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
Sally, I was reading thru comments and reviews and wanted to add some information for everyone and you as well. I have successfully converted many of your cake recipes to gf using all purpose gf flour and next to no issues. I specifically love your sugar cookie recipe! Every time I need a recipe or some baking knowledge, I come here! Thank you so much!!
So happy to read that, Christina! Thank you so much for making our recipes – we’re so glad they are working with GF flour.
This recipe is excellent! And such a beautiful presentation. I absolutely loved the cake portion. Are there other recipes you can recommend using this cake batter?
★★★★★
Thanks Christine! You’ll enjoy almost the same batter with this one layer funfetti cake and a similar version with this apple upside down cake.
I absolutely loved this recipe , it turned out great ! I actually added some ground cinnamon and nutmeg and it tasted amazing.
★★★★
So freaking good! I never had this cake but a friend wanted it and now it’s my favorite cake!
Only have one question- What do I do if the cake starts to split in between the pineapples? I flipped it when instructed and it started to crack, but stayed together overall. Maybe too warm? Or because it wasn’t leveled before I flipped it?
★★★★★
Hi Gina, I’m so glad to read that you enjoy this cake! The cake has cracked around the pineapples for me before too. I’ve found that happens when the bottom (which bakes as the top) isn’t perfectly level and so as the cake cools, it settles to have a flat bottom and then it cracks a bit on top. Waiting for it to cool a bit longer before flipping could help if you want to try it next time.
Thank you so much for your sweet feedback, Raquel! We’re so glad you enjoyed this cake. We’d love to know what you decide to try next!
Omg! I may not find the best words to express as English is not my first language but this is by far the best upside down I’ve ever tried. Others tend to be so very sweet and your recipe is sweetness balanced, plus the bread turned fluffy. I just subscribed to your page and I’m going to start trying all your recipes. Big size clothes here we go lol Greetings and thanks from Mexico City, Raquel.
★★★★★
Can I use a different fruit such as peaches and blueberry in the recipe?
Hi Jenah, yes, you can definitely use peaches and blueberries. Slice the peaches thin and blot dry as you do with the pineapple. Let us know how it goes!
This is incredible. I did add more vanilla to my liking and used all purpose flour. I also used fresh pineapple and fresh pitted cherries and just soaked them in a simple syrup for an hour or 2. Best Pineapple upside down cake ever.
★★★★★
I was hoping to make this recipe into cupcakes. Is that possible?
Hi Stacey, You can certainly turn these into cupcakes using a regular cupcake pan and 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!
This recipe isTHE best!! I’ve made many a cake from scratch but this recipe is OVER THE TOP with flavor!
One thing (the only thing) I changed (which I always do when they call for this) is MIX EVERYTHING TOGETHER just like a box cake and this cake WENT AS FAST AS 10 min. between me and my two sons!
★★★★★
Really good flavor. But I wonder if there’s a way to make it slightly more moist and bring in the pineapple glaze into the cake. Because right now the cake is a plain vanilla with a thin layer of pineapple glaze. Maybe add pineapple juice to the cake batter not sure if that would work
This is the 3th or 5th recipe I’ve used from this website, and they have all been home runs. It turned out delicate and spongy, only change I made was using my trusty cast iron instead. Looking forward to trying more recipes.
★★★★★
Could this be made in a Bundt pan?
Hi Erin, 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!
I followed this recipe exactly and the cake came out very dry. The cake batter tasted good, but when I ate the baked cake it was to sweet.
Hi Kristina, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. There are a couple factors that can go into an overly dry cake — this post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes should help. Oftentimes it can be as simple as baking for a minute less or being sure to spoon and level your flour. Hope this helps, and thank you for giving this recipe a try!
have you tried making two of these cakes and layer them on top of each other? Wondering if this could work.
Hi Amy, We don’t recommend stacking this cake. It’s very heavy so it does work best as a single layer cake. If you are looking for a pineapple layer cake we recommend this Pineapple Coconut Cake (with or without the coconut).
