slices on top of the brown sugar in the cast iron pan
- Put a whole maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple slice. Fill the spaces around the pineapples with pecans.
- Pour the prepared cake batter over the pineapples.
- Place the cast iron skillet into the preheated oven. Bake at 375°F for 30-35 minutes. To check for doneness, use either a cake tester or a toothpick. The skewer should come out clean with no wet batter on it.
- Let the cake cool 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack.
- Slide a butter knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it.
- Carefully flip the pan upside down on top of a large cutting board or cake plate. Carefully left the skillet and the cake is ready to be served.
- Slice and serve warm.
NOTES
Freezer Instructions
To3 freeze as slices or a whole cake for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator. Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.Nutrition
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Cast Iron Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
Equipment Needed:
- Cast Iron Skillet 10 inch cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup cake flour Note 1
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs seperated, separate the yolks and egg whites into 2 medium-sized mixing bowls.
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 Tablespoons pineapple juice
- ½ cup unsalted butter no need to soften the butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 20 ounce can, pineapple slices 8 slices per can
- 14 whole pecans
- 8 whole maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift dry ingrdients together; 1 cup cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer with beaters attached, add 3 large egg yolks and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. (set the egg whites aside in. medium size mixing bowl)
- To the yolk mixture, gradually add 1 cup granulated sugar and continue to beat the mixture until well combined., another 2-3 minutes.
- Alternately add 5 Tablespoons pineapple juice and sifted flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture. Set the cake batter aside.
- Use a hand mixer with beaters attached to whip the 3 egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. A stand mixer with a whisk attachment can also be used. Fold whipped egg whites into the cake batter and set the bowl aside.
- Place the cast iron skillet over medium heat and melt ½ cup unsalted butter in the skillet. Spread 1 cup light brown sugar evenly over the melted butter.
- Place the 8 pineapple slices on top of the brown sugar in the cast iron pan
- Put a whole maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple slice. Fill the spaces around the pineapples with pecans.
- Pour the prepared cake batter over the pineapples.
- Place the cast iron skillet into the preheated oven. Bake at 375°F for 30-35 minutes. To check for doneness, use either a cake tester or a toothpick. The skewer should come out clean with no wet batter on it.
- Let the cake cool 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack.
- Slide a butter knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it.
- Carefully flip the pan upside down on top of a large cutting board or cake plate. Carefully left the skillet and the cake is ready to be served.
- Slice and serve warm.
