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Pineapple Upside Down cake

4.96 from 24 votes
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves 6 SERVINGS

If you are a cake lover and pineapples fascinate you, this is a dessert recipe you cannot just miss! Made with the superbly moist pineapple-infused cake base and crowned with caramelized pineapple rings and maraschino cherries, this recipe for Eggless Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a complete stunner! 

It is a gorgeous dessert recipe for birthdays, potlucks, or other special occasions that you can serve with pride and enjoy rave reviews.

Pineapple Upside Down cake slice with cherry and fork on a white plate

This impressive Pineapple upside-down Cake is every pineapple lover’s dream indulgence, and if it’s yours too, I bet you will never ever eat a store-bought pineapple cake again.

It is not just the looks that allure; the flavors are fantastic too. A bite into this cake, and you are committed to it forever!

What is Pineapple Upside-down cake

This sinfully delicious eggless pineapple cake is a classic recipe that sets it apart from the other cake recipes because of the way it is prepared.

The lusciously juicy rings of pineapple and sweet maraschino cherries are arranged over a layer of brown sugar, and the buttery cake batter with pineapple flavoring is layered on top.

When baked and out of the oven, it is flipped upside down to reveal a wonderfully caramelized pineapple layer studded with cherries that beautify the freshly baked cake!

Freshly baked Pineapple Upside Down cake

Reasons You’ll ♡ Pineapple Upside Down cake

This gorgeous Pineapple Upside Down cake will woo you in a single glance! It is so inviting that you cannot take your eyes off it. Besides falling for its beauty, you will have other reasons to love this stunning creation, such as it — 

  • Comes together with a handful of ingredients
  • Super moist, soft, and fluffy
  • Eggless and dairy-free cake
  • Gorgeous looks make it drool-worthy
  • Serve this classic cake any time of the year and on any occasion! 

As a bonus, it is simple yet one of the most beautiful creations that hardly need much time or effort to come into existence! 

Ingredients for Pineapple Upside Down

Pineapple Upside-down cake Ingredient List

All-purpose flour — This is the base ingredient of the cake that gives structure and flavor to it. 

Baking Powder / Baking Soda — The softness and fluffiness of this delicious pineapple cake come from the leavening agents, baking powder, and baking soda used for preparing it. These ingredients help the cake to rise to perfection and feel wonderfully soft-textured. 

Salt — A pinch of salt enhances the overall flavor of the cake by balancing the sweetness. 

Oil — Oil lends moisture to the batter, which is needed to attain a light-textured cake that is simply irresistible.

Sugar — Granulated sugar is added to sweeten up our delicious recipe. It is an essential ingredient that adds flavor and moisture to the cake while also helping tenderize it. 

Pineapple Essence — The pineapple flavor of the cake is rendered by the added pineapple slices to a great extent. But the cake also gets its pineapple flavor from the added pineapple essence. 

Buttermilk — A magic ingredient in baking, buttermilk produces unbelievably tender and soft cakes. You can use store-bought buttermilk or even make it at home. For the homemade buttermilk, mix one tablespoon of vinegar with 1 cup of milk, and there you have the best buttermilk to use in your recipe.

Brown Sugar — Brown sugar is the base layer for fruits. It caramelizes the pineapples and cherries perfectly.

Butter — Unsalted vegan butter is used for greasing the cake pan.  

Pineapple — Canned pineapple rings are used for this recipe. They render the recipe the fruity flavor of pineapple and the glamorous looks that makes this recipe a completely irresistible indulgence!  

Maraschino Cherries  Sweet maraschino cherries are added for their brilliant color and the fun they bring to the pineapple cake when studded between the caramelized pineapple rings! 

Recipe Tips and Variations

Use melted butter — Use melted butter to grease the bottom of the cake pan. When combined with brown sugar, melted butter creates an excellent shiny caramel coating that forms the top of the cake when turned upside down.

Use fresh ingredients — Always use fresh ingredients for the best-tasting recipe. Look out for ingredients that are in their shelf life to reach the desired results.

Keep the measurements precise — The key to the most delicious cakes is using the correct measurements of the ingredients. A slight variation in the measurements can bring drastic undesirable results. 

