My easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipe has received hundreds of 5-star reviews, and for good reason! Made with a soft, fluffy, and simple vanilla cake base and a beautiful crown of caramelized pineapple and maraschino cherries, this classic recipe is slated to be a staple in your baking repertoire. Includes a how-to video.
The Perfect Easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake
There are a lot of cake recipes on this blog, and a fair share of unique cake recipes as well (zebra cake and my ice cream cake certainly come to mind). However, I’m not sure any is quite as unique and demanding of attention as this pineapple upside down cake.
A true showstopper, it’s a moist and flavorful vanilla cake crowned with golden, caramelized pineapple rings and cherry jewels. It’s also surprisingly simple to make and you don’t have to bother with frosting or decorating the same way you would a classic layer cake.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make. No fussy techniques, no fancy ingredients, this recipe is a good one for beginners and well-seasoned bakers alike.
- A true classic. This is the classic dessert you might remember from your childhood.
- It’s beautiful! There’s no denying a freshly flipped upside-down cake is a sight to behold; both its beauty and taste make it a showstopper for any dessert table.
- Unique. From the unique way in which it’s baked (upside-down!) to the caramelized crown of tropical fruits, this recipe stands out from your basic cake recipe.
I think you’re going to love this one, so let’s get to it.
What You Need
The cake is made of basic pantry staples, nothing fussy, fancy, or difficult to find, and the beautiful bottom-turned-top is a stunning crown of caramelized fruit. You’ll recognize most of the ingredients, but as you know I like to discuss them a bit before we get to the baking.
- Pineapple Rings. You can use fresh or canned rings. Canned are the traditional and easier choice, and are what I use here.
- Maraschino cherries. Don’t substitute fresh cherries. Maraschino cherries add classic are essential as they’re soaked in a syrup that lends much flavor to the surface of the cake. If you do opt to substitute a fresh cherry, just expect a different flavor.
- Sugar. The topping is made with light brown sugar, which lends a subtle rich flavor to the caramelized topping (thanks to the small amount of molasses in the sugar). The cake uses only granulated sugar.
- Flour. I use all-purpose flour, but you may substitute cake flour. If doing so, how you substitute depends on how you weigh your ingredients. If you use a scale, the weight will be the same for cake flour, but if you are using a measuring cup, you will need a bit more cake flour than the recipe calls for. Here is a helpful resource for substituting cake flour for all-purpose flour.
- Milk. My preference is to use milk in the cake batter. I’ve tried the recipe with pineapple juice (leftover juice from the can of pineapple slices) and did not enjoy the cake as much when made this way. However, a number of readers have written that they’ve substituted all or half of the milk with pineapple juice and enjoyed it that way, so feel free to experiment!
SAM’S TIP: Make sure to blot your pineapple slices well with paper towels before placing them in your pie plate. This will absorb any excess liquid. If you skip this step it could make your cake soggy.
This section is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why (for those of you who are as nerdy about what goes into making a cake as I am!). For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make the Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake
The steps are simple and straightforward and I don’t think you’ll struggle, but let’s go over them before we begin:
- Prepare your pan. Pour melted butter into the pie plate and make sure you spoon or brush a bit up the sides of the plate as well. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly overtop the butter.
- Layer the fruit. Arrange the pineapple rings and cherries over the pie plate and around the edge, too.
- Make the cake batter. This is a simple but sturdy vanilla cake batter (the same one used for my marble cake) that you’ll make by creaming the sugar and butter, adding eggs and vanilla, then gradually alternating adding the dry ingredients and milk until the batter is combined.
- Bake. To avoid the cake over-browning, you’ll want to check it at the 30 minute mark and loosely tent with foil (I also use this technique in my banana cake).
- Flip & serve. Let the cake cool for just 10-15 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter (more on that below). Don’t let the cake cool too long, or it may stick to the pie plate.
Avoid a too-dense, dry cake: This recipe is a bit denser than your average cake (it must be to not collapse under the weight of the fruit once flipped) but it should not feel too dense or dry. There are two culprits to watch for that could cause your cake to turn out this way: 1) Over-mixing the dry ingredients (just stir until the wet and dry ingredients are combined, don’t overdo it!) and 2) over-baking the cake. Even a few minutes too long in the oven can make your cake dense and dry. Some ovens also run hotter than they say they are, so watch for that too as this can cause your cake to cook too fast and dry out!
How to Flip this Cake
This was a popular question when I first published this cake and I want to address it here (though I also show how to flip the cake in my video). The biggest takeaways should be to make sure you use oven mitts and use a plate that’s larger than your cake so that any juices don’t run off the side!
