This pineapple upside down cake is soft and buttery with a caramelized brown sugar pineapple & cherry topping. Its juices seep down into the cake, adding even more luscious flavor and texture. A classic favorite using canned pineapple and maraschino cherries, this retro cake is served upside down and perfect any time of year.
I love learning in the kitchen and I’m always working hard to improve my skill. With constant practice comes the opportunity to bring you the best recipes I can. This is an exciting post!
Improved Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe – Read the Difference
I developed and published a pineapple upside down cake recipe several years ago. It’s certainly loved by many, but the cake is prone to overflowing because there’s quite a lot of batter. Additionally, it can taste overly wet and the instructions were never written very clearly. As a cookbook author and baker, I’ve certainly improved my craft over the years!
My improved pineapple upside down cake recipe, written below, is much softer than my original. Using creamed butter instead of melted, cake flour instead of all-purpose flour, all white sugar instead of brown sugar + white, and using egg whites guarantees a huge textural difference. I adapted it from my white cake. My new recipe doesn’t yield as much cake batter, so we don’t have to worry about overflowing.
The pineapple cherry topping remains the same. You don’t mess with perfection. 😉
- Old Cake Recipe (in notes below): Overly heavy, wet, overflowed
- New Cake Recipe (below): Softer, pleasantly moist, reduced amount of batter
We’re using the same ingredients in my updated cake batter just in different forms, ratios, and amounts. Baking is truly a science and I’m happy to continue to deliver you well tested and improved recipes!
Key Ingredients You Need
- Cake Flour: Lighter than all-purpose flour, cake flour produces a soft crumb.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: The two add plenty of lift under the heavy topping.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness.
- Butter: Instead of melted butter, use 6 Tablespoons of softened butter. (Not the whole stick, though you do need more for the topping.) Creaming butter and sugar guarantees a buttery soft crumb. It’s how I prepare my vanilla cupcakes, too.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar sweetens and tenderizes the cake. There’s brown sugar in the topping to provide essential flavor!
- Egg Whites: Don’t let yolks weigh down a cake that’s already weighed down by the fruit topping. After all my recipe testing, I now swear by just egg whites here. So there’s no waste, here are my recipes using egg yolks.
- Vanilla Extract: Flavor.
- Sour Cream: Along with cake flour and egg whites, sour cream promises a tender cake crumb. Plain yogurt works in a pinch.
- Pineapple Juice & Milk: Liquid is key in most cakes because it thins out the batter. You typically make pineapple upside down cake with canned pineapple, so use some of the liquid in the can for the cake batter.
I appreciate that the cake, in general, is smaller and not as overwhelming just like this apple upside down cake. Both are great options for smaller gatherings for Easter and other holidays. See more Easter brunch recipes and Easter dessert recipes.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Topping
I didn’t change my original topping recipe. Sticking with tradition, the topping includes canned pineapple rings, maraschino cherries, butter, and brown sugar. I always use 10 pineapple rings (some are halved for the sides), which is one 20 ounce can. Feel free to use fresh pineapple and cherries. Canned pineapple chunks will be a little messy and could spill down the sides when you invert the cake, so proceed with caution.
- My #1 Tip for the Topping: Blot the wet pineapples and maraschino cherries before using. The more liquid in the fruit, the more liquid that won’t “set.” Excess liquid creates an unpleasantly wet cake.
I know you’ll appreciate this too: pineapple upside down cake is basically already frosted. There’s no extra decoration required; the garnish is literally baked into the cake!
Overview: How to Make the Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake
This classic pineapple upside down cake is buttery rich and the sweet fruit topping is downright irresistible. Let me walk you through each step so you understand the process.
- Prepare the topping: Melt the butter, pour into an un-greased cake pan or pie dish, sprinkle with brown sugar, then arrange the blotted pineapple rings and maraschino cherries as you see in my photos and video tutorial. I always refrigerate the topping as I prepare the cake batter—this helps solidify the designed arrangement underneath the wet cake batter.
- Prepare the cake batter: Whisk the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla, then the sour cream. Pour the dry into the wet ingredients, pour in the pineapple juice & milk, and then beat to combine. You’ll have about 2 cups of cake batter and it’s very straightforward to prepare.
- Spread over topping: Pour and spread the cake batter over the chilled topping.
- Bake: Because of the wet bottom layer (which is the topping), the cake takes much longer than a typical 1 layer cake. Its juices will bubble up the sides, creating these incredible caramelized edges. (They’re so good!) With upside down cakes, it’s always good practice to place a baking pan or sheet on a lower rack to catch any juices should they splatter over the edges.
