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 originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips. I also made a few small changes to the recipe to produce a softer cake and a reduced amount of batter. These changes are reflected in the printable recipe card below.
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!
One reader, Julia, commented: “So moist, buttery, and caramelized! Made this for my father, who grew up eating pineapple upside down cake, and he absolutely loved it. ★★★★★“
One reader, Helene, commented: “I made this pineapple upside down cake yesterday for Father’s Day. I usually use a boxed cake mix. I’ve always had great success with Sally’s recipes, so I decided to try this from scratch cake. The cake was fabulous and tasted much better than a box cake. It was moist, tender, and easy to make. My husband loved it. I will be using this recipe from now on. ★★★★★“
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 (4 Tbsp; 56g) 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This is my third time making this recipe, it’s delicious. I use fresh pineapple slices. The last time I made this I did not dry out the pineapple slices good enough and the cake was soggy, but still very good.
What’s the difference between the old recipe and this one? Is this one healthier? Also, next time I’d like to make these as cupcakes. How many would this yield and what would be the cook time?
Hi Sarah, see recipe Notes for details on the old recipe. You can certainly turn these into cupcakes by dividing the topping and batter evenly among your cupcake pan. We’re unsure of the yield and exact bake time, but it should be about 18-20 minutes. Let us know how they turn out for you!
What do you think about baking in a Bundt pan? Any temp or time changes or just trial and error?
Hi TBrown, a Bundt pan would work. You may want to cool it for a little longer before inverting it. The bake time might be a little shorter, but it’s hard for us to say without testing it. Let us know how it goes!
Fantastic! Tasted great and the recipe is laid out so nicely as usual. Made this for a friend’s 40th birthday this summer and she was pleased. It is one of her favorites and her deceased mom would always make one for the birthday girl. It looked beautiful!
Can’t wait to do this! I am going to put it in a cast iron skillet so it meets our vintage cowgirl and spaghetti birthday party. LMK if I should prep differently for using a cast iron.
Hi Kellie, we haven’t tested it, but many readers have reported success baking this cake in a cast iron pan. It will be thinner in a 10-inch pan, so the bake time may be shorter. Let us know how it turns out!
My husband never has seconds,until I baked this one! It is so moist and tasteful.
I’ve just made this and the cake is in the oven. As we never have full cream milk in the house (I have used 1%) I wondered if using buttermilk would work.
Hi Janet, you can use buttermilk to replace both the sour cream and whole milk (2/3 cup total).
I am getting prepared for a retro 70’s party and this is my chosen dessert – I have had it many times but not tried your recipe yet – it sounds like it will be excellent as your other recipes do not disappoint! I have one question though – in order to facilitate easy serving is there a way to make these in individual dishes or very large muffin pans or something like that?
Hi Sally, 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!
So fluffy and soft and lovely!! Thank you!!
This recipe works! Using cake flour and no yolks really creates a light, fluffy, but moist cake
I am going to make this recipe for a funeral reception. Would it be okay if it sat in my car while we are at the Mass and burial? It is cold here in Cincinnati right now.
Hi Michelle, it should be ok, but if it gets too cold it may taste quite dense.
Excellent!! I didn’t have a big enough pie plate so I used a smaller bundt pan. I also used pineapple chunks (well drained) and substituted Monk fruit for half the sugar (golden and white). SO good!!
The cake is really yummy . I love the lightness and bounce with the juicy pineapple is perfect . I ate it still hot from the oven with ambrosia custard and it was fab . I did add golden syrup to the top .
Delicious classic version of the cake. Easy to follow instructions. A retiring coworker requested one. I turned out great, but I learned the hard way don’t use a spring form cake pan, I lost a lot of the butter.
I am trying to add sweetened coconut flakes to the cake. Does coconut add moisture or influence the structure of the cake?
Just made the new recipe . Didn’t have any cherries and only had chunk pineapple. Dried pineapple on a paper plate for about 20 minutes. Followed the recipe to the T , except sprinkled a little white sugar ( 2 tblsp ) over pineapple before pouring in batter . Came out perfect!!! Wasn’t messy and topping stayed in place , like a gooey pineapple Carmel .
Thanks for the recipe
My wife loves pineapple upside down cake, so while she was out running a few errands, I decided to make yours. Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out exactly like yours. And, yes, the foil stuck just a bit… no big deal. Wish I could send you a picture! And it taste as good as it looks. Guess I can stop looking for pineapple upside down cake recipes!
So glad it turned out for you!
I made this cake for a birthday as it was the man’s favorite cake. Well he said it was the very best he has ever had! It was light and not buried under a thick layer of goo on top. And it was so pretty. Thank you for your attention to detail. I also made your pie crust, and it too was delicious, held its shape and was easy to work with. I always visit your site when I need to bake something special and want to be confident it will be a success. Hugs
This is the only Sally’s recipe I’ve tried, twice, and really didn’t like. The texture is dense and chalky.
Hi Sally! How do I make these into cupcakes?
Thank you!
Hi Alix, 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 have tried several of your recipes and I am new to baking. Everyone comes out absolutely amazing. I can assure you my friends and family appreciate your efforts to make us all shine like stars. I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday season! Your cakes will be on our table!
Thank you so much for making and trusting our recipes, Mike!
How to increase for 9×13 pan
Hi Barbara, you can double the recipe for a 9×13-inch pan. Fill the 9×13-inch pan only about halfway with the batter and use extra for cupcakes (about 18-20 minutes bake time for the cupcakes). We’re unsure of the bake time for the 9×13-inch cake. Hope it’s a hit!
My Mama always taught me to use Pillsbury pancake mix for the cake. So I only needed milk and eggs for the batter
That’s just fine if you choose to make a cake with pancake mix. However, in my experience using prepackaged mixes as a shortcut doesn’t do the recipes justice. I bake from scratch because it tastes better and I can control what goes in the recipe. Also there is a certain amount of satisfaction and pride that comes from baking from scratch.
Great fun making this cake.
Shame I can’t add a foto.
I used the cake recipe off this in a commercial kitchen tonight. The topping was house caramel and ripe bananas. But the cake was dense, but soft, sweet and moist, and it soaked up the banana flavor like a sponge. Next time it’s a double batch. I made this cake in tourine and it deserves twice the cake. Thanks Sally!
Can I leave out/substitute the cherries if I cannot find Maraschino cherries? Or glaced cherries?
You can leave them out with no other changes. Enjoy!
Can I use a 10” cast iron pan?
Hi SAS, we haven’t tested it, but other bakers have reported success baking this cake in a cast iron pan. It will be thinner in a 10 inch pan.
Hi can I make this in 9/13 pan
Hi Asheema, yes, you can double the recipe for a 9×13-inch pan. Fill the 9×13-inch pan only about halfway with the batter and use extra for cupcakes (about 18-20 minutes bake time for the cupcakes). We’re unsure of the bake time for the 9×13-inch cake. Hope it’s a hit!
I baked the 9/13 for 42 minutes. Was beautiful and very fluffy. Thank you
Can this be made as cupcakes?
Hi Ashley, 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!
Oh my word! This a very delicious cake! The texture is sublime!
I was planning on making this recipe with fresh pineapple and fresh pineapple juice. Would that mean that I need to replace the 1/4 tsp baking soda with 3/4 tsp baking powder (for a total of 1+3/4 tsp baking powder)?
Hi Stephanie, you can use fresh pineapple and pineapple juice with no other changes to the recipe. Enjoy!
Can I use All-Purpose flour instead of cake flour? If so, how will it change the taste?
it change the taste?
Hi Wendy, the resulting cake will be less light and soft, but it will work. Let us know if you give it a try!