- Allow your cake to cool for 10-15 minutes before you attempt inversion. If any of the cake has baked into the edge of your pie plate or cake pan, first use a knife to gently loosen the edges and free them from the pan.
- Place your cake platter (or any plate that’s larger than your cake) over the pan — plate surface should be facing your vanilla cake layer.
- Using oven mitts (it will be hot!) carefully and firmly grip both the side of the cake platter and the cake pan on either side.
- Carefully but quickly flip everything over so that the bottom of the cake pan is facing upwards, and then set down your cake platter and carefully remove the cake pan (careful, it will still be hot!)
And that is it! This cake tastes best warm, so while you still want it to cool a bit, I don’t recommend waiting too long to dig in or making it very far in advance of serving!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Many of my readers have baked their own cakes in 9-10″ cast iron skillets instead of the pie plate. One thing worth noting is that the baking time will likely be shorter, as cast iron will cook much faster. Keep an eye on your cake if baking this way and check it sooner than indicated in the recipe.
The butter and sugar coating should keep the cake from sticking to the pan. However, before flipping the cake I like to take a butter knife and, if any place where I see actual cake (not fruit) making contact with the pie plate, I gently loosen it so that it won’t stick. The fruit should also come out quite easily, but if a ring or tow sticks, no big deal, just gently pry it from the pie plate and place it back on the top of the cake, there should be a clear indent showing you exactly where it belongs. ☺️
When served warm and fresh, the top of the cake will be quite moist, but it should never be described as soggy. If your cake seems downright soggy it may be that the pineapple slices weren’t properly blotted before being placed in the pie plate. That extra moisture can make the cake too moist and soggy. I also find the cake becomes more soggy as it sits, so I recommend serving not long after preparing.
This cake really does taste best warm and it’s one of a few recipes where I personally don’t enjoy the leftovers. If you must store it, keep it covered in the fridge where it will keep for several days, but it is a moist cake and will become a bit soggier as it sits. Such is life!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
Topping
- ¼ cup (60 g) salted butter melted
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar light or dark (I usually use light) tightly packed
- 10 pineapple slices patted dry (a 20oz can is typically enough)
- maraschino cherries
Vanilla Cake
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (195 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk room temperature preferred
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C)
- Pour melted butter into 9.5-10" pie plate or deep cake pan, make sure it entirely covers the bottom of the pan and use a spoon or spatula to grease the sides of the pan.¼ cup (60 g) salted butter
- Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter mixture. Arrange pineapple slices over the bottom of the pan, slice leftover slices in half and arrange up the sides of the pan, as seen in photo.½ cup (100 g) brown sugar, 10 pineapple slices
- Place cherries in center of pineapple rings and as desired in empty spaces. Set aside.maraschino cherries
- To prepare vanilla cake, beat butter and sugar in medium-sized bowl until creamy and well-combined.½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- Add eggs, beating one at a time until combined.2 large eggs
- Stir in vanilla extract.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.1 ½ cups (195 g) all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Alternate adding flour and milk to the wet ingredients, starting and ending with flour and mixing until just combined after each addition (I prefer to do this part by hand with a spatula to be sure not to overmix).½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
- Pour batter evenly over prepared cake pan over the pineapple/cherry layer.
- Bake on 350F (175C) for 30 minutes. At the 30 minute mark, loosely cover with foil and continue to bake (still on 350F/175C) for another 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with few crumbs (total cook time for cake will be 45 minutes).
- Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes and then carefully invert cake onto serving platter (careful, it will still be very hot!).
- Allow to cool before cutting and enjoying, but don’t wait too long as this cake tastes wonderful (best!) warm from the oven!
Notes
Milk
I use and recommend whole milk, but many readers have substituted lower-fat milk or almond milk with success. Some readers have substituted the milk in this recipe with pineapple juice, I think the difference in taste is negligible and prefer the texture of the cake when made with milk, but it can be done.Gluten Free
Readers have commented that they have successfully made this recipe by using a 1:1 substitution of all-purpose gluten free cup4cup flour.Serving & Storing
Pineapple upside-down cake tastes best fresh and doesn’t keep as well as most layer cakes. However, if you wish to keep it, cover it with foil or plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days. You may also wrap tightly and freeze for several weeks.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
I originally shared this recipe in 2017. It has been updated to include more helpful photos, notes, and information and a new video, but the recipe remains the same.