- Cool: Cool the cake for 20 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Inverting any sooner will create a seeping mess—we want the topping to “set” as much as it can. You can serve this cake warm, though it slices much better if you let it cool completely at room temperature first.
Expect a Dense Cake
I’ve been making pineapple upside down cake since I could hold a spatula. I’ve made hundreds of versions, or so it seems, and I say with 100% certainty that this cake will always be on the denser side. (Unless you are using store-bought cake mix.) You see, the cake is served upside down. The weight of the topping, which is the bottom of the cake as it bakes, weighs down the crumb beneath it. Pineapple upside down cake will never be as light and airy as white cake. If you were to make this exact cake batter and serve it right-side-up, the cake would taste much airier.
Does that make sense?
I know you’ll love its unique texture, especially paired with the brown sugar caramelized fruit topping. Let me know how you like it!
Print
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 8-10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Updated in 2020, this is my favorite recipe for traditional pineapple upside down cake. For best success, read the recipe and recipe notes before beginning.
Ingredients
Topping
- 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 8–10 pineapple slices (see note)*
- 15–20 maraschino cherries (see note)*
Cake
- 1 and 1/2 cups (177g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60ml) pineapple juice, at room temperature (use leftover from can)
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Prepare topping first: Pour 1/4 cup melted butter into an ungreased 9×2 inch pie dish or round cake pan. (Make sure the pan is 2 inches deep. I recommend this pie dish, which is 1.8 inches deep but I never have an overflow issue.) Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Blot any excess liquid off the fruit with a clean towel or paper towel. (The wetter the fruit, the more likely the cake could overflow or the topping could seep over the sides when inverted.) Arrange about 6-7 blotted pineapple slices and all the cherries on top of the brown sugar. I like to halve 3 pineapple rings and arrange them around the sides of the pan, too. See my photo and video above for a visual of the arranged topping. Place pan in the refrigerator for a few minutes as you prepare the cake batter. This helps solidify or “set” the topping’s arrangement.
- Make the cake batter: Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed until creamed together, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. On high speed, beat in the egg whites until combined, then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer onto low speed and as the mixer runs, slowly pour in the pineapple juice and milk. Beat on low speed just until all of the ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Remove topping from the refrigerator. Pour and spread cake batter evenly over topping.
- Bake for 43-48 minutes, tenting foil on top of the cake halfway through bake time to prevent the top from over-browning before the center has a chance to fully cook. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean—a couple moist crumbs are OK. Don’t be alarmed if your cake takes longer or if the cake rises up and sticks to the foil. (We serve the cake upside down anyway!)
- Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for just 20 minutes. Invert the slightly cooled cake onto a cake stand or serving plate. Some of the juices from the topping will seep over the sides—that’s ok. You can slice and serve the cake warm, but the slices will be messy. I find it’s best to cool the cake completely at room temperature before slicing and serving. Do not refrigerate the cake to speed up the cooling process because it could end up tasting overly dense.
- Cover leftover slices and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature. I don’t recommend freezing the cake as a whole because the topping arrangement doesn’t thaw very nicely. See make ahead instructions below.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can refrigerate the topping in step 2 for up to 1 day. If refrigerating for longer than 1 hour, cover it tightly. Other than that, this isn’t the best cake to make ahead of time or freeze because the pineapples will settle down into the cake—while still tasty, the presentation won’t be as pleasing. You can, however, prepare the wet ingredients (cover and refrigerate) and dry ingredients (cover at room temperature) separately up to 1 day ahead of time, then continue with the recipe the next day. Let the wet ingredients come to room temperature before mixing.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-Inch Pie Dish or 9-Inch Round Cake Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack
- Old Recipe: The current cake batter recipe was updated in 2020. If you loved the old cake batter recipe, originally published in 2014, here it is: The topping recipe is the same. Prepare the recipe above through step 2. For the cake batter, whisk 1 and 2/3 cups (210g) all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together. In a separate bowl, whisk 1/2 cup (115g) melted unsalted butter, 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar, 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup (60g) yogurt or sour cream, 1/2 cup (120ml) milk, 1/4 cup (60ml) pineapple juice, and 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract together. Whisk wet and dry ingredients together until smooth. Continue with step 5 in the recipe above.
