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 thatโs larger than your cake) over the pan โ 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 donโt 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. โบ๏ธ
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!
Letโs bake together! Iโll 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
- ยผ cup (60 g) salted butter melted
- ยฝ 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
- ยฝ cup (115 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ยพ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ยฝ cups (195 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ 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.ยผ 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.ยฝ 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.ยฝ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, ยพ 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 ยฝ cups (195 g) all-purpose flour, 1 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder, ยผ 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).ยฝ cup (120 ml) whole milk
- Pour batter evenly over prepared cake pan over the pineapple/cherry layer. ย
- 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.
Kitty
Just made this as a last minute addition to Thanksgiving dinner and it turned out wonderful! I didn’t have cherries (but my partner doesn’t like them anyway, so no huge loss) and had chunk pineapple instead of rings (drain it well and use care in placement and it works well!). We have a beautiful and tasty cake. This recipe is a definite addition to my kitchen.
Sam
I’m so glad it was such a hit, Kitty! Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out for you! ๐
Cari
So I just made this for thanksgiving tomorrow and I canโt wait to serve and dig in. My question is should I put it in the fridge or keep it out? I know you said itโs best when itโs served warm. Would it be an issue if I refrigerate it and then warm it prior to serving or should I just leave it out overnight and warm it a bit right before serving?
Sam
I would leave it out overnight as the fridge is liable to dry out the cake. Make sure you keep it covered regardless ๐
Fierlyn
Thank you… It was a success on my first try. I read some of your response to the comments. Like using a weigh scale, and I watch the video closely how to mixed all the ingredients. I was worried there for a minutes because I forgot to brush the side of the pan with butter, but it came out with no problem. It was delicious my son who is not fond of cakes had two helpings.
Sam
I’m so thrilled to hear it was such a hit, Fierlyn! Thank you so much for letting me know how the recipe turned out for you!
Vaishnavi
Followed recipe to the T & it came out at described. And yes, it does taste amazing when itโs still warm ๐ thank you for this cracker of a recipe!! โค๏ธ
Sam
So glad you enjoyed, Vaishnavi! Thank you so much for letting me know how you enjoyed it! ๐
Debb
It might not be as pretty but do you think crushed pineapple would work instead of rings?
Sam
Hi Debb! I’m not sure how it would go. You are introducing a lot more moisture with the crushed pineapple, but it could work. Let me know how it goes. ๐
Christine M.
Just made this tonight for my mom’s birthday tomorrow. Not sure yet how it will taste but it looks absolutely beautiful. I could have shaved 1-2 minute off the baking time or maybe lowered the oven rack one notch from the middle. Can’t wait to eat it tomorrow!
Sam
I hope everyone loves it, Christine! ๐
Marlena
My husband absolutely loves pineapple upside down cake. I haven’t found a recipe that I truly love yet and want to try yours. One catch, My husband has requested a rum pineapple upside down cake. If there a way to add some rum to your recipe without messing it up? Thanks, Marlena
Sam
Hi Marlena! I’m not sure how to add it but it could definitely work if you do add some in.
Sunny
Marlena ty replacing some of the milk with your rum.
Leslie
Hi, theres a Puertorican version that uses white rum in ElBoricua page, under desserts. It tastes delicious. Hope u give it a try.
Anna
Thank you so much for this recipe. It came out so well except that the cake part turned out to be a bit hard and not moist. I followed the recipe to a dot. When I was folding in the dry and wet ingredients, I realized it was a bit sticky and not flowing freely into the bake pan. Do you have any idea what would have gone wrong? When I turned the cake upside down, I think the cake got the best look ever, from the top!
Sam
Hi Anna! I’m so sorry this happened. It sounds like there may have been too much flour in your batter. Do you weigh your ingredients? If not I would make sure to check out my post on how to measure flour to avoid this in the future. ๐
Amy
I baked this cake at an altitude of roughly 5000 ft. and it turned out great! I was heavy handed with the baking powder because most recipes I try fail up here. Great result!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that it turned out well, Amy! Thanks for trying my recipe. ๐
Nicole C.
