Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Over the weekend my husband and I had dinner at Roy's. For dessert we shared a pineapple upside down cake. I was super excited when we ordered dessert because I had wanted to make a pineapple upside down cake forever! I could never find the time, a recipe, etc.

So when my dessert from Roy's came to our table (I wish I had a photo) I was so disappointed. It was a butter mini bundt cake with a scoop of coconut ice cream with a pineapple shaped cookie on top of the ice cream.

I know. Where were the pineapple and  cherries? I was assuming that they would use fresh pineapple and cherries. But as my Mom always told me "never assume."

So this is what I am going to do - Start with the Betty Crocker version of the Pineapple Upside Down Cake (which by the way my family LOVED) and then try a fancier version next week and take a vote on the best recipe.

Easy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
(recipe adapted from the Betty Crocker website)

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 can (20 oz) pineapple slices in juice, drained, juice removed
1 jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries without stems, drained
1 box of yellow cake mix
  Vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a glass 13x9-inch pan, melt the butter in the oven. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the melted butter. Arrange the pineapple slices on the brown sugar. Place a cherry in the center of each pineapple slice and arrange the remaining cherries around the slices, pressing gently into the brown sugar.

Add enough water to the reserved pineapple juice to measure 1 cup. Make the cake batter as directed on the box, substituting the pineapple juice mixture for the water. Pour the batter over the pineapple and cherries.
        
Bake for about 45 minutes or until a fork inserted ito the ceter of the cake comes out clean. Run a knife around the side of the pan to loosen the cake. Turn the cake over onto a serving tray. The cake can be served warm or cooled. The leftover should be stored covered in the refrigerator.

I turned the cake over on a glass tray - I did not have a white serving dish large enough. But I am going to buy one this week.

My taste testers (kids) had a few bites before dinner and declared it the "best cake ever!"

Two things that I would like to add - first the house smelled wonderful while the cake was baking and second the brown sugar formed a perfect crust over the pineapple. Yum.

Oops! I need to add a few more tips.... it is fantastic served with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream. We tried it both ways! Also I saved the cherry juice and used it to make Shirley Temples!