Pineapple Upside-Down Cake: LiveSTRONG With a Taste of Yellow 2009

This is my second year participating in the LiveSTRONG food blogging event that is hosted annually by Winos and Foodies. LiveSTRONG day this year is on October 2, 2009, which marks the 10th anniversary of Lance Armstrong being diagnosed with cancer. LiveSTRONG With a Taste of Yellow is a coinciding food blogging event that supports the Lance Armstrong Foundation by raising awareness of cancer issues and is a way for wine and food bloggers worldwide to share their stories – the happy, the sad, the struggles and the triumphs. Participants make a dish or drink containing a yellow food to commemorate the day, and share how their life has been touched by cancer. Last year I participated by making a fabulous Cheddar Corn Chowder and sharing the story of my dad’s battle with leukemia. I won’t rehash the long story here, so if you are interested in reading, you can skip on over and read it. This year was 10 years since he lost his battle, and I offer up this Pineapple Upside-Down Cake to celebrate the wonderful man he was.

I am honestly not sure if my dad liked pineapple upside-down cake or not, but when thinking about yellow food and still hanging on to summer by a thread, I wanted to do something with fruit and pineapple sounded great since I haven’t had much of it this year. Pineapple upside-down cake has been on my big list of things I want to bake for what seems like forever, so I figured it was time to finally tackle it. This was a pretty easy recipe to manage and quick to get in the oven. The resulting cake is moist with a tender crumb and a rich flavor, almost melting in your mouth. The pineapples and brown sugar/butter topping provide a great contrasting sweetness, but are not overpowering. It is the perfect balance of flavors and textures and a wonderful dessert that can transform another weeknight dinner into something special.

Everyone loves cake!
Cookies and Cream Oreo Cake
The Perfect Party Cake
Black and White Chocolate Cake
Classic Pound Cake
Texas Sheet Cake

[I'm off gallivanting in southern Florida with my Chief Culinary Consultant this week, but have cooked up enough in the Brown Eyed Baker kitchen to keep you drooling while I'm gone. Comment and email replies will be slow, if at all, but I'll be back on Monday the 14th and will catch up on comments and questions as quickly as possible.]

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Makes one 9-inch cake

7 slices canned unsweetened pineapple (20-ounce can)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
19 maraschino cherries
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons buttermilk
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Have ready a 9×2-inch round cake pan. Drain pineapple and place in one layer on paper towels to absorb the excess juice.

2. Place the 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in the cake pan. Place the pan in the oven until the butter is melted. Tilt to coat all sides with butter. The extra butter will settle in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan.

3. Place one pineapple ring in the center of the pan and arrange six more around it. Place the maraschino cherries in the center of each ring and in the spaces between them.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, 2 tablespoons of buttermilk and vanilla with a fork.

5. In a mixer bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 6 tablespoons of buttermilk. Beat on low speed just until the flour is moistened, then increase the speed to medium, or high if using a handheld mixer, and beat for exactly 1½ minutes. The batter will be stiff. Add one-third of the egg mixture at a time, beating for exactly 20 seconds and scraping the bowl after each addition. Scrape the batter over the fruit in the pan and spread evenly.

6. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and tilt the pan in all directions to detach it from the sides of the pan. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes before unmolding.

7. Invert a serving platter on top of the pan. Cover your hands with oven mitts and turn the cake onto the platter. Lift off the pan. If any fruit or cherry pieces are askew, use a fork to push them back into place. If any brown sugar is left in the pan, scrape it up and spoon it over the cake. Serve warm or cool.

(Source: Joy of Cooking)

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