Use ingredients at room temperature — Ingredients at room temperature blend appropriately with each other. Allow buttermilk to come to room temperature before combining it with other ingredients to achieve the best cake batter that results in a wonderfully baked cake. 

Cut slice on a spoon

Choice of pineapples — You can choose to use canned or fresh pineapples for this recipe. However, I recommend using canned pineapples for their uniform size and shape, which result in a gorgeous-looking upside-down cake. Please discard the syrup, as adding it to the recipe will make the cake overly sweet.

Prepping up the fruits — Drain the juice from the slices of the canned pineapple and maraschino cherries to prevent the cake from getting overly wet. Before lining them over the bottom of the pan, pat dry the canned fruits with a paper towel. If not followed, the batter will become runny, and you will not attain the desired results. 

Do not over-mix the batter — Over-mixing the ingredients when preparing the batter will result in fluffy cake, but here we are looking for a slightly dense yet soft cake that will melt in your mouth. Therefore, mix the batter until just well blended.

The best baking pan — Use a good quality springform pan for baking this gorgeous pineapple cake. Ensure that it is tight at the base so that butter doesn’t leak through and mess up your oven. My advice would be to check the pan for any leaks. For this, add tap water to the Springform pan, seal the latch tightly and check for any leakage. If it leaks, do not proceed with the recipe. 

Create beautiful cupcakes — You can bake lovely pineapple cupcakes with this batter. For that, decorate each cavity of the cupcake pan with butter, brown sugar, pineapple rinds, and cherries, and pour the cake batter in. Now, bake for 14 – 18 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in comes out clean. Bite into your freshly baked pineapple cupcakes for sheer delightfulness. 

Relish the cake as you like — You can enjoy this super delicious pineapple upside-down cake, either chilled or right out of the oven, just the way you want. It tastes delicious either way. 

No need for adornment — This stunningly beautiful cake doesn’t require further decoration. But, if you prefer, you can serve a slice of this cake with a dollop of whipped cream for more creamy deliciousness! 

Flipping the cake efficiently — Let it rest and cool for 10- 15 minutes before you flip it. This will ensure that the cake stays together and doesn’t fall apart during flipping. During this 15 minutes rest time, the cake will firm up slightly and is less likely to crack. Likewise, do not wait too long to invert the cake because the caramel may thicken up, and it will not be a clean release for the cake.

Reason for the soggy cake — Two reasons for the cake to turn soggy. Either the cake was not baked for the required time, or the pineapple slices added to the cake were not drained well, making the cake overly wet.

Release the trapped air — Before placing the pan into the oven, tap it on the counter a few times to allow any air bubbles trapped to get released. This will ensure a cake devoid of air pockets and evenly textured.

Do not skip brown sugar glaze — Brown sugar and butter mix create a nice crunchy topping at the bottom that looks and tastes genuinely divine. Brown sugar develops a glaze all around the bottom of the cake, rendering it a deliciously sweet caramelized flavor that takes the cake to another level.

The doneness test — Insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake to confirm the doneness of the cake. It ensures that it is perfectly baked if it comes out clean without any crumbs attached. 

Store properly to prevent drying out — When made in advance, this cake should be appropriately stored in an air-tight container that prevents it from drying out.

Best Springform pan — I recommend making this eggless pineapple upside-down cake in this 7.5-inch non-stick springform pan. This is the same baking pan I have used to make this gorgeous-looking and divinely tasting pineapple cake. 

Cut slice

Let me know what you think!

If you love baking gorgeous cakes, this recipe is just for you. Take the opportunity to explore this exquisite creation and stun your family and friends today.

All you need is just a handful of ingredients mentioned on the recipe card, and begin with your joyful venture.

Should you make this Eggless Pineapple upside-down cake, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below.

And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.

