This Christmas I decided to forgo homemade gifts and
leave that to artisans more experienced than I.
Although I love turning out a homemade present, this December was just too
fraught with work (and by work I mean my day job, not food or writing related
at all) to do that. It was frustrating
at first, having to relinquish what you so want to do, for something you have
to do, but I soon enjoyed the extra time this gave me.
leave that to artisans more experienced than I.
Although I love turning out a homemade present, this December was just too
fraught with work (and by work I mean my day job, not food or writing related
at all) to do that. It was frustrating
at first, having to relinquish what you so want to do, for something you have
to do, but I soon enjoyed the extra time this gave me.
Time to get all the work I had done without losing too
much sleep. More time to get together
with friends and family. More time with
little C doing anything and nothing and just being. Time for movie dates with C. More time to
connect with people. Time to dream about
what I will be making next for next Christmas 🙂
much sleep. More time to get together
with friends and family. More time with
little C doing anything and nothing and just being. Time for movie dates with C. More time to
connect with people. Time to dream about
what I will be making next for next Christmas 🙂
Sometimes, when you consciously let go, instead of
thinking that something is being taken away from you, it can make all the
difference.
thinking that something is being taken away from you, it can make all the
difference.
I did manage one homemade gift this year. Made today, right before Christmas Eve, so it’s
freshly baked. Pineapple upside down
cake for my dad. It’s quite a throwback
I know, always skirting the line between retro and all out kitsch, but it’s my dad’s
favorite so I’ll keep making it for him for as long as he wants.
freshly baked. Pineapple upside down
cake for my dad. It’s quite a throwback
I know, always skirting the line between retro and all out kitsch, but it’s my dad’s
favorite so I’ll keep making it for him for as long as he wants.
Brown Butter Pineapple Upside-down Cake
- 1/3 cup butter, softened not melted
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 6 pineapple rings
- 115 grams butter
- 150 grams sugar
- 2 eggs
- 70 grams flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
– Spread the softened butter on the base of an 8-inch cake
pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly
over the butter. Arrange the 6 rings of
pineapple on top of the sugar. I usually
do 5 around and one in the middle, cutting the middle one a bit if it doesn’t
fit. Set aside and get on with your
batter.
pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly
over the butter. Arrange the 6 rings of
pineapple on top of the sugar. I usually
do 5 around and one in the middle, cutting the middle one a bit if it doesn’t
fit. Set aside and get on with your
batter.
– Melt the butter in a skillet until browned (not
burned!), with a warm nutty aroma. You can find a fantastic tutorial on
browning butter over at Simply Recipes. Strain and set aside to cool. I do this by placing the bowl of browned
butter over another bowl with ice. I let
it cool until the butter gets a little bit thick again, like a golden
syrup. In this state it smells so
good you may forget about the rest of your baking – fair warning.
burned!), with a warm nutty aroma. You can find a fantastic tutorial on
browning butter over at Simply Recipes. Strain and set aside to cool. I do this by placing the bowl of browned
butter over another bowl with ice. I let
it cool until the butter gets a little bit thick again, like a golden
syrup. In this state it smells so
good you may forget about the rest of your baking – fair warning.
– Whisk the sugar with the egg. In another bowl, whisk your flour and
baking powder together, then add to the egg mixture. Add the (cooled) brown butter
and whisk until just combined. Pour the batter over the prepared pineapples in
the pan. Place the cake pan on a
cookie sheet to catch any over enthusiastic butter sputters.
baking powder together, then add to the egg mixture. Add the (cooled) brown butter
and whisk until just combined. Pour the batter over the prepared pineapples in
the pan. Place the cake pan on a
cookie sheet to catch any over enthusiastic butter sputters.
– Bake in a 180C (350F) oven for 40-50 minutes or until a
pick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
pick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
– Remove the pan from the oven and loosen the sides
of the cake with a small sharp knife.
Place a plate over the cake pan and, using oven mitts or a kitchen town (hot
sugar beware!), quickly and confidently flipped the pan over so you cake is now
on the plate. Keep the pan on the cake
for a few minutes so all the buttery, sugary juices drip down onto your
cake. Remove pan and enjoy!
of the cake with a small sharp knife.
