Upside Down Pineapple Mini Cakes

This is your traditional, caramelized, fruity upside down pineapple cake but in mini form! You’ll be able to make three 3″ round cakes – perfect size to share with a friend or loved one or ya know, eat yourself! Maybe you’ll want to try baking this for mother’s day! 😀 When you take your first bite, you’ll notice how light and fluffy the texture of the cake is and you’ll be able to taste the hints of subtle vanilla and pineapple. Feel free to play around with the pineapple pattern on top! You can make a flower, sun, or ring with pineapple chunks or rings. We made it easy and used canned pineapple but feel free to cut into a whole one and use the leftover pineapple for snacking!

 

  • Easy
  • 60 mins
  • 3 servings
top close up shot of pineapple upside down cake sitting on a white plate with a lime green colored towel next to plate.
side view of piece of pineapple upside down cake with antique rustic fork puncturing it from the top. A bit of maraschino cherry is seen in front of the piece of cake.
Ingredients

Topping:

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 20-oz can of pineapple in juice (slices, tidbits, or chunks)
  • Maraschino cherries without stems

Cupcakes

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Tablespoons pineapple juice (from can)
  • 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
Uses
Occasions
Directions

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease three 3" cake pans and set to the side
  2. Brush the melted butter evenly between the pans
  3. Cover the bottom of each pan with an even amount of brown sugar between the pans, enough to prevent the butter from completely absorbing into the sugar
  4. Drain and set aside pineapple chunks/tidbits/slices and reserve the juice from can
  5. Arrange the pineapple as desired in the brown sugar. For slices, place one slice in the center of each pan. For tidbits/chunks, we like to arrange in a flower-like shape
  6. Add one maraschino cherry to the center of your pineapples in each pan, and place all three pans on a baking sheet. Set aside
  7. Whisk together dry ingredients (except sugar) and set aside
  8. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in the egg, followed by the Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract and beat until combined, stopping as needed to scrape the sides of the bowl
  9. Once vanilla is combined, add in half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing to combine. Once combined, add in half of the milk and half of the pinapple juice and mix until combined. Repeat the process until all ingredients are mixed
  10. Scoop 1/3 of the batter ( ~1/2 cup) in each cake pan, it should come up to about 1/2 way up the pan, and gently smooth the tops
  11. Bake on a cookie sheet for 25 minutes, turning halfway to ensure even cooking.
  12. Test cakes with a toothpick inserted in the center to ensure they’re completely baked through
  13. Once completely baked, allow cupcakes to cool for a few minutes before inverting them onto a surface covered in wax paper. Serve immediately for best results, but we like to let them sit and cool before de-panning to prevent the cakes from getting crumbly

 

Recipe was made by Shelby Jenkins at @gooey.in.the.middle. Photos taken by Kathryn at @kniftykat