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
After throwing my first cake in the garbage (someone else’s recipe), I made this cake the next day and I would be proud to serve this cake to anyone. My son loves it, I love it. Thank you for a great recipe!!!
Hi Sally! After flipping my cake onto the cake stand, the cake separate around each pineapple. Do you know why that could be? It now seems as though I have 7 individual slices before even cutting.
Can I use regular flour instead of cake flour?
Hi Lori, cake flour promises a supremely soft and light crumb. You can use all-purpose flour in a pinch (our old version of the recipe, found in the recipe Notes, uses all-purpose flour), but the cake will be heavier/denser.
I used this recipe for Hubby’s birthday cake. He loved the cake texture and I loved the “whiteness” of the cake. I used a clear vanilla and substituted 2 Tablespoons of spiced rum for the pineapple juice. Will be making this again and again.
I’ve made this cake several times and it always turns out perfect. I never have cake flour on hand so I use the substitute (all purpose flour and cornstarch sifted together, conversion found on your site as well) and everyone loves it. I usually serve it with a bit of whipped cream or ice cream but it is great all on its own.
Has anyone tried this recipe with a Gluten-free flour substitution? (My wife is allergic.)
Hi Calvin! We haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flours, but some readers have reported success using 1:1 flour substitutes (like Cup4Cup). If you try it, let us know how it goes!
I baked this cake today using King Arthur Measure-for-Measure GF Flour. I used a 9 x 2-inch cake pan and otherwise followed the recipe as written. The pineapple slices and cherries were easy to arrange in the pan and the cake batter mixed up smoothly. I baked the cake for 48 minutes and loosely tented it with foil at the 25-minute point. (The cake did rise up and touch the foil a bit, but it wasn’t bad.) The cake did not overflow the pan. After baking, I let the cake cool on a rack for 20 minutes and it pulled away from the edge nicely. I turned the cake out onto a serving platter, and it released very easily from the pan. Unfortunately, the cake started to crack and separate almost immediately. I think the weight of the pineapple topping, stacked on top of the warm, fragile, gluten free cake is what caused it to break. (Gluten free flours produce structurally weaker baked goods.) For next time, I would like to try letting the cake cool a bit longer in the pan before turning it out.
Very moist, fine crumb. Cake was an absolute hit. I was so sad when there weren’t any leftovers. Saving this recipe!
Would the recipe remain the same if baking in an 8×8 square pan?
Hi Magaly, 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.
Followed instructions exactly, mine needed 3 extra minutes when tested, but all ovens are different, cake turned out like a piece of art and tasted amazing. Super happy 5 out of 5. Pat on the back for great cooking and sharing these recipes allowing people like me to be as good a cook as you professionals as I’m sure there is a lot of testing behind the scenes to create perfection
Stuck in the pan…good and proper
Hi Shelley! The topping caramelizes and can bubble up the sides. After slightly cooling, it can dry and become quite sticky. What may help for next time is greasing the edges of the pan with butter before adding the topping and cake batter.
Hello, im in the UK, whats the equivalent to Sour Cream here? Google says they are different, anyone from the UK know?
Hi Emma, it might be called soured cream. If you can’t find it, a full fat yogurt is a good substitute.
Always a deli treat. Made this more than 10 x in the past 3 yrs. I always use fresh pineapple. Fortunately, I grew up surrounded by pineapple farm. So, I can tell a good sweet pineapple from one that’s not. I also added rum per husband’s request. Oh so good! Thank you for the recipe, Sally.
Could I make in a 9×13?
Hi Molly, 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!
Even with the substitutes I had to make, this cake came out beautifully!
(I used nonfat Greek yogurt, 1% milk, and a 9” square pan)
Thank you Sally and team! Your site is my go-to for all my baking recipes.
I doubled this recipe for a 9×13 cake pan and it worked perfectly! Everyone said it was the BEST pineapple upside down cake they’d ever had!
Have you tried making these into cupcakes or have any advice on doing so? Looking to make a large batch for a party!
Hi Sally! I know your comment mention this doesn’t keep well, but I have to make it a few days in advance. Is it best to keep in the fridge (once cooled to room temp), or can it stay out at room temp for 1-2 days? Assuming it’s wrapped and sealed properly. It’ll be stored for 2 days before eating.
