After about a week of just sitting on our kitchen counter taking space, I finally found a great recipe for the fresh pineapple that Ben received from work. Due to the pandemic, they were shutting down the kitchens and needed to donate the pineapple or just throw it out. I’m glad we were able to finally use it.

This is not a traditional looking pineapple upside-down cake, but the flavors are all there. For some reason, Ben didn’t want the traditional looking cake with circular pieces of pineapple and maraschino cherries in each center. Instead, he wanted smaller pineapple chunks and the maraschino cherries served on the side. So I searched the internet and found this great recipe from Inspired Taste.

fresh pineapple cake (adapted from Inspired Taste) 

ingredients

1 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 ounces unsalted butter, softened room temperature

1/2 cup demerara sugar (original calls for light brown sugar, but I didn’t have that.)

1 cup granulated sugar

zest of two small lemons

8 ounces fresh pineapple, cut into bite-sized chunks

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 large eggs, separated, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature (I used Mexican sour cream)

 

method

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and whisk several times until well combined. Set aside.

Take 4 Tablespoons (2 ounces) of the unsalted butter and spread it evenly over the bottom of the pan and also apply a very thin layer to the sides. 

Sprinkle the demerara sugar evenly over the butter.

Arrange the cut up pineapple chunks on top of the butter/demerara sugar. 

Sprinkle the cinnamon evenly over all the arranged pineapple chunks. Set aside.

Cream the rest of the butter (4 ounces) with the 1 cup of granulated sugar in a medium bowl.

Add the zest, the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract, beating well after each addition.

Sift half the flour mixture over the butter/egg mixture and beat on low until mixed in.

Add the sour cream and mix in with beaters still on low.

Add the rest of the flour mixture and beat on low until mixed in. 

Pour cake batter on top of pineapple chunks on the bottom of the pan and spread evenly using the bottom of a spoon to level the batter.

Bake on the oven heated to 350 degrees F. for about 40 minutes until a toothpick poked into the center of the cake comes out clean, not wet with raw cake batter. Bake for an additional 5 minutes if the toothpick comes out wet.

Remove cake from the oven and let sit in the pan on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes. Loosen cake by running a thin knife around the edges then flipping it to a platter.

Top with whipped cream or ice cream and maraschino cherries, if desired.