Double Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
For a friend’s rainy Memorial Day party, the hostess requested a pineapple dessert. I had previously made her a sheet pan pineapple upside-down cake, but this year she pulled out her cake stand – she wanted showstopper. We decided to make two round cakes and stack them, both cakes coated with succulent caramelized pineapples. It ended up being a huge hit – dramatic, fun, delicious, memorable, and thanks to the box mix, very easy.
Sometimes you’re away from home and still want to make dessert. That’s what happened here and when this happens, I reach for a quality box mix. No shame, just dessert.
Ingredients
2 bags frozen pineapple
1 cup dark brown sugar
salt
King Arthur Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix (with the following ingredients)
½ cup + 2 Tablespoons Miyoko’s vegan butter, softened
4 large eggs
2/3 Cup Almond Milk or other dairy-free milk
Procedure
In a large skillet, melt the brown sugar, adding a few drops of water if necessary to create a liquid. Add the frozen pineapple and a pinch of salt.
Stir and coat the pineapple with the sugar and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Grease the bottoms (but not the sides) of two 8-inch cake pans.
With a slotted spoon, divide the pineapple chunks equally between the two cake pans. Reserve the remaining brown sugar liquid in a small bowl.
In a standing mixer or using a hand mixer, prepare the cake batter according to the box, using my substitutions, if dairy-free.
Pour the batter equally over both pans of pineapple and try to smooth it out as much as possible.
Bake the cakes in a 350F oven for 30-40 minutes or until the top of the cakes are golden.
Remove from the oven and let the cakes rest in the pans until they have completely cooled.
To remove the cakes, place a plate or cake holder on top of the cake and then flip it so the pineapple is the top. Placing the second cake is a little trickier. Flip the cake onto a flat plate or a piece of parchment paper. Place the second cake on top of the first one, and gently peel the parchment paper out from between the two cakes.
Take the reserved brown sugar liquid and slowly spoon it onto the cake, allowing the cake to absorb as much liquid as possible. Use all the brown sugar liquid.