Place a plate over the cake pan and, using oven mitts or a kitchen town (hot
sugar beware!), quickly and confidently flipped the pan over so you cake is now
on the plate. Keep the pan on the cake
for a few minutes so all the buttery, sugary juices drip down onto your
cake. Remove pan and enjoy!
This isn’t the pineapple upside down cake of my childhood. Instead of using the mild,
slightly stodgy cake I usually use, I decided to try this brown butter cake recipe (adjusted slightly). The resulting cake is wildly rich…almost
like candy. I wanted to depart from my
old “caramelly top layer + plain jane white cake” combination that I had been
making and this version does just that.
This is not for the sugar and butter shy, let me just forewarn! It does not make for the prettiest cake
either. But if achingly sweet caramelized
crusts and buttery moist cakes are up your alley, then you may just be up for
this.
slightly stodgy cake I usually use, I decided to try this brown butter cake recipe (adjusted slightly). The resulting cake is wildly rich…almost
like candy. I wanted to depart from my
old “caramelly top layer + plain jane white cake” combination that I had been
making and this version does just that.
This is not for the sugar and butter shy, let me just forewarn! It does not make for the prettiest cake
either. But if achingly sweet caramelized
crusts and buttery moist cakes are up your alley, then you may just be up for
this.
The cake is cooling on the dining room table as I
type. C and little C are napping. The city, for now, is quiet and
peaceful. Our Christmas tree is small
but sassy and presents are strewn all over.
The mess can wait until after New Year.
I’ll be presenting my dad with his cake at Christmas dinner
tonight. Life may not be perfect, it
never is, but I am so very happy where I am.
I wish the same for all of you! A
very Merry Christmas to you and yours…may you be doing what you love with those
you love this Christmas weekend!!
type. C and little C are napping. The city, for now, is quiet and
peaceful. Our Christmas tree is small
but sassy and presents are strewn all over.
The mess can wait until after New Year.
I’ll be presenting my dad with his cake at Christmas dinner
tonight. Life may not be perfect, it
never is, but I am so very happy where I am.
I wish the same for all of you! A
very Merry Christmas to you and yours…may you be doing what you love with those
you love this Christmas weekend!!
Merry Christmas Joey! ooh….yes, i like the sweet crust and buttery goodness of this version! I hope I can find time to make this soon :)))
A delicious cake! i've always loved it.
Merry Xmas!
Cheers,
Rosa
Such wisdom, it's not taken away, just let go … time to do nothing with those you love, that's the best … well it's right up there with this pineapple upside-down! Both are excellent!
Happy Holidays!
Blessed Christmas to you and your loved ones, Joey! Here's to a fabulous 2012!!
it looks so moist and delicious when I made my upside down cake it turned out really different but I try your recipe
Yum!!! Merry Christmas!
I actually miss my mom's take on this dessert; she rarely ever makes it anymore. I hope you had yourself some Happy Holidays, Joey. 😀
My dad loves Pineapple Upside Down Cake, too, and you can't find it anywhere anymore. So my sister baked it for him (like you did, your dad) one Father's Day. 🙂
I hope you're having a blessed and joyful Christmas season, Joey! And eating loads of delicious food, your cake included!
Hi Mom-Friday! Merry Christmas to you too and all the best for the New Year! This version is really sweet and buttery…hope you like it!
Hi Rosa! Happy holidays to you!
Hi Tanna! Sometimes it's all in the way you look at it…and taking the time to relax and appreciate things 🙂 Happy holidays!
Hi Ling! Hope you had a great Christmas and best wishes for the New Year!
Hi Betty! I changed the usual cake recipe I use for this for a more buttery one 🙂
Seasons Greetings to you Paz! 🙂
Hi Midge! This is such a homespun sort of cake right? 🙂 And very nostalgic for a lot of people! Hope you had a lovely Christmas and a happy New Year to you and your family!
