An easy moist cake, perfectly caramelized slices of pineapple, and a hint of cinnamon make this the best Pineapple Upside-Down Cake we have ever had. This is a classic worth making again and again.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time40 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy cake, the best pineapple upside down cake, Easter cake, pineapple cake, classic cake recipe
Please see note about spring form pan before beginning.
To Make The Pineapple Fruit Layer
Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350F.
In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave.
Pour the butter into a 9-inch springform cake pan (a regular 9” cake pan does not have tall enough sides.) Rub a bit of the melted butter up the sides of the pan to grease them.
Scatter the brown sugar evenly over the butter.
Arrange the pineapple rings and cherries in the pan: Start with 1 whole slice of pineapple in the center of the pan. Cut the rest of the rings in half and arrange 12 halves in a circle around the original pineapple ring. If you have additional haves left you can eat them or tuck them into the sides of the pan after you pour the batter in.
Place a cherry in the center of the whole ring of pineapple and in the center of each half rings of pineapple. (See recipe photo for reference.)
Sprinkle the cinnamon over the fruit.
To Make The Cake Batter
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together the egg, buttermilk, sour cream, oil and vanilla.
Add the wet mixture to the dry, folding with a spatula until just the mixtures are combined. Do not overmix, it is ok to leave some small lumps in the batter.
Scrape the batter into the pan over the fruit. Be careful not to mess up your arrangement.
If you want, tuck the extra half pineapple rings into the sides of the pan. Place the round side down a few inches apart. This gets just a bit more pineapple in the cake and makes the sides quite pretty.
Bake for 38-40 minutes. The cake is done when the center is set and a toothpick inserted 1” into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs but no batter.
Place the pan on a wire rack to cool and set up for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. If you plan to leave it overnight place a sheet of foil loosely over the top to keep the moisture in.
Run a thin spatula along the edges of the cake pan to make sure the cake is loose from the sides. Carefully invert it onto a serving platter and serve. This cake is good by itself or paired with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Store leftovers at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
No Leak Spring Form Pan: A good quality spring foam pan will NOT leak. If you are concerned that yours is not high quality you can line a cookie sheet with foil and put it under your pan just in case! I use a Calphalon pan and it does not leak.