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
Amazing!!!!
One of the best cakes I’ve tasted. And the best part is that I could bake it, just because of you.
★★★★★
Hi Sally,
Would it be possible to add carrot to the batter? My father-in-law always talks about a carrot-pineapple upside down cake his g’ma used to make. I can check elsewhere, but I love your recipes!
Hi Adraine, I haven’t tested this exact recipe with carrot but I do have a Pineapple Carrot Cake that you might be interested in.
Hi Sally, I make tons of your recipes and they all turn out terrific! My husband requested pineapple upside down cake for father’s day, but we’re feeding a crowd. If I want to make a 9×13, would you recommend 1.5x the ingredients or doubling? Thanks!
Dear Sally, this pineapple upside down cake recipe is simply beautiful! Never thought that I can bake! Tku for sharing.
★★★★★
Hi Ms. Sally,
I’m glad i reached to this post of yours. I just try my first ever upside down cake for my dad’s birthday Oct 1. My family love it, your recipe is perfect Ms. Sally
★★★★★
Perfection!
This was the most unbelievably delicious pineapple upside cake I’ve ever made. So light (which is usually not the case with these), so tasty and beautiful to boot. It’s been the highlight of the quarantine. Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi Sally, we made this pineapple upside down cake over the weekend. It was better than any cake recipe we’ve ever tried. Bake time was right around 45 minutes. There wasn’t a crumb leftover! We can’t wait to make it again soon. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Pure Awesome-ness. This my third time making it. Each time….just getting better and better. I’ve got it down packed now. Thank you so much for this yummy recipe.
★★★★★
This is an incredible cake. Make it as written. Sally, I like it better than the original version! Blotting the pineapples really helped.
★★★★★
I made this cake and it has to be the most delicious pineapple upside down cake ever! I followed the recipe step by step! And, cake was PERFECT! My family enjoyed it very much. Thank you Sally.
★★★★★
I don’t know how some people are ending up with dry cakes, but mines came out perfect (I used my scale versus measuring cups). Thank-you for the recipe Sally, I made it for my family last Christmas and I will definitely make it again. The only cakes my brother likes are cheesecakes and ice cream cake but he devoured this pineapple upside down cake.
★★★★★
We made this cake on Mother’s Day and while it tasted good, it was very dry. We blotted the pineapple rings so I think the absence of the pineapple juice dried out the cake instead of absorbing the juice into the cake. I probably won’t make this recipe again, but if I do, I will try adding the egg yolks and not blotting the pineapple slices.
★★★
Could I make 2 batches of batter and divide in 3 8 in pans to do a stacked cake ?
Hi Sally,
Will it work to double the recipe and use a 9 by 11 cake pan?
I am a BIG fan of your Angel Food Cake Recipe. During Easter week I made three of them for family. Thanks for sharing your baking expertise! Take Care.
Hi Ann! You’ll have too much batter for a 9×11 inch baking pan. Instead, I recommend 1.5x the batter. I’m unsure of the best bake time.
This was really good. I didn’t have cake flour so I used all purpose flour and 3 egg whites instead of two. Used a square glass dish. I let it cool a little longer because of the glass and it came out perfectly.
★★★★★
I was very disappointed Sally. I read all your lengthy, wordy instructions and followed them to a T. This cake was dry (not overbaked was taken out on the short time)
I haven’t made this cake from scratch much if at all. It was for my Dad’s 89th birthday. Definitely needs ice cream to balance the dryness. I might just go back to the recipes that use cake mix. Have all been more moist than this tedious cake.
Sorry but not impressed. Can’t find anything done wrong, no substitutes, etc. Lots of work, little return
★★★
Thanks for the feedback, Kim. Sorry it was a disappointment. I worked hard to improve the taste, so I wonder if it was over-baked? Regardless, thanks for reporting back.
Would I be able to use buttermilk instead of whole milk?
Hi Gina, yes, buttermilk works instead of the whole milk.
I made this for my dad’s birthday. All I can say is AMAZING! It’s so delicious and moist such a perfect balance. I added a little more vanilla (b/c why not) and also a tablespoon of Haitian rum (b/c again why not)… just outstanding!
★★★★★
I don’t bake. I bought a pineapple and decided to take a stab at a cake my husband loves. I used the pineapple, I made my own cake flour (thanks for the recipe), I made it in a cast iron skillet I lined with parchment paper, I blew up butter in my microwave and ended up with an amazing cake. Flavor, texture, look. Everything made me proud of myself.
Your recipes never fail. I’ve been making your oatmeal raisin cookies and have made your biscuits since the quarantine started. Keep up the great recipes to help me successfully do something I don’t enjoy!
THANKS
★★★★★
Hi Sally,
I made your recipe in a muffin pan & 2 small loaf pans. I shortened the bake time by 5 minutes. Ultimately using a toothpick to be sure. It turned out spectacular. However, when you bake this the tops, which then becomes the bottom, gets rounded when baking.