With all the comments about how dense and drippy this could be, I was surprised how light and fluffy the cake ended up. I would have liked more buttery sweetness filtering down into the cake, but I have no idea how to achieve that.
★★★★
Terrific recipe! Thank you for including the tips and notes.
★★★★★
This is so good, the best Pineapple upside down cake I’ve ever had.
Thank you so much
★★★★★
I tried this recipe and found it to be lacking in taste and it was dry, not the moist texture associated with pineapple upside-down cake. recipetineats has almost the same exact recipe with 1/4 cup juice from the pineapple and the left over pineapple chopped up. I will try that next time.
★★
I LOVED the old recipe, I’m going to give this a goooo and see how I like it. I already like the cakes flour and no yolk part so I’ll be back to update tomorrow.
Can you use a 9×13 pan instead? 🙂
Hi Kelsey, for a 9×13 pan, we would recommend doubling 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). We’re unsure of the bake time for the 9×13 cake. Let us know if you give it a try!
Wow, this was great. I followed the recipe. My husband thinks it might be the best made from scratch dessert I’ve made. I did use fresh pineapple. Not overly sweet with fake taste that the box version gives. Will never make from box again. Not even close.
★★★★★
So glad you loved it, Lindsey!
I made this as a surprise for Father’s Day for my husband, who has been requesting this cake for weeks. It turned out perfect. I read all the instructions and tips before making. I substituted almond milk for whole milk and I don’t think there was any difference. It was moist, light, not too sweet, and visually stunning!
★★★★★
Thank you Sally for this recipe! My husband can be a cake “snob” and everyone, including him, loved it! It turned out perfectly!
★★★★★
Best pineapple upside down cake ever!
Cake cooked for longer than needed (30min extra), was still raw, and totally deflated when it came out of the oven. The old recipe prior to the 2020 update used to work great for me. This new one doesn’t.
★
Sounds like it was simply under-baked! An easy fix for next time. Thank you for giving this recipe a try.
Hi there. I too have gone away from the heaviness of pineapple upsides downs so this recipe is perfect! Have you tried to substitute butter for unrefined coconut oil? I’ve read conflicting suggestions about creaming the oil while it’s solid vs warming it in the microwave. I have found that it takes much longer to cream the solid coconut oil (~15 minutes?)? Thanks so much!
Hi Tram! We haven’t tested this cake with coconut oil. It may taste slightly greasy. We do recommend, if you give it a try, to start with solid coconut oil to cream with the sugar.
Hi there! Is it possible to substitute the milk for coconut milk?
Hi Cherish, whole milk is strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A lower fat or nondairy milk like coconut milk will work in a pinch, but the cake may not taste as tender.
Hi Sally! I would love to make this cake for Father’s Day this year but we’ll be traveling and I don’t see how I could fit a cake in our cooler. Is there any way I could make individual cakes in mini muffin tins or something?
Hi Ayla, You can certainly turn these into cupcakes using a regular cupcake pan and 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 not made this, but I found out this is a favorite dessert for a worship pastor and his bd is soon.
For me, I would love to see a GF cake recipe made with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour. I use all Bob’s Red Mill products. The egg replacer is the best.
Have you ever used pea protein powder? I cannot eat tree nuts, dairy, eggs, seafood, soy, gluten.
Not many bloggers have the recipes I need. For those with nut allergies, we can’t have pb or almond flour. So Sally, can you hook me up?
★★★★★
Hi Kelly, I do not have much experience (hardly any at all) with GF flour blends, especially for making cakes. I really wish I could help. I recommend finding a website with a baker/recipe developer who has experience because I wouldn’t want to steer you in the wrong direction. I don’t have experience with pea protein powder either. I do have a sizable section on this website with naturally GF recipes (ones that don’t need wheat flour). Maybe you can find something there.
Here are all of my egg free baking recipes too.
Can I double and bake in a 12” cast iron? I want the ooey-gooey carmelized pineapple topping.
Hi Amy, Many readers have made this cake successfully in a cast iron skillet, but we have not tested the 12 inch size. Feel free to try scaling it up to better fit the pan (our cake pan sizes and conversions guide will be helpful here). Enjoy!