- Pineapple & Cherries: Traditional recipes use canned pineapple and maraschino cherries. I recommend 1 20 ounce can of pineapple rings/slices, which usually holds 10 rings/slices. You can use fresh pineapple rings/slices and fresh cherries if desired. If using fresh cherries, I recommend halving them. Blot excess liquid off the fresh fruit just as I instruct in step 2. Fresh or canned pineapple chunks, tidbits, and/or crushed pineapple will create a messy topping that could spill over the sides when the cake is inverted. I recommend rings/slices because they are larger.
- Sour Cream & Milk: Full fat sour cream and whole milk are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full fat plain yogurt would work instead of the sour cream, though the cake may not taste as tender. Same goes with a lower fat or nondairy milk.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important.
Keywords: pineapple upside down cake, cake
This is AWESOME! I just turned 65…..consider myself an above average home cook. BUT…..pineapple upside down cake has been my culinary NEMESIS!! It’s been a standing joke with my husband for years. Recently our friend’s mother made one, and he was bragging on it. So….not to go down without a fight, I found this recipe of yours (and love your recipes btw) which seemed a little different from others I’ve seen. Well it is fabulous!! First time I’ve had a successful pudc.
I think for several reasons:
A) The glass pie plate is key. Keeps cake from oversticking on the sides, and more of a “gentle bake”.
B) Cake flour for lightness
C) Egg whites vs. whole egg make for a pseudo angel food cake lightness
D) Sour cream is a nice touch
E) I think the topping on fridge helped a lot in not making it so caramel like and hard (which was a big prob. for me in the past).
This will be my go-to recipe for pudc from now on!! And thank you for helping beat my Nemesis!
Love your recipes!
★★★★★
Made this cake with red velvet batter. Used very dark cocktail cherries. Also used a cast iron 9″x2″ pie pan. Great carmelization of the fruit. Delicious!
★★★★★
I tried this recipe and my grandson loves it so much. He ask for it on Holidays and can I make it and send yo him at college
Wow – this turned out perfectly and could have been one of the most successful cakes I’ve ever baked! (I had to use all purpose flour because I couldn’t find cake flour)
★★★★★
The cake had a great flavor and was easy to make. I had to make my own cake flour. I used your recipe or instructions for that as well. However, the cake was dry. Good but dry if that makes sense. I would love to make it again but not sure what I did to make it come out dry! Could it be the extra baking soda? I added what the recipe called for but also used it for the cake flour.
★★★★★
Hi Geneva, thanks so much for giving this one a try! Did you use this substitute cake flour? That one calls for sifting all-purpose flour and cornstarch (not additional baking soda). Dry cakes can also be the result of over baking (even by just a minute or two!). This post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes can also be a helpful resource. Hope this helps!
This was fantastic! I was expecting dense…it was far from that. The only tweak I would make is doubling the butter/brown sugar topping. I wanted more goo.
★★★★★
Which canned pineapple is better to use – pineapple in juice or pineapple in syrup? Does the syrup work as well as juice?
Hi Debbie! Either will work here. You’ll blot excess liquid off the pineapple rings before using.
Does anyone know if buttermilk would work in place of the whole milk?
Amazing recipe. I doubled the recipe and made the cake in a Bundt pan, it turned out great.
★★★★★
Myself and my boyfriend have been using this recipe for the last year and it is such a hit everytime! We love making this for family and friends absolutely delicious!
★★★★★
OMG! Use the fresh pineapple! I doubled the recipe and used a 9×13, and instead of the liquid, I used fresh crushed pineapple. I gave a lot of it away to friends, and they’re already asking, “when are you going to make that pineapple cake again?”. Although I didn’t use the cherries, I just added more slices, and that alone was amazing. I baled the cake for the most amount of time, and I thought it was exceptional, and wasn’t dense! Why do the box, when the real deal is SOOO much better? I wish I could share the picture; absolutely amazing!!
★★★★★
Can I use a springform pan?
Hi Lydia! The buttery topping would likely seep through a springform pan. You could place anther baking sheet under it to catch any drips.
you could probably wrap the springform pan in foil like many people do when they make cheesecake also
This is the best fruit upside down cake recipe I’ve ever used!
★★★★★
This was delicious. I used fresh pineapple and did exactly what the recipe says. I used fresh pineapple juice and I think it really helped it taste good.
★★★★★
Hello I tried both ways and the outcome was a treat. Thanks for teaching me a well done recipe
This recipe is excellent! I made the new version exactly as written and it is a hit! I also made it again but used canned peaches instead of pineapple — OUTSTANDING especially for those of us who don’t like cherries. I suspect it would be equally good with canned pears, or fresh fruit too.
