Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Sweet and buttery, this version of Stephanie Alexander's pineapple upside down cake reminds me of my childhood.
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
Cake Base
- 30 g unsalted butter, softened
- 150 g raw sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 large pineapple, skin removed save the skin for a fruit syrup
Cake Batter
- 175 g unsalted butter, softened
- 150 g raw sugar
- 175 g plain flour
- 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup ground almonds
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease the base and sides of a 24 cm round cake tin with the softened butter (I like to use a pastry brush).
- Dissolve sugar in water over medium heat and cook for few minutes until golden brown.
- Pour the caramel over the base and sides of the tin, ensuring to coat it as evenly as possible.
- Halve the pineapples and cut out the cores. Cut the fruit into thick slices and arrange the over the base of the tin. Poke any smaller pieces in the gaps.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and 1 tbsp of the ground almonds in a bowl. Reserve the remaining ground almonds to sprinkle on top of the cake.
- To make the cake batter, cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and the beaten eggs, alternating between each addition.
- Spoon the cake batter over the pineapple base, smooth the top with a spatula and sprinkle the remaining ground almonds on top.
- Bake the cake for about 50 minutes until golden on top, and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool for a few minutes in the tin, run a knife around the edge of the tin, then invert the cake onto a plate. Let it sit for a minute before gently easing the tin off the top. Spoon any leftover remaining pineapple and sauce from the tin over the cake.
- Serve the cake warm with a dollop of thick cream or yoghurt.
Notes
The pineapple upside down cake is best eaten warm, but it will keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container.