Light and fluffy lemon sponge cake with slices of caramelised pineapple and maraschino cherries, this utterly delicious, retro Pineapple Upside Down Cake is simple and quick to make and easy to serve.
Makes 9 - 12 slices
Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
Preheat oven to Fan Oven 160°C/180°C/350°F/Gas 4
Line baking tin.
Start by preparing your pineapple layer: lay the pineapple pieces on kitchen paper and dab the top of the pineapple with more kitchen paper to dry them.
Likewise dry the maraschino cherries on kitchen paper.
Melt the butter with the salt, either in the microwave or in a saucepan, and pour into the base of the cake tin. Use a pastry brush to ensure the base and sides of the lined baking tin are greased.
Sprinkle over the sugar ensuring an even coverage over the butter.
Lay the pineapple and cherries over the butter and sugar in a decorative pattern – I work out my pattern before I place the pineapple halves on the sugar. Press the pineapple and cherries down into the butter and sugar.
Now make the cake batter: it is important that the butter is at room temperature and soft enough to beat. If it is a little hard, beat it with a whisk before adding the other ingredients. If it is already quite soft, you do not need to do this.
Measure all the remaining ingredients into the mixing bowl with the butter. I place my mixing bowl on top my scales and weigh everything in directly.
Use an electric whisk to beat until combined. This should take less than a minute.
Tip the cake batter over the pineapple in the baking tin and gently level the surface, ensuring the cake goes into all the corners.
Bake in the centre of a preheated oven for 30 - 40 minutes (for a 20cm/8in square tin) or 35 - 45 minutes (for a 23cm/9in round tin) until cooked. It is cooked when:
– the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains
– a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean
– the cake is beginning to come away from the sides of the tin/dish.
NB Check the colour of the cake after 30 minutes. If it is getting too dark, place a very loose piece of foil over the top of the cake.
Leave to sit in the tin for 5 minutes and then invert directly and carefully onto a serving plate. The easiest way to do this is to place your plate, service side down, on top of the cake, and then using kitchen gloves turn the whole thing over. Remove the tin and then slowly remove the baking paper from the cake. Voila!
Equipment:
What is the best way to store this cake?
This cake stores well, covered and in the fridge, for 4 – 5 days. However, it is important to take them out of the fridge for them to come to room temperature before eating.
What is the best way to freeze this cake?
Any leftover slices could also be frozen for up to 3 months. Once cooked, and cooled, freeze as soon as possible in an airtight container.The texture of the pineapple may change a little when frozen so this cake is best frozen in slices rather than as a whole cake.