Second Version – ‘Old-Fashioned Pineapple Upside-Down Cake’, Made with Pineapple Chunks, Cherries & Pecans

Not long ago I posted my recipe for Old Fashioned Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.  Soon after, I started thinking, “I bet this cake would be delicious if  I added chopped pecans to the buttery brown sugar/maraschino goodness”. So, last night that’s exactly what I did – and my neighbor Frank – The Dessertaholic – was the lucky recipient of my ‘experiment’.

Photo of my first version of ‘Old Fashioned Pineapple Upside-Down Cake’.  https://myyellowfarmhouse.com/2014/01/25/old-fashioned-pineapple-upside-down-cake/

+

Old-Fashioned Pineapple Upside-Down Cake is easy to make, especially now that grocery stores sell small packages of cake mix.   (Betty Crocker ‘Yellow Cupcake Mix’).

Of course, you can always use a regular-size cake mix – and a 10″ X 13″ pan. It’s a bit harder to flip the larger cake but it’s certainly doable.   ++ If you prepare an ordinary-size caked mix, double the butter, brown sugar, pineapple, cherries & pecans.

Ingredients            Oven at 350F       9′ x 9′ square or round cake pan

• 1 package Betty Crocker ‘Yellow Cupcake Mix’ — prepared according to directions.
• 1 (14 oz.) can pineapple CHUNKS  – drain juice & reserve  ++ I cut the chunks in half …. but that’s not necessary.
  
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 8 Maraschino cherries, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

  Method

Preheat oven to 350 (F).   ++ Preheat right away – the butter is placed in the pan, then melted in the oven.

Prepare cake according to package directions BUT use the reserved pineapple juice instead of water.  ++ Add water, if necessary, to the pineapple juice to equal the amount of water called for in the recipe.

Place 1/4 cup butter in an 9′ x 9′ square pan or 9′ x 9′ round pan.  Place baking pan in oven for a short time to melt the butter.   ++ Keep an eye on the butter – you don’t want to burn it!

Remove pan from oven.  Stir in 1/2 cup packed brown sugar and spread the butter/brown sugar mixture in the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle on chopped Maraschino cherries, then pecans and then pineapple chunks.

Pour prepared batter over cherries/pecans/pineapple chunks.

++Bake for 30 – 35+  minutes.    ++  If you’re not sure cake is fully cooked, stick a sharp knife in the center to check for doneness.  If any cake batter sticks to the knife, bake cake for a few minutes longer.

IMMEDIATELY invert pan onto a serving platter. If you wait to invert the pan, you may have a problem because, as the sugar/butter mixture begins to cool, it can stick to the pan.

I’m a firm believer that everything is better with whipped cream or ice cream, but it’s far from necessary since there’s so much flavor in Old-Fashioned Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.    Enjoy!