CRAVING FOR MORE, TRY MY OTHER FLAVOR-PACKED Cake RECIPES – 

Follow the step-by-step instructions below to make the best Pineapple upside-down cake

Pineapple Upside Down cake

4.96 from 24 votes
If you are a cake lover and pineapples fascinate you, this is a dessert recipe you cannot just miss! Made with the superbly moist pineapple-infused cake base and crowned with caramelized pineapple rings and maraschino cherries, this recipe for Eggless Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a complete stunner! 
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Calories: 551 kcal
Servings: 6 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS 

DRY INGREDIENTS

WET INGREDIENTS

BASE LAYER OF THE CAKE

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Grease a 7-inch round baking pan with vegan butter. Swirl it around to coat the bottom and the sides of the baking dish before sprinkling brown sugar.
    Grease pan
  • Evenly spread brown sugar at the bottom of the pan.
  • Place one of the pineapple circles in the middle and nine half-circles around the edges. Add cherries to the center circle and the half circles. 
  • Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.  Set aside.
    Sift dry ingredients
  • Combine sugar, pineapple essence, and oil in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. 
    Cream oil and sugar together
  • Spoon in the flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, beating on low speed until well combined.
    Tip — Buttermilk is acidic, which helps tenderize the gluten in the batter. This, in turn, makes the cake super soft and fluffy. Therefore, please do not replace the buttermilk as it also helps to raise the cake properly.
  • Pineapple upside-down cake batter should be of a thick spoon drop consistency. Meaning the batter should drop off the spoon easily.
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl and gently fold in the cake batter. 
  • Pour the cake batter over the arranged pineapple slices. 
  • Even out the batter with a spoon. Bake the cake in a preheated oven for an hour or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few crumbs attached. 
  • Remove the cake from the oven and set it over the counter to cool. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 40 to 50 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen the band.
  • Carefully invert the cake onto a serving platter. To remove the bottom plate – Wait for 40-50 minutes, then run a knife around the bottom plate to make sure it is not stuck at the corners.
  • Carefully lift off the bottom tray; a delicious cake is waiting for you. You have a stunning pineapple cake infused with pineapple flavor and glistening citrus fruits that look so irresistibly inviting!
  • Take a bite out of it, and it will just melt in your mouth!

RECIPE NOTES

 
Frequently Asked Questions
 
How do I store the Pineapple upside-down cake?
This amazing cake tastes best when baked fresh and served. A lot of moisture comes from the added fruits that make the cake mushy. But if you have leftovers, let the cake cool completely, then store the cake in an air-tight cake container and refrigerate for 5 days.
When ready to serve again, allow the cake to come to room temperature, then warm it in the microwave before serving.
 
What can I do with the leftover pineapple juice?
You can use the leftover pineapple juice in cocktails, smoothies, and shakes for optimum flavor.
 
Can I make this cake in advance?
Yes, absolutely, you can! This is a perfect make-ahead recipe; you can prepare it the night before. Prepare this delicious Pineapple Upside Down Cake, store it in an air-tight container, and slide it into the fridge overnight.
 
Can I use eggs in this Pineapple Upside Down Cake?
 
Absolutely! You can make this recipe using eggs. For this, do not disturb the dry ingredients at all. You just need to make a few adjustments to the wet ingredients. For making the cake using eggs, use – 
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1.5 cups of sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
First, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Now, add eggs one by one and beat to combine well. Add the flour mix and, alternating with milk, beat the mixture slowly until blended well. Now, as described in the instructions, you can use this batter to make the cake.
 
Which other fruits can I use for this recipe?
You can use any fruits of your preference to add to this cake. Some tried and tested options are- 
  • fresh oranges,
  • blood oranges (my favorites),
  • pears,
  • granny smith apples,
  • peaches, and
  • apricots — just to name a few of my favorites.
 
Can I substitute the buttermilk for some other ingredient?
Replacing buttermilk will not produce the desired results, so it is best not to replace it or skip it. But if you cannot find it, you can make your own by mixing 1 tablespoon of vinegar with 1 cup of milk. You have your freshly prepared buttermilk. Use it as required.
 
Can I use a different cake pan for this recipe?
A 6-inch pan is perfect for baking this wonderful cake recipe. Divide the batter proportionately between two 6-inch pans and bake them for 50 minutes. Confirm their doneness by inserting a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is made.
 

NUTRITION

Calories: 551kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 88mg | Potassium: 324mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 60g | Vitamin A: 94IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 2mg
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided above is approximate. Variations may exist due to the ingredients/brands used. These numbers should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician.
Author: Ruchi
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Eggless, Vegan

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Comments

  1. Jyoti Jindal says:

    Just made this pineapple cake. Can’t keep my hands off it. It’s so yummy. Thanks Ruchi