Shortcut Pineapple Upside Down Cake
The following recipe and photography were provided by our partner, Megan Weimer of Dollop of Dough.
When you’ve had your fill of holiday cookies but still need something sweet for a seasonal occasion, surprise and delight your taste buds with this retro recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake.
Created in the 1920s when canned pineapple was popular in the United States, this fruity dessert features a vanilla cake base topped with pineapple slices and maraschino cherries beneath a caramelized blanket of butter and brown sugar.
Most Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipes call for homemade vanilla cake batter, but this recipe uses Miss Jones vanilla cake mix, which offers from-scratch taste without hydrogenated oils or artificial colors. Located in Heinen’s Baking Aisle, this moist and fluffy shortcut is perfect for anyone who is short on time or not so confident in their baking skills.
With only seven ingredients (most of which you probably have in your pantry already) and less than an hour of prep and baking time, bring this dessert to your next holiday gathering and treat everyone to the sweet taste of nostalgia.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It offers perfectly balanced flavor and texture. The juiciness of the pineapple combined with the rich, buttery flavor of the topping and light, fluffy texture of the cake makes for a remarkable balance of flavors and textures in each forkful. Your guests will never know you used a shortcut.
- It comes together quickly. Using a premade cake will cut your prep time down to only 10 minutes, but rest assured, it will not affect the flavor. In fact, you likely won’t be able to taste the difference.
- It’s perfect for bakers and non-bakers. Whether you’re a beginner or pro baker, this recipe is approachable and fuss-free, so anyone can make it with confidence!
Shortcut Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) Heinen’s unsalted butter
- 1 cup Heinen’s organic light brown sugar, packed
- 1 16 oz. can sliced pineapple
- Mezzetta maraschino cherries
- 1 package Miss Jones vanilla cake mix
- ½ cup Heinen’s milk
- 3 large Heinen’s cage free eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt ½ cup (1 stick of butter) in a small heat-proof bowl.
- Pour the melted butter into a non-stick 9×13-inch sheet cake pan. Make sure it is distributed evenly, then sprinkle the brown sugar on top.
- Drain the juice from the can of pineapple. Arrange the pineapple on top of the brown sugar.
- Place a Maraschino cherry in the hole of each pineapple slice.
- Prepare the cake mix according to box directions using the butter, milk, and eggs.
- Pour the cake batter over the pineapple slices and spread it out evenly.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few sticky crumbs attached.
- Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes. Place a cooling rack on top of the pan, flip over, and release the pan.
- Let the cake cool completely, slice, and enjoy!
