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Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cake

October 13, 2016 By Talya Tate Boerner 2 Comments

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I made mini pineapple upside down cake for bookclub Tuesday night. Our book of the month was The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin, which I’m sorry to say I haven’t read yet. Even so, since the book was set in the 1950s and 60s, I wanted to make a retro-chic dessert popular during that time.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake has an interesting history that originated back when most everything was cooked in a cast iron skillet. Flip cakes, as they were known, involved some sort of fruit on the bottom—usually apples, cherries or plums—layered with sugar and a thin batter. The cake could be baked on an open fire, stovetop, or oven. When the batter was done, flipping the cake onto a plate made for an instant fruit and glazed sugar display. (If you think about it, this sounds almost like a layered cobbler.)

In the early 1900s, James Dole and the Hawaiian Fruit Company invented a machine that sliced pineapples into rings. Bringing exotic canned pineapple to the masses further popularizing the Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

I found my recipe at Taste of Home and made a few simple modifications including adding extra pineapple to the batter and increasing the amount of butter and brown sugar. It’s an easy one that uses a yellow box cake mix. If you only bake “from scratch”, well, kudos to you. I say, whatever works. Sometimes I let Betty Crocker work her magic.

Mini Upside Down Cakes - easy spin on an original

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Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple tidbits
  • 1 small jar of maraschino cherries
  • 1 package yellow cake mix (regular size)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup canola oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously oil 24 muffin tins. (And I mean generously.)
  2. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and melted butter. Add a heaping spoonful into the bottom of each muffin tin.
  3. Drain pineapple well and reserve a cup of liquid. Add a few pieces of pineapple into each muffin tin on top of brown sugar mixture. Add a maraschino cherry in the center.
  4. In a large bowl, add cake mix, eggs, oil, and pineapple liquid. Using your hand mixer, blend on low for 30 seconds and medium for 2 minutes. Fold in remaining pineapple.
  5. Pour batter into each tin until 3/4 filled.
  6. Bake approximately 20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
  7. The easiest way to flip these cakes from the muffin tin is to place a platter or cookie sheet on top of the muffin tin and turn over. Then, carefully place each individual cake on a wire rack and cool completely.

Notes

Serve as soon as possible.

3.1
https://gracegritsgarden.com/2016/10/mini-pineapple-upside-down-cake.html

My mini pineapple upside down cake was a hit at book club. Regarding The Swans of Fifth Avenue, reviews were mixed. I plan to read it because I’m intrigued by Truman Capote. What a brilliant, tortured train wreck.

I’m curious if you’ve read The Swans of Fifth Avenue, and if so, what did you think? And, do you have a favorite Capote book?

[tweetthis]Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cake – modern twist on a classic #recipe #dessert #foodporn[/tweetthis]

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Filed Under: Food & Recipes, Reading & Books Tagged With: book club, comfort food, Desserts, favorite recipes, pineapple, The Swans of Fifth Avenue, vintage recipes

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Comments

  1. Rhonda G. Williams says

    October 13, 2016 at 10:07 am

    Haven’t read it, it’s pre-ordered and due to be delivered the 25th of October! I do love Truman Capote; my absolute favorite book is Other Voices, Other rooms.

    Reply
  2. Dorothy Johnson says

    October 16, 2016 at 4:32 pm

    Sounds good. I like the idea of using a different fruit because Terry doesn’t care for pineapple. On the other hand, if I use it, there’d be more for me. Nah–that’s be too much, so I might try apples with Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines. I’m all for convenience.

    Reply

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Talya Tate Boerner


Hi! I'm Talya. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Now Available!)

Click to BUY NOW!

Talya Tate Boerner books
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