Spiced Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Total Time

Prep: 15 min. Bake: 40 min.

Makes

12 servings

Updated: Jul. 07, 2023
I often bake this beautiful cake in my large cast-iron skillet and turn it out onto a pizza pan. —Jennifer Sergesketter, Newburgh, Indiana

Ingredients

  • 1-1/3 cups butter, softened, divided
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple slices, drained
  • 10 to 12 maraschino cherries
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup buttermilk

Directions

  1. In a saucepan, melt 2/3 cup butter; stir in brown sugar. Spread in the bottom of an ungreased heavy 12-in. ovenproof skillet or a 13x9-in. baking pan. Arrange pineapple in a single layer over sugar mixture; place a cherry in the center of each slice. Sprinkle with pecans and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, cream sugar and remaining butter until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; add alternately to batter with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
  3. Carefully pour over the pineapple. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes for skillet, 50-60 minutes for baking pan. Immediately invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts

1 piece: 509 calories, 25g fat (13g saturated fat), 91mg cholesterol, 467mg sodium, 69g carbohydrate (52g sugars, 2g fiber), 5g protein.