Featured Recipe

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Remix

Name: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Remix
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided; 3/4 cup light brown sugar; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 10 slices canned pineapple in juice, drained; Maraschino cherries for garnish; 2 cups yellow cake flour; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup buttermilk; 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice; 3 large eggs; 1/3 cup vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

By Kate

Created on 23 January 2026

A take on the classic pineapple upside-down cake with altered quantities and ingredients. Butter melts in the oven, brown sugar with salt creates a sticky base. Pineapple slices and cherries arranged on top. Cake batter mixed with pineapple juice, eggs, oil, vanilla, replacing cake mix with yellow cake flour and buttermilk. Baked until springs back lightly and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Inverted carefully to keep the caramelized topping intact. Serve warm or room temp. Visuals and textures guide doneness, with tips for trimming too-browned edges and using alternatives like canned pineapple or light brown sugar.

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 50 min

Total: 70 min

Serves: 12 servings

dessert cake fruity Southern

Introduction

Upside-down pineapples. Sweet, tart, caramelized sugars sizzling at the bottom of the pan but ending on top. The trick—melting butter in the hot oven until bubbly, coating every inch so sugar forms a sticky, shiny blanket. Brown sugar’s salt balances the overly sweet, avoiding cloying mess. Cherries pop color and add zing. Swapping cake mix for a scratch dry blend plus buttermilk and pineapple juice changes crumb texture, makes the cake tender, moist but structured. Starchy flour and acid balance keeps it from dense sponge rock. Timing is a guide; watch texture, watch edges pulling back, and use touch tests over rigid clocks. Invert right away to keep the glistening glaze flawless. Don’t panic if edges get too dark. Trim, plate, serve warm or closer to room temp so caramel sets slightly but not hard enough to crack teeth. It’s work but worth it if you like classic Southern style turned thoughtfully modern.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

10 slices canned pineapple in juice, drained

Maraschino cherries for garnish

2 cups yellow cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice

3 large eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

About the ingredients

Butter’s role—flavor, fat, and melting agent for caramel base. Use unsalted to control salt levels. Light brown sugar provides molasses notes; dark sugar will deepen flavor but risks bitterness. Salt important to balance sweetness; do not skip. Fresh pineapple slices better if you have time—canned works fine but choose those in juice, not syrup. Cherries are cosmetic here; fresh glacé cherries if you want. Replacing cake mix with scratch ingredients: yellow cake flour lighter than all-purpose, baking powder and soda balance acidity and leavening. Buttermilk adds acidity and tender crumb—milk or even yogurt can act as a substitute but adjust baking soda accordingly. Vegetable oil neutral flavor, sub with melted coconut oil for tropical twist but adjust amounts if solid at room temp. Vanilla for aroma depth, can swap with rum or almond extract cautiously.

Method

Preheat oven 350F. Grease 9x13 glass or metal pan thoroughly—bottom and sides slick with butter or oil spray.

Slice 4 tablespoons butter into pats. Place in pan, then straight into hot oven. Watch the butter bubble and melt evenly, about 5 minutes.

Mix light brown sugar with salt in a bowl. The salt cuts the sweetness and brings depth.

Pull pan from oven. Swirl melted butter to coat entire bottom surface, no pools.

Sprinkle sugar over butter, distribute evenly, but some grit expected. Resist mixing in; this forms the sticky base that browns while baking.

Arrange pineapple slices atop sugar layer. Center cherries in slices and scatter a few around edges. Firm placement ensures clean design once flipped.

In large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. These raise and lighten the batter.

Combine reserved pineapple juice (top off with water if less than 1/2 cup), buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla in another bowl. Whisk until well blended.

Add wet ingredients to dry. Stir just until few lumps remain—overmixing toughens the crumb. Batter should be moderately thick but pourable.

Pour batter evenly over arranged fruit. Tap pan gently to settle and release air bubbles.

Bake 45-50 minutes. Look for golden edges pulling from pan and a cake top that springs back slightly under finger pressure.

Test with a toothpick inserted near center —! it should emerge mostly clean but a few moist crumbs okay. Avoid overbaking—dry cake kills the appeal.

Remove pan. Run a thin butter knife around edges immediately to loosen. Set a baking sheet or tray over top and, using oven mitts, invert swiftly but carefully. If edges char slightly, trim with serrated knife.

Serve warm or cooled to room temperature. The caramel topping should be glossy and sticky, fruit tender but intact.

Technique Tips

Butter melting in hot oven is key texture and flavor start. Do not skip this step or just melt on stovetop—that gives uneven caramelization and greasy spots. Swirling butter avoids sugar sliding into pools causing sticky but uneven toppings. Resist mixing sugar into butter—let the heat do the work. Lumps in batter are okay, overmixing develops gluten and toughens cake. Batter thickness important: too thin, fruit sinks; too thick, dry dense crumb. Visual cues dictate doneness: edges pull away clean, surface springs back but not too firm. Toothpick wet crumbs okay; dry crumbs mean too long. Immediate inversion preserves topping appearance and prevents sugar from hardening awkwardly to pan. Using serrated knife for trimming burnt edges prevents tearing. Serving warm allows caramel to stretch and develop shine; cooled too long makes topping firm and splits apart under knife. Store leftovers tightly covered or wrapped to keep moist but topping will lose shine over time.

Chef's Notes

💡 Butter melting is crucial; don’t shortcut to stovetop. Ovens distribute heat. Watch it bubble, coat evenly. Ensures even caramelization. Avoiding pooling.
💡 Use light brown sugar for balance—molasses notes enhance. Dark sugar deepens flavor but risks bitterness. Don't skip salt. Cuts sweetness.
💡 Batter checks are vital. Not too thick, too thin. Gritty texture risks sinking fruit. Visual cues tell doneness. Edges pulling away, springs back.
💡 Invert cake promptly. Keeps topping intact. If edges burn, trim with serrated knife. Avoid tearing. Moist leftovers—cover tightly. Restore slight softness.
💡 If substitutions needed: oil swap with melted coconut for flavor twist. Buttermilk can trade for yogurt or milk. Adjust baking soda accordingly.