Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Pineapple is one of my favorite fruits. As you can imagine it's hard for me to resist any dessert with pineapple in it. Though i've never attepmted to make a Pineapple Upside-Down cake, this recipe from Eva Longoria's cookbook via the new show The Chew seems easy enough.

Purchase Eva's Kitchen here.

Picture from The Chew website

  

2/3 cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup Packed Light Brown Sugar

7 Pineapple slices

7 Maraschino Cherries (optional)

1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour (or cake flour)

1 cup Sugar

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2/3 cup Milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 Egg

Preheat oven to 350F. In a flameproof 9-inch cake pan, melt 1/3 cup of the butter over low heat. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the butter and cook, stirring, until the sugar and butter are blended and there are no pools of melted batter, 2 to 4 minutes.

Arrange the pineapple on top of the caramel. Decorate with cherries if desired, placing them in the center of each pineapple slice. Set the pan aside.

In the work bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix on low speed until well combined. NOTE: Eva likes to use cake flour. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of butter along with the milk and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour the batter over the pineapple.

Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully tilt it in all directions to release the cake from the sides of the pan. Let cool in the pan for about 3 minutes. Turn the pan over onto a serving plate and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully lift the pan off the cake. Use a spatula to remove any fruit that is stuck to the pan and place it on the cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.