An upside-down cake is a cake baked with its toppings placed at the bottom of the pan, so when it’s turned out after baking, the toppings appear on top. The most famous version is Pineapple upside-down cake.
How It Works
- Toppings first – Fruit (often pineapple), sugar, and butter are arranged in the pan.
- Batter on top – Cake batter is poured over the fruit.
- Bake and flip – After baking, the cake is inverted onto a plate so the caramelized fruit becomes the top.
Classic Pineapple Upside-Down Cake (Simple Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter
- 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
- 6–8 pineapple slices
- Maraschino cherries (optional)
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Melt butter in a round cake pan. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over it.
- Arrange pineapple slices on top; place cherries in centers if using.
- In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, beat sugar and egg, then add milk and vanilla.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients; pour batter over fruit.
- Bake 35–40 minutes.
- Cool 5–10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a plate.
Other Popular Variations
- Peach upside-down cake
- Apple cinnamon upside-down cake
- Plum or cherry upside-down cake
- Banana caramel upside-down cake
If you’d like, I can also give you a chocolate or tropical variation 🍍