Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Renowned pitmaster Matt Horn, owner of Horn Barbecue in Oakland, California, says this is an ode to his dear grandmother, Ms. Elsie Brown. She would always have this cake on a cake stand on her kitchen table, and she would cut him a thick slice and serve it to him with a glass of milk when he would visit her. Because the recipe calls for a boxed mix, this classic cake comes together easily.
Ingredients
- 8 Tbs. (1 stick) (4 oz./113 g) butter, plus more for the pan
- 1/2 cup (3 3/4 oz./120 g) packed brown sugar
- 1 can (14 oz./397 g) pineapple slices packed in 100% juice, drained, juice reserved (up to 1 cup/8 fl. oz./240 ml)
- Maraschino cherries for garnish
- 1 box (15 oz./432 g) French vanilla or yellow cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./120 ml) canola oil
Directions
Preheat an oven to 350°F (177°C). Coat a 10-inch (30-cm) Bundt pan with butter.
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and stir until smooth. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared Bundt pan, tilting it to coat the sides.
Blot the pineapple slices dry with a paper towel and arrange them in the bottom of the Bundt pan, not overlapping, but you can squeeze them together if necessary. Place a Maraschino cherry in the center of each ring.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, reserved pineapple juice, eggs and oil until thick and smooth. Carefully pour the batter into the pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Cool the cake for 15 minutes in the pan, then invert it onto a serving plate. Let the cake cool completely and serve. Serves 8.
Adapted from Horn Barbecue by Matt Horn (Harvard Common Press, 2022)