I invited my brother and his family over for brunch on Sunday because it would have been our Mom’s 76th birthday on Friday (we try to get together each year for this occassion). I decided on making an old favourite: Pineapple upside down cake with home made Caramel Sauce because I remembered it to be one of my brother’s favourites (as it turned out, he said he didn’t even remember the dessert, sigh!) The caramel sauce was one I spotted in a blog some time ago, and it’s made entirely in the microwave…so easy. I won’t bother replicating the recipe because Tracey has some wonderful, fool proof, step by step photos. Note that the age of your microwave will have an enormous effect on timing (mine is at least 20 years old, but it still works and I can’t be bothered to change it — it hides in my microwave cabinet in my newish kitchen, seldom used). The sauce is down right amazing. Make it. I’m not kidding. Even if you have nothing to drizzle it on, just make it. The only thing I changed was that instead of using heavy cream, I used fat free Carnation Evaporated Milk to help reduce some of the calories. The kids didn’t even notice! They took leftovers home. You may use this recipe or any old white cake recipe you can find. I didn’t want 20 cakes, so I actually halved the original recipe.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake and Home Made Caramel Sauce
Makes 10 cupcake-sized cakes
Recipe adapted from A Guide to Good Cooking, Five Roses Flour, twenty fifth edition, 1983
Ingredients:
- 212 g (3/4 cups) all purpose floour
- 7.5 mL (1/2 tbsp) baking powder
- 1 mL (1/4 tsp) salt
- 67.5 mL (1/4 cup) butter
- 125 g (1/2 cup) sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2.5 mL (1/2 tsp) vanilla
- 87.5 m (5/16 cup milk, just a bit more than 1/4!)
- 67.5 mL (1/4 cup) butter
- 125 g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 6-7 slices of pineapple (I used fresh, but you can certainly use canned, if you do, you may want to use the syrup instead of milk in the batter)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together, set aside.
- Cream the butter with sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy (about 6 minutes).
- Blend in dry ingredients alternating with the milk beginning and ending with dry.
- Prepare 10 muffin tins by generously spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
- Melt the second butter with the brown sugar in a microwave proof bowl. Stir well. Distribute into 10 prepared muffin tins evenly.
- Slice the pineapple into smallish bits that will fit into each tin. Place one slice in each tin, pressing down into the brown sugar mixture.
- Evenly distribute the cake batter into the 10 tins. Give is a bit of a shake to remove bubbles. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool for about 5-6 minutes (not too long, though) and invert so that the gooey caramel created by the brown sugar still comes out clean. Drizzle what ever brown sugar mixture remains in the pan over each cake.
- Serve with home made Caramel Sauce, bits of pineapple and whipped cream. Hide the rest because your guests will want doggy bags.
This is a blast from the past. It has always been a favorite of mine and my husband. Caramel sauce in the microwave…great idea.
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Thanks Karen, wish I had developed the recipe 😉
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Looks beautiful Eva – I haven’t had a pineapple upside-down cake in absolutely years. I miss the soft, delicious sponge which has all the pineapple flavours infused into it. Thanks for posting this – it’s a wonderful dessert, and I love the idea of individual servings. Great way to stop “accidental gluttony”
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Thank you kindly, Charles; you can always have more than one, unless of course the host isn’t offering! My SIL sat back in her chair, and sighed!
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Hehe we’re on the same wavelength! I have bookmarked a pineapple dessert-I love the sweetness of pineapples 🙂
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This pineapple was incredibly sweet! I could have cut the sugar in the cake, but didn’t because you never know with kids. It sure was yummy Lorraine!
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That’s not the old fashioned kind I remember. It looks wonderful and I think it’s sweet you two mark your mom’s birthday.
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I know, Greg I should have mentioned that the original was baked in a square pan, with the pineapple rings arranged in three rows with maraschino cherries in each middle. We don’t eat marraschino cherries (too many chemicals on them) and I wanted smaller portions!
I’m curious as to what your cake looked like.
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The one with the cherries and the squares. Lots of brown sugar. Katherine’s folks made it a lot when she was growing up. You still see it on buffets.
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I have a few old cookbooks and they have recipes in them for sticky upside down cakes. You don’t see these recipes around anymore. Why not? They are such yummy cakes. And pineapple with caramel – how delicious. I love how you set your beautiful table. How funny of your brother to not even remember liking the dessert! The things we do! So sad about your mother – she should have been there. xx
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Thanks Charlie, it is strange that some recipes go ‘out of style’ I had actually forgotten about it but while going through my old recipe book it came to me! They were yummy!
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What a lovely dessert and time to remember. As always, Eva, your photos are stunning!
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Thank you so much, Ann, I’m so flattered that you think so! I saturated these a bit too much, but didn’t notice until I saw it on my phone.
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Beautiful cakes – that sauce is dangerous.
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I gave then the left overs Lynda ;)!
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This is one of my favorite cakes. Looks so good with the home made caramel sauce. Yummy!!!
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Thank you Asmita. Do try making the sauce, it’s a winner!
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Don’t you just love when you make somebody’s favourite and they don’t remember it’s their favourite?! 🙂 – love the look of this cake and the ooey, gooey caramel sounds divine! How wonderful that you gather in memory of your mom. I hope it was a beautiful day.
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It was lovely. Sadly neither my nephew (12) nor my niece (9) remember her, by the time they met her her illness took her over and she was too ‘scary’ for them. She was a truly kind and generous woman. I miss her greatly.
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I think if someone dumped caramel sauce over me I might just eat myself….I love the stuff that much. 😉
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Funny Jed; I’d check with Liz, sounds like a plan for date night ;)!!!
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I almost just spit out my morning coffee. LOL
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A great version of an oldie but a goodie that gives everyone their own individual cake. 🙂
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Thank you, Maraia.
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This looks delish. I love pineapple upside down cake. And microwave caramel sauce? Fab idea.
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I wish I had thought of it Dara!
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Mr. N and Mike would absolutely love this one. I’m guessing that Miss A and I would as well from the sounds of that sauce!
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Oh yah, Kristy, that sauce is amazing. I hope you try the cake, the traditional serving is to line up eight rings in a square pan; it’s also quite lovely when you turn it out, but it’s not as pretty to serve!
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Looking good, Eva. I have never thought of making mini-pineapple upside down cakes. I want to try the microwave caramel at least once. Thanks.
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Hi Sharyn, I hope you’re feeling more like yourself, that virus takes so much out of you! I really hope you do make the caramel sauce, it’s a keeper!
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This is one of my favorite cakes – love this. And I’m sure it’s awesome with the caramel sauce!
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Thank you. I was really skeptical about the sauce, Bill, but it really rocked. You must try it. I know I will make it again.
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This is my husband’s favorite cake, and I love the caramel sauce. I may make this for him this weekend…he’s been feeling poorly and needs a sweet lift! Thanks for sharing!
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Even if you use your own cake recipe, Betsy, do try the caramel sauce, it is really scrumptious!
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Pineapple upside down cake with caramel is always a killer dessert! thx for sharing!
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Thank you Helene.
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My mom used to make this for my dad…one of his favorites! And it’s got to be fabulous with your homemade caramel sauce…wow!!!
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Thank you kindly Liz. It sure is an old favourite!
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“Blast from the past” is right! How I remember Mom making this cake; flipping it onto a platter was a miracle to my eyes. What a great idea to use muffin tins to make individual cakes! Add the caramel sauce and I’m in heaven. Thanks, Eva, for both the recipes and bringing to mind some wonderful memories.
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Thank you John! Your stories always bring a beautiful memory back to me and I am so happy to have done that for you this time!
PS, my you are up early!
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