I've made this recipe twice and it's come out great. Instead of making one large cake, I make mini cakes using ramekins in lieu of the large skillet.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
This recipe for the classic American cake is an adaptation of one that appears in SAVEUR consulting editor Marion Cunningham's The Fannie Farmer Cookbook (Alfred A. Knopf, 1990).
12 tbsp. butter
1 cup light brown sugar
5 canned pineapple rings, drained
(reserve juice)
5 maraschino cherries, drained and
stemmed
1 1⁄2 cups flour
1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1⁄2 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup light brown sugar
5 canned pineapple rings, drained
(reserve juice)
5 maraschino cherries, drained and
stemmed
1 1⁄2 cups flour
1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1⁄2 cup milk
1 egg
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Melt 4 tbsp. of the butter in a 9" cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar and stir until well combined. Remove skillet from heat, add 1⁄4 cup of reserved pineapple juice, and stir well to combine. Arrange pineapple rings in a single layer in bottom of skillet and place a cherry in the center of each. Set skillet aside.
2. Put flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and stir to combine. Melt remaining butter in a small pot over medium-low heat. Remove pot from heat, add milk and egg, and beat with a wooden spoon until well combined, about 1 minute. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour batter into skillet, covering the pineapple slices completely, and smooth out batter with a rubber spatula.
3. Bake cake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 30–35 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Cover skillet with a large plate and carefully invert the cake onto it. Serve warm or at room temperature, if you like.
MAKES ONE 9" CAKE
