Southern Cast Iron Skillet Upside Down Cake

The delicious combination of sweet pineapple caramelized with a brown sugar coating and cooked with a moist cake is sure to bring back childhood memories. For generations, this beautiful inverted dessert graced the table at many family celebrations. Traditional recipes for pineapple upside down cake date back to the 1920’s and remains largely unchanged in the modern kitchen. Using a cast iron skillet for this recipe is not only nostalgic but also contributes to a perfectly caramelized topping atop a fluffy cake.

Ingredients:

Topping

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter, cold
• 1 can DOLE pineapple rings in syrup
• 8 Maraschino cherries

Cake

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup milk
• Juice drained from pineapple.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare a #10 cast iron skillet by rubbing a thin coat of oil on the bottom. Begin the topping by sprinkling all of the brown sugar evenly over the skillet’s bottom. Cut the cold butter into equal pieces and place on top of the brown sugar. Be sure to spread the butter equally for even browning and caramelizing of the topping. Next, drain the pineapple slices, and set juice aside. Place pineapple rings, in a single layer, on top of brown sugar and butter. Place a Maraschino cherry into the center of each pineapple ring.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In a glass measuring cup or bowl, combine the milk and pineapple juice.

In a large mixing bowl, blend the sugar and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs; blend with the mixer until eggs are well blended. Add vanilla extract and mix thoroughly. Gradually add in flour mixture alternating with milk mixture until all ingredients are blended completely. Beat with the electric mixer, on medium speed, for approximately three minutes.

Pour cake mix evenly over the brown sugar and pineapple topping. With a spatula spread the cake mixture to an even depth, making sure all of the topping is covered. Place skillet onto the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake cake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cake stand in skillet for five minutes. After five minutes, gently run a knife around the entire edge of the cake. This will loosen it from the skillet. Place a serving plate upside down over the skillet and turn over the skillet. Let skillet remain inverted on the serving plate for about a minute and then carefully lift it off.

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