Caitlin
Good recipe. I modified it into a banana sourdough pineapple upside down cake by substituting a banana for each egg and using 1/2 a cup of my sourdough discard to replace a 1/4 of the flour and milk. Oh! and because sourdough is acidic I used some baking soda and reduced the baking powder correspondingly. So delicious.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Caitlin! Thank you for the feedback using the sourdough starter. I would love to try my own version of sourdough pineapple upside down cake. 🙂
Theresa Cole
Just made this and it was great. Did make some changes, but not to the ingredients. I used fresh pineapple. I made this in an iron skillet as that’s how my mom made it and turned out excellent, 30 minutes in 350 degree oven! This recipe is a keeper!
Enya
The flavour of the cake was delicious but we found it came out very dense and kinda dry. Worked well enough for the occasion but I don’t think I would make it again.
Kieth Biasillo
The cake was not like any upside down cake I’ve ever had. Not good
Sam
Hi Kieth! That’s not a typical reaction I get on this cake. What happened? Did you make any substitutions/alterations to the recipe? Did you weigh your ingredients? Is your oven temperature accurate?
Kieth Biasillo
I really followed the recipe verbatim but I used the imperial measurements. To me the cake didn’t have any issues structurally. But the taste just wasn’t there. Wasn’t very sweet and could have been lighter as well. Maybe I will try again with the metrics.
Lauren
The cake was good. A bit sturdy, but it needs to be. I loved how you put the amount of the ingredients we needed for each step, so that I didn’t need to be scrolling up and down for each ingredient.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed it 😊
JD
This was my first attempt at baking a pineapple upside down cake. I had several concerns, but wanted to try..
Nailed it! The cake was moist, delicious and beautiful.
Thank you for posting the recipe. It is a keeper.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy it was a success for you, JD! Enjoy ☺️
Ani G
I made this in a circle 9″ Pyrex, came out great!! Not too sweet, but fills the sugar craving. I used a mix of fresh/canned pineapple. Easy recipe to follow as a beginner baker, thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for letting us know how it went for you, Ani! So glad it was a hit 😊
Andrea
Hi. I make this cake and the consistency turned out like a cake of soap… it was for music husband’s birthday, and I was/we were very disappointed. it seemed so simple, and the top was beautiful, but I could not figure out what happened to the cake. sorry
Sam
Hi Andrea! I’m not sure what you mean by “cake of soap.” Was it under-baked? Was it dry?
Raven minnie
I just made this tonight for my family for after dinner. I am lactose intolerant so I replaced the whole milk with oat milk. I also added about 1/8 tsp of nutmeg and just a small pinch of all spice and it was a game changer. 10/10 will be adding this to the recipe box. thank you so much.
Leslie Dullman
So yummy! I made this cake this morning for the employees at work to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Huge hit.
This is definitely a keeper.
Monica Martin
Really enjoyed it. It’s been years since I made one and had to find a new recipe. It’s just my husband and I so this is a perfect size for just us. I did change 1 thing though. Instead of 1/2 cup of whole milk I used 1/4 cup of whole milk and 1/4 cup of reserved pineapple juice from the can. It had little chunks of pineapple too and that seriously made it super delicious. I’ll make again this summer.
Casey @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for sharing your modifications, Monica, that sounds delicious! We’re so glad you enjoyed this! 🙂
Simone
Best cake i had in a long time! Everyone loves it! Greetings from germany
Casey @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Simone! We’re so glad everyone loves it, thanks for the review!☺️
Christine Means
Great recipe! Easy to follow and tasted just as I remembered from my Grandma’s kitchen!!
I did substitute peaches for the pineapple as we have family members allergic to pineapple, otherwise made as directed!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That sounds wonderful, Christine! We’ll have to try the peach version. Thanks for the review!
Stacy
Can you use a bundt pan for this recipe?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Stacy! You can bake it in a bundt pan, but your cake won’t be very thick. You may want to double it. 🙂
Kelly
Hi Emily, if I double this recipe for a Bundt pan, does the cooking time change? Thanks so much!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
It will likely bake longer, but we honestly aren’t sure how long without trying it ourselves 🙁
George
Perfect in every way. A nice easy straight forward recipe that’s timeless. I had a lot of fresh pineapple and cherries so I did increase the topping a little. The time at 30 plus 15 covered was exactly right. Thank you!
Carol H.
Excellent. Nice density to the cake. Not too sweet. Only had crushed pineapple on hand and still came out great.
Tanny
Love it! Soft and moist!
Edwin
It came out great. A nice balance of flavors. I made it as directed. This recipe is well written and easy to follow. Many thanks!