Hi Katrina! Nice coincidence 🙂 This cake is so nostalgic in its very essence I think, and although it isn't very "trendy" to make it is always so appreciated when it's around 🙂 Hope your holidays were equally wonderful and filled to the brim with deliciousness!
I really want to try this – it looks and sounds delicious!
Maria xx
http://www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com
This looks great! I love food blogs!!! Have you checked out Katie Girl Cooking?
Here's the link:
http://katiegirlcookingonline.blogspot.com/
Well, I just asked my better half if he'd like me to make this for him, and he declared his dislike of the pineapple. So I will have to wait because if I don't have someone to give most of it away to, I'll swallow the fucker whole! Happy New Year! – Gary
This looks fantastic! So refreshing to see pineapple on a blustery and cold winter morning.
It seems a little too buttery for me. But it really looks so delicious. I love the brown sugar sweet caramelized surface. Have to give it a try. 🙂
Delicious! Can't wait to try this one!
in the oven…can't resist not trying it after i've gone back looking at the pictures again and again and again.:-) hope it turns out just like yours.
Hello, Joey! My wife baked this a few days ago and it was just glorious! Shared the recipe too in my FB account. Thank you so much.
Thanks everyone! 🙂
Rico, glad you and your wife enjoyed it! 🙂
WoW! Such a delicious cake! I also love it. This is yummy post for me..
Cupcakes toronto
do you even realise what a crime you have done- this is a staple in my house now!
my cake hater husband devour it.it is indeed like candy- just melts in your mouth.
Thanx a ton for this awsome recipe
Made this today….OMG it was so good and so easy!!! Thank you for the recipe.
Looks so delish!! I am going to attempt this tomorrow. Is it the type of cake that needs to be eaten the same day as I want to make this ahead of time for Christmas.
I followed the recipe exactly and we didn't really like it. It tasted like pineapple flavored butter. Way too much butter for us.
waiting for it to come out of the oven, it smell delicious! I also added some shredded coconut into the cake batter, we'll see how it turns out
can you give me the conversion to cups for the grams – the closest you can get as every conversion page I try gives me a different ammount. I tried the recipe and the cake part didn't raise up at all. Help please.
Cathy
PS still smells and tastes great though
Hi Catherine! Wish I could be more help but I don't have an exact conversion for this recipe…I usually also rely on researching over the web for cup-gram conversions. This cake doesn't rise that much though…hope you still enjoyed it!
Just took this cake out of the oven, and it came out perfect! and from the taste of the batter…..the cake should also be delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe!! 🙂
Oh, this brings back memories… One of the first cakes we ever made together as a family when I was a kid, and still one of my favorites. 🙂
My husband requested a pineapple upside down cake for his birthday, so we used this recipe. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, the browned butter definitely gave it an extra layer of deliciousness.
Hi Wendy! Glad you and your husband enjoyed it! 🙂
No conversion from grams to cups?? Every website has a different conversion, too bad, i really wanted to try this recipe. I gues i have to break down and buy a scale.
So sorry! Although I have found that in baking, weighing is really the most accurate 🙂
This cake is now in oven. The 1/3 cup butter seems a lot for my 8 inch pan including the 115 grams butter (I used 1 stick butter which is only about 3 grams less) for the cake batter which seems to contain a relatively small
amount of flour (in comparison to the sugar
and butter amounts); but I want to give you the benefit of the doubt regarding how candylicious this cake is. I am sure it is. I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks. Regine
My my. I have not yet tried it as it is for the next day but my cake looks so delicious. I also put half a cherry in the middle of each of the pineapple slices; and you are wrong. :0)
Cake is beautiful. I wish I could upload a picture. Looking forward to tasting it.
I just had a slice. It is really delicious. Buttery and sweet but in a good way – although initially I was afraid it might be too rich. I love it. Next time though, I may double recipe and make it in a 9 inch pan, or triple it for a 9×13 pan. I like the fact that the ratio of cake to the pineapple topping is smaller. I think that when there is too much cake it somehow waters down the topping goodness. Your version does not do that. Thanks.
So happy to hear you enjoyed it!! Yes, it is quite indulgent, but we all deserved that every now and then right? 🙂