Just made the old recipe. Taste was great but only had dark brown sugar so cake came out tan! Didn’t have the cake flour to make the newer version
★★★★
Evelyn – Sally has a Cake Flour Substitute on her website using regular flour and cornstarch. Just be certain to sift no less than 2 times; I’ve seen recipes that required sifting 5 times as you want to be certain the flour and cornstarch are well blended.
I hope you will try the newer version – it is A-MAAAZZZING!!!
Enjoy!
I made with fresh pineapple-it was delicious!
Hi Sally, is it possible to use the same recipe to make cupcakes?
Hi Anne, you can certainly turn these into cupcakes by dividing the topping and batter evenly among your cupcake pan. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but it should be about 18-20 minutes. Let us know how they turn out for you!
loved the recipe, I doubled it and used fresh pineapple from my garden. I also cut the pineapple into little wedges (makes it easier to eat) and I chop the cherries into little bits. I always share with my neighbors and they love it thank you for another keeper…..
★★★★★
How can I convert this recipe to a 9×13 cake pan
Hi Rhonda, for a 9×13-inch pan, I would double the recipe, fill the pan only about halfway with the batter and use extra for cupcakes (about 18-20 minutes bake time for the cupcakes). I’m unsure of the bake time for the 9×13-inch cake.
Hi..Can i substitute the flour with wheat flour
Hi Merin, We don’t recommend wheat flour here. The cake would be very heavy and dense – best to stick with the recipe!
I made this recipe with fresh pineapple and Luxardo cherries. I also used about 50/50 dark brown sugar and muscavado. Seperated kefir curd instead of sour cream. Once I add flour I always mix by hand. And yes, I actually squeezed fresh pineapple against a mesh sieve for juice. Fabulous!
★★★★★
Amazing recipe that I have been using for years. I’ve always used the original recipe but stopped when i went dairy free 5 years ago. To my amazement, the recipe , veganized was equally delicious , subbing 3/4 cup soy milk “buttermilk” for the milk and yogurt and 1 flax egg for the egg. Thank you!
★★★★★
Can’t wait to share this cake with the ladies at church tomorrow. Smells so good. I didn’t see a place to share a picture but it looks delicious too.
I always go to Sally’s Baking Addiction recipes because they always turn out delicious.
★★★★★
I make pineapple upside down cake every year for my husband’s birthday. I have tried so many recipes- this is the best thing ever!!
★★★★★
Not sure what I did wrong, I think taking the Topping out of the fridge cold and then cake mix and into the oven, not tented, cake collapsed was dense, not cake-like more towards cheese cake, used cake flower, didn’t tent. First time I made it was good, no tenting, with regular flower cake flour. This one is in the oven, I let set topping then let it warm up, will tent w tinfoil at mid bake and we will see, so excited. Really great recipe! I’ll let you know!
Could I use an 8×8 square pan instead?
Hi Coraline, the cake may bubble over an 8×8 inch pan – it’s a little small. You could place another baking dish under to catch any drips.
Could I use this recipe for cupcakes (to make individual cakes). And if so, any suggestions to get the sides prett?
Hi Rebecca, you can certainly turn these into cupcakes by dividing the topping and batter evenly among your cupcake pan. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but it should be about 18-20 minutes. Let us know how they turn out for you!
I followed this recipe exactly and the results were perfect. My 95 year old mother said it was the best pineapple upside down cake she ever had! I love baking and refer to your website often because your recipes are spot on. Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes.
★★★★★
I’m a seasoned cook and I feel like I learned something new with this recipe! I’m super excited to share it with my family! I’m having a Valentine’s Day get together with my loved ones ! Perfect love day cake !
★★★★★
Do you think this cake would work well as a pineapple upside down cheesecake? I had a piece at the Cheesecake Factory and fell in love with it.
Hi Suzi, we haven’t tested a pineapple upside down cheesecake recipe before. Cheesecakes can be very particular, so it would take a bit of testing to get it right! We’d recommend finding a recipe specifically formulated for that. Let us know if you find one you love!
Thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s delicious! I actually used your batter recipe to make Pinapple Upside Down Cupcakes, and it worked very well. 350 degrees for 19 minutes worked for me in my oven. Some of the topping did stick to the cupcake tins, but I scooped it out, replaced it, et voila, perfection!
★★★★★