SERVES:
makes one 10-inch cake
INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 loosely packed cup light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs
1 cup milk (see hints)
1/4 cup pineapple juice (from the pineapple ring can)
5-6 Tbs butter
1/2 cup, firmly packed, light brown sugar
6 - 7 pineapple rings (see hints)
6 - 7 maraschino cherries
PROCEDURE:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Use a small mixing bowl to combine 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour with 2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt.
Next, use an electric mixer to cream 1 1/2 sticks of room temperature unsalted butter with 1 loosely packed cup of light brown sugar.
Turn the speed down a bit and add 2 tsp vanilla and 3 large eggs, one at a time, stopping the machine and scraping it down as you need to.
Then alternately add, in stages, the flour mixture with 1 cup of milk and 1/4 cup pineapple juice.
Next, melt 5-6 Tbs of unsalted butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet on medium heat, stir in a firmly packed 1/2 cup of light brown sugar and turn the heat off.
Then add as many well drained canned pineapple rings as will fit into the pan (typically 6 - 7) and place a stemless pitted maraschino cherry into the center of each one and then carefully add the batter to that, place it onto a baking tray and onto the center rack of the 350 degree oven.
It'll take 35 minutes to bake and you'll want to let it cool down completely before placing a large plate, face down, on top of it and inverting the cake onto the plate.
HINTS:
This makes a VERY moist cake. You can use slightly less milk and pineapple juice if you like.
I only added 6 pineapple rings in the video but I could have, and should have, added 7.