Pineapple upside-down cake is a classic dessert featuring a moist, buttery cake topped with caramelised pineapple rings and cherries. Served with custard or cream, it’s a nostalgic treat combining simplicity and delightful flavours.
Pineapple upside-down cake is one of the nostalgic desserts of my childhood. I brought this recipe with me from Canada when I immigrated to Scotland in 1999 – it was the recipe my mother used to make, but I’ve tweaked it adding some chopped hazelnuts and upping the golden syrup content.
The pineapples provide a sweet and tangy flavour, while the caramelization adds a rich, sugary glaze that seeps into the cake. The cherries add a pop of colour and a hint of tartness, making each slice visually appealing and deliciously balanced.
Ingredients for this easy dessert recipe
- 227 grams of tinned pineapple slices in juice
- 4-8 glace cherries, one for each pineapple ring
- 6 tsp golden syrup
- 25 grams hazelnuts chopped, optional
- 75 grams butter
- 75 grams of granulated sugar
- 125 grams self-raising flour
- 1 large free-range egg
- 3-4 tbsp full-fat milk
Instructions
- Preheat your own to 180C/160C fan/350 F/gas 4.
- Pour the golden syrup into the bottom of a 9-inch round cake tin.
- Arrange the drained pineapple slices on top of the syrup and place a glace cherry in the centre of each circle.
- Sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts if using.
- Prepare the batter by creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and beat well.
- Add the flour and milk alternately until a soft batter forms. You may not need to use all of the milk.
- Spoon the batter over the pineapple slices and smooth over the top.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes.
- Turn the cake out onto a serving plate and serve warm with custard, cream, or ice cream.
What is the best way to prevent my Pineapple Upside Down Cake from sticking to the pan?
To prevent the pineapple upside-down cake from sticking to the pan, generously grease the bottom and sides of the pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Additionally, you can line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper for extra assurance. Ensure that the caramel topping and fruit layer are evenly spread, as this can help create a barrier between the cake and the pan, reducing the chance of sticking.
Can I use fresh pineapple instead of tinned?
Yes, you can use fresh pineapple instead of tinned pineapple for an upside-down pineapple cake. Peel, core, and slice the fresh pineapple into rings or desired shapes to do so. Remember that fresh pineapple might be slightly less sweet and more fibrous than tinned, so you may want to adjust the sugar level in the recipe to suit your taste.
Additionally, you could cook the fresh pineapple slices until they are slightly softened before adding the cake batter.
Recipe Difficulty Levels
Easy
Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.
Moderate
Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.
Challenging
Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 227 grams tinned pineapple slices in juice
- 4 glace cherries
- 6 tsp golden syrup
- 25 grams hazelnuts chopped, optional
- 75 grams butter
- 75 grams granulated sugar
- 125 grams self-raising flour
- 1 large free-range egg
- 3-4 tbsp full fat milk
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Equipment
InstructionsÂ
- Preheat your own to 180C/160C fan/350 F/gas 4.
- Pour 6 tsp golden syrup into the bottom of a buttered 9-inch round cake tin. Arrange 227 grams tinned pineapple slices in juice, drained, on top of the syrup and place 4 glace cherries in the centres of each pineapple ring. Sprinkle with 25 grams hazelnuts if using.
- Prepare the batter by creaming 75 grams butter and 75 grams granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 large free-range egg and beat well.
- Add 125 grams self-raising flour and 3-4 tbsp full fat milk alternately until a soft batter forms. You may not need to use all of the milk.
- Spoon the batter over the pineapple slices and smooth over the top.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes.
- Turn the cake out onto a serving plate and serve warm with custard, cream, or ice cream.
Pistachio and Coconut Cake with Rose Syrup
Hi Elizabeth,
Reading this post was awesome and useful for me. I’m so happy to found this post useful for me. This looks more yummy and delicious in pictures and I have a great desire to make it as soon as possible. As you know, I’m always a fond of trying to make such wonderful recipe. I’m happy to know about the Pineapple cake and vanilla custard through your post.
I’m amazed to see the homemade vanilla custard, thanks for adding video of it. It is easy to prepare at lowest time. These all given instruction, ingredients are useful to prepare it more delicious and taste. Thanks for caring to share it with this post.
My mouth is watering to see such yummy pineapple cake vanilla.
Have a nice day.
~ Ravi.
I watched the video twice – love the music, the editing, you pointing at the Shetland Dairies milk and the music going “ting”. Fabulous. Too talented by half, babes xx
And now I want cake for breakfast!!! Love home made custard too! So good!
Such a lovely treat!! Pineapple and vanilla sounds heavenly!
My husband’s favorite fruit is pineapple, and he loves custard– I am pinning this to remember to make it for him!
OMG – what a decadent treat. perfect for the upcoming holiday season
LOVE pineapple upside-down cake. Perfect addition of the custard!!! Thanks so much for sharing this.
Wow, that custard looks insane!! (The cake does too!) I made a pineapple upside down cake once when I was really little after seeing it made on Blue Peter, it was probably the best cake I had ever eaten but I have never made it as an adult, must try out your recipe!
Proper custard made with eggs is just fabulous on it’s own. But if I was going to have it with your gorgeously caramelised pineapple upside down cake, I’d like both served warm please. That multi cookers sounds rather amazing.
The cake looks so yum. Love that charred texture on the pineapples. The custard looks equally amazing.
We like custard on almost any dessert! This was a very interesting & informative post. Love the video too. When I was growing up, my sister used to make this all the time. Thanks.
Custard is one of the things that makes winter so much bearable. And for that matter summer, when you turn it into ice cream.
I saw an article the other day where someone was complaining that her local store did not have custard – it is so easy to make, and so much better why would your buy ready made?
This cake looks AMAZING! I love the addition of the Vanilla Custard. I am saving this recipe to make. This looks absolutely scrumptious.
That video is hysterical! – The music makes it sound like a James Bond movie! Love it! Now if James would only feed me the cake and custard…. {sigh}
This custard looks amazing! For that matter, so does the cake. Great work on the video as well.
This looks amazing and seems so easy to make in the multicooker! đŸ™‚
This sounds delicious. I’ve been looking for some different recipes to use in the multi-cooker.
I have flashbacks to my Home Economics A Level every time I see a Pineapple Upside Down Cake as I had to pull mine out of the oven uncooked as I ran out of time! Yours looks perfect and I really should make one again but have steared clear all these years. Your custard looks fab too! Thanks for linking to my Banana Pudding:-0
Oh gosh, that cake looks incredible – just the sort of thing I would smother in custard! I really shouldn’t have looked at this, now I’m hungry!! (PS LOVE the video!)
Wow – that was some impressive and rather exciting custard making – love the soundtrack!! đŸ™‚ Your multi cooker sounds rather fabulous – especially since it makes the bottom of the pineapple upside-down cake go like that – YUM!! Eb x