Nice recipe and much prettier than the usual sheet cake! Mine was a little dense, but I could sense I may have been over- beating a little, so my fault. Also, in my oven, it needed to be cooked a couple of minutes less. But everyone loved it and I canโt wait to make it again when I can actually eat it warm! Great recipe – thank you!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Nicole! ๐
GNC
Hi – Tried this Pineapple Upside Down cake and the it was lovely warm. My mother made a similar cake & until now, I’ve had no luck duplicating the cake part. You nailed it!! Thank you! However, somehow Mother managed to have the brown sugar topping come out a bit on the crunchy side. Do you think baking it in a cast iron skillet might give the topping some crunch? Any other ideas?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that you enjoyed it! You can try baking it in a cast-iron skillet to see if that helps give the topping the crunch you are after. Keep me posted on how it turns out! (Fingers Crossed) ๐
Pattie W.
Lovely cake! I followed the directions exactly. I had one small problem. The very center of my cake was not completely done. I let it cool 15 minutes before flipping it. Came out easily. We waited another 20 minutes to each have a slice. That’s when we discovered the undone middle . I used a spoon to remove that area. I really don’t know what happened. I baked it for 45 minutes, did the uncovered and covered directions. I was trying very carefully to not over bake it. I did notice a very slight jiggle in the center as I took it out of the oven. In hindsight, I guess I should have baked it a tad bit longer. I thought maybe it would set up upon sitting. Otherwise this is a wonderful cake. Fabulous taste!
Any tip for the next time I make it? How much longer to bake it?
Thank you.
Sam
Hi Pattie! My best advice is to try the toothpick test. I normally start by adding an extra minute or two. I’m glad you still enjoyed it. ๐
Pattie W.
Hi Sam, yes of course! I totally forgot the toothpick test! That was in the directions! Will be sure to do it the next time.
Thank you!
Wayne
I live in Colorado at about7,200 ft. What alterations do you recommend that I do for this elevation? Also, can I use more brown sugar and butter? I really like brown sugar.
Sam
Hi Wayne! I’m not sure about alterations needed for high altitude baking as I am not very familiar with it. For the topping I think you could probably get away with increasing the brown sugar a little bit. ๐
Wayne
Hi Sam. I finally got around to making this cake however, I needed something a little larger so, I used your vanilla cake recipe. I used plain milk instead of buttermilk (like you said, you don’t want the cake too moist for Pineapple Upside Down Cake). For the high altitude I added an additional 4 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of milk and a pinch less baking powder. The cake turned out great.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! Thank you for your comments on your alterations. ๐
Amy
I live in Colorado at 5000 ft. I was heavy handed on the flour and baking powder. Most boxed cake mixes say to cut the fat/oil by a Tbsp. and add 2Tbsp. extra flour. Also added a Tbsp. of pineapple juice to the batter just because I love pineapple. Turned out great!
Shoshanah Artzi
This was amazing! Thank you, my family is crazily eating every drop. I did add some coconut on top of the pineapple. It is like pina colada and super good.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! ๐
Laurie de Leonne
Un. Believeable.
This perfect recipe turned out awesomely exactly as specified. Seriously awesome. Whole family raved. 11-yr-old son said it was the best cake heโd ever had. I guess I know what weโre having for breakfast tomorrow.
Sam
Woohoo! I am so happy to hear this, Laurie! Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out for you, I appreciate it! ๐
Shelley
Super Delicious but it was a very dense cake. Iโll have to remake it and see if I maybe did something wrong. I made 2 cakes, one without the pineapple topping, and made it into a 2 layer cake with fresh cinnamon whip cream and homemade pineapple curd between the layers. I might try a pineapple simple syrup brushed on the bottom layer next time to increase the pineapple flavor.
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed overall, Shelley! Usually if a cake comes out dense it is from accidentally over-mixing the batter. That cinnamon whipped cream and pineapple curd sound AMAZING, by the way!