Hello Sally! I tend to prefer a less sweet (more buttery) cake — and then let the pineapple-sugar topping be the sweetness. What would you recommend I could do for cutting the white and/or brown sugars? Or would cutting sugars throw off the ratio with the other ingredients (eg, acids versus the bases)?
Hi Rachel, you can certainly play around with the amount of sugar in the cake batter keeping in mind that not only will the flavor change, but the texture as well. (Sugar tenderizes cakes.) Start by only reducing it by a little, perhaps down to 2/3 or a little over 1/2 cup.
Hi Sally,
Love your recipes! I want to try this but I don’t have a deep enough cake pan that you call for. Ironically I have a Bundt Pan.. do you think this will work?
Hi Paul, 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 me to say without testing it.
I made the cake with exact ingredients but did not add sugar to butter by mistaje. I then whipped the egg white stiff i mixed all the dry ingredients with the butter, milk and sour cream. I folded the egg whites in at the end. i did use the pie pan.. It was spectacular.
★★★★★
It was delicious! I used regular flour since I didn’t have cake flour and fresh pineapple and no cherries.Thank you for such a great recipe!
★★★★★
I don’t have a cupcake version on my site, but you could certainly turn this into cupcakes by dividing the topping and batter between cupcake pans. I’m unsure of the best bake time.
Very excited to make this this week! Do you think it would be okay in a silicone round cake pan? Or does it need something sturdier? Thanks Sally!
Something sturdier would be ideal for this particular cake.
Hi Sally,
Do you think this recipe would work in an 8-inch square pan? My only round pan an 8 inch pie pan that is less than 2 inches deep, so I worry about overflow if I were to use that.
First time baking pineapple upside down cake. I chose this recipe out of all that i saw in the internet, it looks easy and cooked to perfection, considering all those tips by the author. My cake came out perfect!.. so delicious! Everyone loved it!❤️
★★★★★
I was inspired by everyone’s lockdown substitutions so gave this a try even though I was missing quite a few ingredients. Turned out great! Substituted 1/2 the brown sugar with regular sugar (and cut back a bit for the topping). I left out the baking soda, used fat free greek yogurt, and used almond extract instead of vanilla. Oh- and no cherries. Used fresh pineapples. Yum!
★★★★★
Hi Sally! Could this be made with peaches instead?? That’s my moms favourite ❤️
Yes, definitely. Slice them thin and blot dry as you do with the pineapple.
Tried your recipe today. (I used crushed pineapple instead of the rings.) Followed your instructions and it turned out great. Super easy with tons of flavor. Thank you.
★★★★★
Hi Sally!
I am a 100% fan girl of your recipes. Your blog is my favorite for all baked goods. I often tell my friends (or whomever will listen) that the thing about your recipes is they come out exactly like your photos and taste incredible. No surprises! And you can feel confident to make something new when company comes over without testing it out first.
This Pineapple Upside Down Cake has become one of my family’s favorites and we made it again last night. As I was making it I kept asking my daughter, “Do you remember doing this step?” I kept feeling like I’d had a stroke and was completely confused as I followed each step. This morning your blog was still open on my computer and as I carefully read, I discovered the recipe had been changed. Reading is fundamental 🙂 Anyway, both recipes are great, however I prefer the old one just a little bit more. I love the combination of sugars in the cake and the addition of the pineapple juice gave the cake a little more of a special flavor. Also the new recipe took so much longer to bake. It took 25 minutes longer than the recipe suggests. I love the texture and presentation of both, but for me the original recipe is the A+ version. I also wanted to tell you that my husband accidentally brought home Bob’s Red Mill Fine Pastry Flour because he could not find regular flour during this pandemic and it is fantastic in this cake and pancakes too!!! The crumb is so fine and light. Anyhoo, thanks for all you do. Your recipes are incredible! I’ve had to up my daily exercise to keep up with my baking addiction and dessert consumption now that I’m working from home. Happy weekend! I hope your family is staying safe and healthy.
Love,
Benita aka #fangirl
★★★★★
Hi Benita! I’m so glad that you enjoy my recipes and website! I’m so happy you love my older recipe for pineapple upside down cake, too. And that you tried the new one! Always love reading these comments, so thank you! Well wishes to you and yours, too.
I tried this recipe today and it turned out perfect! I did follow the recipe to make cake flour since I don’t have any. I also opted to use whole milk yogurt instead of sour cream (I didn’t have any on hand). Its still scrumptious and divine! Thank you for sharing! Oh and instead of cherries I used shredded coconut, it’s the perfect combo.
★★★★★
Made this tonight and everyone absolutely loved it, especially the cake portion. Do you think this cake recipe would pair well with a frosting like a “normal cake”?