Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe #3

Today I wanted to make a Pineapple Upside Down cake with fresh pineapple and cherries. I used Emeril Lagasse's recipe. On the Food Network website this recipe received 5 stars and almost all of the reviews  (about 90 reviews) were favorable.

He called for fresh pineapple rings - so I bought a pineapple ring maker. I bought it at Sur la Table and it was around $15. But they sent me a $10 gift card for being a valued customer and I had to get it! Right?

It worked perfectly!

Check out my beautiful pineapple rings! I am sorry that my photo is so dark in the corner - I only took one photo with the ring maker  because I was so excited to start the recipe with my beautiful fresh pineapple rings.

Here is another dark photo of my pineapple rings. But I think you got the gist of my pineapple ring maker!


1/2 ripe medium pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced into rounds
1 1/2 sticks of butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
14 pecan halves
1 cup cake flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dark rum*
4 fresh cherries, halved and pits removed

* I did not have any dark rum in the house - we had wine, vodka and tequila. So I used some rum extract that I must have bought last Thanksgiving or Christmas. I think it worked perfectly.

Okay - Emeril used a 10" cast iron skillet. I did not have a 10" cast iron skillet. But when I was reading the reviews - many people said that they used a 9" cake pan. Yes! I had a 9" cake pan. Yeah me! So I decided not to buy the 10" cast iron skillet.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in your cake pan over medium heat . Add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium high and cook until the sugar mixture is bubbly. Arrange fresh pineapple slices in a pleasing pattern and continue to cook for about two more minutes. Remove from heat and turn the pineapple slices over. Arrange the pecan halves in the spaces between the pineapple rings and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Stir together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the remaining stick of butter and the granulated sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing until just incorporated. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture alternately in 3 batches, mixing at low speed after each addition until just combined. Stir in the vanilla and rum.

Spoon the batter evenly over the pineapple slices. Bake in the middle of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. I just baked mine for 35 minutes.

Once the cake has cooled for a few minutes run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a serving platter.

Garnish the cake with fresh cherries. I used a cherry pitter to remove the pits.

I also bought the cherry pitter at Sur la Table - I think it was around $12.  And it worked like a charm. It removed the pit - but the cherry was still intact and perfectly round.

Now for the Vote - drumroll please......

Noelle liked the top of Emeril's cake - but her vote is still for Betty Crocker. Todd thought Emeril's cake was a little dry, he still likes Paula Deen's recipe. I liked Emeril's recipe a lot but the recipe that was the easiest and the most moist was the Betty Crocker recipe.

So.......I am going to make the Betty Crocker next week - except that I am going to use fresh pineapple and cherries.