Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

My grandmother was English and had a sweet tooth like no one I have ever met before. When she started dating my Italian grandfather, the odds were against her. His family immigrated to America from Northern Italy, and his mother and sisters wanted him to marry an Italian woman. “Legend has it”  when my grandmother made this Pineapple Upside-Down Cake for my grandfather, it was so delicious that he decided right then and there that he would have to marry her, whether his family liked it or not. Yeah, it’s that good.

            The recipe is fairly simple, and makes one 9” cake. The pinwheel design made out of pineapple and maraschino cherries gives the cake a creative twist, and the brown sugar glaze tastes wonderfully sweet.  This cake should not be frosted, as it would cover up the beautiful pinwheel design. While baking, you may notice the top of the cake develops a dark golden brown color. If the color develops early on in the baking process, you can always tent the cake with foil to avoid burning or getting too dark.

            I can’t promise you will score yourself a fiancé by making this recipe, but a cup of tea and a slice of this cake will make any Sunday divine.

Ingredients:

¼ cup butter

2/3 cup firmly packed dark or light brown sugar

5 pineapple slices, drained and halved

10 Maraschino cherries (without stems)

1 C. granulated sugar

½ tsp salt

½ C. shortening

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 C. sifted cake flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ C. milk

Instructions:

1.)    Preheat oven to 350. In 9 inch round or square pan, melt ¼ C. butter by popping it in the oven for a few minutes. Brush butter over sides of pan.

2.)    Add brown sugar to the melted butter and stir until well blended.

3.)    Arrange half-slices of pineapple in pinwheel pattern on sugar mixture, and then place the cherries in between each half slice, and one in the middle of the pinwheel.

4.)    For the cake batter, cream granulated sugar, salt, and shortening thoroughly.

5.)    One at a time, beat each egg into the mixture until light and fluffy, then add vanilla extract.

6.)    In a separate bowl, sift together cake flour and baking powder.

7.)    Add parts of flour mixture and milk alternately to the creamed mixture, mixing thoroughly after each addition.

8.)    Pour batter in the cake pan over the pineapple, being careful not to ruin the pinwheel design.

9.)    Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean after inserting into the cake. (Mine was perfect after 52 minutes) Turn the cake out onto a serving plate immediately. Let cool.

Serves 8

Arrange the pineapple and cherries like so on top of the brown sugar butter mixture.