Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

After searching the internet for another Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipe - I came across Paula Deen's recipe (I love you Paula!).

So I decide to adapt a version of Paula's cake and convert the recipe to cupcakes. Cupcakes are easier to bring over to your neighbors and to give away when friends stop over. I don't want another huge cake in the house!

Nonstick cooking spray
3 cups cake flour, plus more for pans
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 1/4 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole buttermilk
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3 (20-ounce) cans pineapple slices in juice, drained well
1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries with stems, drained well

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two cupcake pans with cooking spray and coat with cake flour.

In a large bowl beat 1 cup of butter until creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beating well after you add each egg. Stir in the vanilla and set aside.

In a small bowl, add the 3 cups of flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture, alternating with the buttermilk but beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Divide the brown sugar into each of the cupcake  cups - I guess it equals a few tablespoons per cupcake cup.  Now add a little melted butter over the brown sugar.

 Here it gets a little tricky.  You need to cut about 1/2 inch out of the pineapple ring to get it to fit into the cupcake cup. I decided to add the cherry after I cooked the cupcake. Press the pineapple ring down into the brown sugar.

Add the batter on top of each pineapple.  Bake for about 20 -25 minutes.

I couldn't find a platter large enough to turn the the cupcake pan upside down. So I laid out a large piece parchment paper  on my counter and turned the cupcake pan upside down on the parchment paper. Then I was able to place the cupcakes onto a platter.

 Add a stemmed cherry to each of the cupcakes.

Now it time for the vote. Todd voted for Paula Deen's recipe and Noelle voted for Betty Crocker.  And I think I am also going to vote for Betty's recipe also. Sorry Paula!

 My son didn't vote - he wanted ice cream for dessert tonight.

Okay - each can of pineapple rings has 10 rings and we needed 24 rings to make our cupcakes. I was thinking of chopping the remaining six rings and mixing them with vanilla ice cream. I still might do this! Or I can just think about it!

I am going to make one more Pineapple Upside down Cake - and then have another family vote! I am trying to only make three recipes - I have gone crazy in the past trying to make the perfect biscotti (10 different recipes) peach cobbler (all summer long one year) and I can't even tell you about my key lime pie recipe addiction (because it is embarrassing).