pineapple

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!

It does seem like I’m on a bit of a “baking kick” lately. I just realized why…. my dear friend and neighbor Frank recently returned from spending the summer at the mouth of the Connecticut River on his “boat”, which sleeps four and has more space than some apartments. (He’s always kind enough to have me as his guest several times each summer – maybe because I show up with food!) And now he’s back. Frank is a Dessert Lover of The First Class – hence, my renewed interest in baking. So, without further ado – here’s the recipe for Tropical Muffins.

Tropical Muffins – Pineapple, Coconut & Chopped Pecans

Makes 12 Muffins

Grease a 12 unit muffin tin. (You can also use cupcake liners…. but I, myself, am not crazy about them because, sometimes, the muffins stick to the liners. And I refuse to give up even a teeny, tiny bit of these muffins.)

++ Any leftover Tropical Muffins can be reheated the next morning in a toaster-oven. In fact, I’m enjoying two warmed-up muffins right now with a lovely cup of mocha coffee, which equals “Happy Tummy”!

Oven at 400 F Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. ++ Be sure to check at the 20 min. mark !!

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBS. baking POWDER
3/4 tsp. salt
one can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple – drain & save the juice !
++ add enough water to the pineapple juice to make 3/4 cup liquid
1 egg
1/3 cup oil
(The juice & water will be mixed with the egg & oil…)
1/4 cup chopped pecans – or walnuts
1/4 cup shredded coconut (Desiccated coconut for my European etc. friends)
12 maraschino cherries – drained on paper towel (These will go on the top.)

Set aside the drained crushed pineapple, 1/4 cup chopped pecans & 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Mix 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 TBS. baking POWDER & 3/4 tsp. salt In a large bowl.

In a small bowl, add the pineapple juice from the drained crushed pineapple ( plus enough water to bring the total liquid to 3/4 cup ) 1 egg and 1/3 cup oil – mix briefly.

Now place the pineapple juice/egg/oil mixture, and the 1/4 cup chopped pecans, 1/4 cup shredded coconut and crushed pineapple into the large bowl containing the flour/sugar/salt/baking powder. Mix gently – just until everything is combined. You don’t want to over-mix because you want your muffins light and fully!

Using a 1/4 cup measure, fill each muffin cup 3/4’s full. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each. (Don’t poke down the cherry, or it’ll disappear as the muffin rises.

Bake at 400 F for 20 – 25 minutes. ++ Be sure to check after 20 minutes. My muffins were ready in 20 minutes.