Thanks!
Hi Gabrielle, If you have to make it a day or two in advance, it would be best to cover it and keep it in the refrigerator.
Hi there! I am about to embark on making a pineapple upside down cake for the first time. Your recipes are always reliably delicious! I’m wondering what you think of using a bundt cake pan for this recipe?
Thanks for any insight!
Hi Vicki, 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!
Hi Sally, I have made this cake 4 times. The middle of it will not get done. I have tried everything. I even bought the pan you suggested. What am I doing wrong. I have used your recipes for years with always very good results. The center is always liquid. I cooked it an extra 10 minutes but the outside was hard while the center was still liquid. The taste of the part that is done is out of this world. I have a few more gray hairs now. Please help
Hi Dee, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. Are you tenting the pan with aluminum foil half way through bake time? That’s an important step to prevent the edges from hardening while allowing the middle to continue baking through. If the batter is still undercooked, it could simply need some additional time in the oven. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean—a couple moist crumbs are OK. Be careful not to overmix the batter, too, which can cause the middle of the cake to become squat and dense, preventing it from baking up properly. We hope this helps for next time!
I have a question: I have a jar of amarena cherries do you think that these would work well in flavor & texture?
Hi Jacki, that should work just fine! Be sure to blot them dry before using.
can this be made in a bundt pan?
Hi Deborah, 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!
Do you think I would need to double the recipe?
We wouldn’t double it, no. Let us know if you try!
I haven’t made the cake yet but it sure looks delicious! I have a question. I want to make this cake for my book club. ( in the story, they eat pineapple-upside down cake) I would like to make it in my cast iron pan which is a little bigger than a pie dish. Should I double the recipe?
Hi Ivy, we haven’t tested it, but many readers have reported success baking this cake as written 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!
So we’re not beating the egg whites separately then adding – we’re adding them directly to the batter, unbeaten, and mixing. Correct or incorrect? Thank you.
Hi Carrie, that’s correct.
If I wanted to use a different fruit for the topping (peaches), would you recommend still using the pineapple juice in the cake or use milk in lieu of pineapple juice?
Hi Elissa, you could swap out the pineapple for peaches with no other changes to the recipe.
Hi! Do you think this would work if I subbed fresh peaches? I can’t find a peach upside down cake that looks good to me.
Hi Leslie, absolutely!
Hi, What is the difference in the new version vs the old version? Is it the density of the cake? One fluffier than the other? I want to make this but cannot decide which one I want to try first.
Hi Sandra, the updated version is softer, pleasantly moist, and has a reduced amount of batter (the previous version was prone to overflowing). We hope you enjoy the cake!
Great recipe, thank you. Turned out beautiful and delicious.
Hi, I read your suggestion above for baking ahead of time. Is there a reason why the cake batter cannot be made ahead of time, minus the topping? You’ve suggested to keep the dry and wet separate until ready to bake.
Thanks.
Hi Naz! The topping is baked into the cake, so they really can’t be made separately.
I made this cake following the recipe exactly, it was delicious! I will make this again.
Made this delicacy in a bundt pan today, and it’s almost gone. Bouncy cake and beautifully looking pineapple topping! I used all the rings that could fit in the grooves and plopped two cherries in each hole. It was just the right amount of crisp on the outside. I used foil as directed and the bottom was perfect. One of my kids doesn’t care for icing so this will be his favorite cake from now on.
Did you double the recipe for the Bundt pan?
Cake turned out okay, not whipping the eggs to then be added to creamed butter was confusing. Resulted in an off putting batter texture. Not something I’ve experienced in other recipes. As well as not creaming sugar and butter together. Bake time was off by 20 minutes for me. I have a calibrated thermometer, so oven temp wasn’t the issue. Due to long bake time the edges were cripier but I didn’t mind.
Hi Michelle, the instructions do state to cream the butter and sugar together for the cake batter – see step 4. Did you perhaps see the melted butter listed for the topping, and add melted butter to the cake? That would certainly change the texture. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
This is the best pineapple cake I have ever had/made. I did forget to tent it but it was still beautiful and delicious. Thank you so much for all your hard work on these recipes!
I made this cake for a birthday gift for a colleague, it came out beautiful and more importantly, delicious!
Thank you! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.