Eggless Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

When I bake, I always feel excited and lively, no matter I’m baking something for 100th time or trying out a new recipe! One such recipe which I love to bake is the upside down pineapple cake.

When I first saw this cake as a child, I was amused by the fact that a cake is upside – down and is so delicious!

With this recipe, I want you all to feel the same excitement while making it and joy of tossing the cake upside down to reveal the beautiful pineapple pattern.

Eggless Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Recipe Video Tutorial

So, what exactly is an upside-down pineapple cake?

The cake has a layer of caramelized pineapples at the bottom (later it becomes the top when de-moulded) and then the sponge.

Taste and texture of the cake

The juiciness from the brown sugar caramelised pineapple slices seeps through the cake making it extremely moist and soft.

Pineapple is one of the classic fruits used in cakes whether a cream cake or a dry one. So naturally, it is loved by almost all of us. The sweet and sour pineapples give a great bite to the moist cake.

Key ingredients used for the recipe and their relevance

Talking about the ingredients of the cake, let us check out theimportant ones used in the recipe.

Brown sugar- getting that delicious caramel flavour for the pineapple layer, brown sugar is used and recommended as well. Since it has molasses it provides a deeper caramelized flavor than castor sugar.

Unsalted butter- for the caramel as well as for the cake batter, I have used unsalted butter. This allows me to adjust salt quantity as per my preference. You can use salted butter if you want to, skip the salt that is mentioned in the recipe. 

Milk and curd- full fat milk and curd are always best to use for baking as they provide great texture and richness in the flavor. Also the tenderness comes from these two.

Baking powder and baking soda- both rising Agents as required as the cake in itself is dense because of the pineapple topping. They give the necessary rise and softness to the cake.

 

Enough of the technical stuff, let’s now jump on to the recipe.

Below you will find the list of ingredients required for this recipe followed by equipment you will need and the detailed explanation of the method.

All Ingredient List for Making Upside-Down Pineapple Cake

Ingredients for Pineapple Topping

Ingredients for topping Quantity
Unsalted Butter
60 g
Brown Sugar
100 g
Pineapple Slices
As per tin size
Cherries
As required

Ingredients for the cake batter

Ingredients for Cake batter Quantity
All-purpose flour
137 g
Castor Sugar
100 g
Baking Soda
1 g
Baking Powder
4 g
Salt
A pinch
Unsalted Butter
57 g
Milk
120 ml
Apple Cider VInegar
6 g
Curd
15 g
Vanilla Essence
3 g

All equipment needed for the recipe

  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Digital kitchen weighing scale
  • Bowls and spoons
  • Spatula
  • Sieve 
  • Hand beater
  • 6-inch round aluminum tin
  • Saucepan
  • Butter paper
  • Oven/OTG
  • Knife
  • Toothpick

Let’s look at the steps on how to make the eggless upside-down pineapple cake.

Steps to prepare upside-down pineapple cake

For Pineapple Topping:

  1. In a saucepan, take brown sugar and unsalted butter. Heat till it caramelizes. It should be slightly grainy. Pour the mixture into the lined 6 inch tin.
  2. We will now place pineapple slices over the caramelized sugar. One whole slice in the middle then half cut slices to cover the bottom as well as the sides.
  3. Put cherry pieces in the holes of the pineapple slices.

Method for Cake Batter:

  1. Preheat the oven at 180˚C (OTG Mode: upper rod + lower rod + fan). Grease and line 6 inch round tin.
  2. In a bowl, mix, milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir and keep it aside.
  3. Sift all dry ingredients i.e. flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in another bowl. Give it a mix.
  4. In a new bowl, cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Now add curd and vanilla essence. Mix this well.
  5. Add dry ingredients and buttermilk alternatively into the creamed butter-sugar mixture. Starting and ending with dry ingredients batch, combine everything well making sure no lumps are there in the batter.
  6. Pour the batter over the caramelised pineapple slices. Bake at 180C for 50-55 minutes (OTG mode: lower rod only).
  7. Once baked, de-mould to reveal the beautiful pineapple pattern.

Chef's Tip And Key Points

  1. Pat dry the pineapple slices to remove excess water before placing in the tin.
  2. Cover the tin with aluminum foil half-way through the baking. This will prevent excess browning of the cake.
  3. The cake can take longer than usual to bake. Make sure to do the toothpick test to ensure proper baking.
  4. If using fresh pineapple, ensure it’s not too sour in taste.

Frequently Asked Questions

Let me address some of the queries one might have while making this cake. 

Q1. What is the history of pineapple upside down cake?

Ans. The invention of the cake dates back 100s of years in America. People used to cook/bake in Iron cast skillets over an open fire. When they wished to have something sweet, they used to place fruit slices on the pan and pour the cake batter on it. When it was baked, the cake was removed from skillet revealing caramelized fruit pattern on top. 

Q2. Can we use pineapple juice in the cake batter recipe?

Ans. Yes, if you want to use pineapple juice as one of the ingredients then you can use it in place of milk in the recipe in equal ratio. Remember this will alter the taste and light texture of the cake as milk provides some richness.

Q3. How to prevent upside down pineapple cake from getting soggy? 

Ans. To avoid the cake from getting soggy, make sure to blot and remove excess moisture from pineapple slices (fresh or canned). Also, do not add any extra liquid in the recipe over and above the quantity mentioned.

Q4. How to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan?

Ans. Since the bottom layer has caramel, there is good chance of the cake sticking to the pan. To prevent that ensure the tin is greased well and is line with good quality butter paper as well.

Q5. Do we need to refrigerate pineapple upside down cake?

Ans. If you don’t wish or plan to consume the cake within the same day, then refrigerate it for later consumption. It can stay up to 3-4 days in the fridge.

Q6. Can we use any other fruit in place of pineapple?

Ans. You can use some dry fruits and berries along with pineapple slices. For example, dried cranberries, blueberries, fig and some nuts. You can also use cocktail fruit can and use mix fruit pieces.