This brown butter grilled pineapple upside down cake is packed with a succulent pineapple as well as caramel butter flavors. Upside down cake recipes are known for their famous flip and golden-brown topping.
I have been making upside down cakes for many years. Famous for my Duncan Hines pineapple upside down cake but I just wanted to learn how to make a scratch cake.
I have been a professional baker for more that 20 years and love to come up with new cake recipes. Pineapple cake is one of my customers most requested cakes. Adding in the grilled pineapple makes this cake extra special!!
Brown butter is something that I have been exploring. Also known as Beurre Noisette (butt nwah-ZEHT) in the culinary world. It’s French for “brown butter”.
Brown butter is butter that is melted and cooked until it is a light brown color. It has a nutty, intense caramel flavor from the milk solids in the butter.
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How to Grill Pineapple
You can use fresh pineapple for this recipe. Make your rings and grill as recipe describes.
I prefer to use canned pineapple because it is so quick and easy to use. Warm up your grill on medium to medium low heat.
Place the pinapple rings in a single layer on the grill. After a couple of minutes, look at one of the rings to see if you have golden brown to light black color lines.
If desired, flip rings over and grill other side. You only need to have one side of the rings grilled but if you do both sides it just adds to the flavor.
Remove rings and place into a container until ready to use. You can also use crushed pineapple in this recipe if desired.
Just make sure to drain as much juice as possible. Grilling crushed pineapple will be difficult so I suggest to just spread it evenly into bottom of pan after the butter/brown sugar mixture is placed in pan.
Brown Butter
Time to brown your butter. Melt ½ cup butter (salted or unsalted) in a small saucepan on the stove over medium to medium low heat.
The melted butter will start to with clear bubbles so continue to boil. Stir every so often making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to move around the milk solids that have settled at the bottom.
You are cooking out any water present in the butter. The butter will start to become foam on the top.
Make sure to give your Beurre Noisette a stir every now and then. As the butter boils you will notice the color starting to turn from yellow to light brown, then golden brown.
If you stop stirring for a minute, the foamy butter will present you with pockets of browned milk solids that grow right in front of your eyes. This is where you determine how far you want to take your brown butter flavor.
I like a good golden-brown color to the melted butter but not a light black color. For me this is my sweet spot!! Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
How to Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Gather all of your ingredients. Preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit or 165° Celsius.
Spray your 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray. In the pan of browned butter add your brown sugar. Stir to incorporate.
Spread evenly in the bottom of your 9×13 baking pan. Place the grilled pineapple rings in a single layer so the grill marks are facing down.
Make sure to spread out the rings like the picture. Add the maraschino cherries to the center of each ring.
You can either use whole maraschino cherries (with no stems) or cut in half and place rounded side toward the butter/brown sugar mixture. If you have extra cherries add around the pineapple.
DO YOU WANT TO GRIDDLE LIKE A PRO?
Pineapple Upside Down Cake from Scratch
Time to make the pineapple upside down cake recipe. For those of you that don’t want to make scratch cake, I have used a cake mix for this part and have had much success.
But I want to show you how to make the cake from scratch. First, whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together and set aside.
Second, separate your eggs. Thirdly, beat the egg whites to a soft peak and then gradually add the sugar to a medium peak. Set aside.
Next, in a separate mixing bowl beat the egg yolks at high speed until thick and light yellow. Gently, hand fold the egg yolks into the egg whites with a spatula until just combined.
Then, fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture until just combined. This step I have forgotten a few times, fold in the melted butter (you can use melted brown butter if you have it) and vanilla to the cake mixture.
Finally, spread the cake batter over the pineapple mixture making sure not to disturb the ingredients at the bottom of the pan. Place pan into the preheated oven on the bottom self.
Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip. I prefer the toothpick test. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake until the toothpick comes out clean making sure not to go into the pineapple layer on the bottom.
When Should I Flip My Pineapple Upside Down Cake?
Make sure to cool the cake for about 5 minutes before flipping the pineapple upside down cake onto a serving platter. When your ready, place the platter on-top of the cake.
With oven mitted hand, carefully flip the cake over. If any of the maraschino cherries or pineapple slices fall off, just stick them back onto the cake.
Do You Eat Pineapple Upside Down Cake Warm?
This grilled pineapple recipe tastes like heaven when served a little warm. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra special treat!!
Just make sure not to serve it hot as soon as you flip the cake over. The caramel sauce on the top will burn you if you are not careful.
Can You Leave Pineapple Upside Down Cake Out?
Brown butter grilled pineapple upside down cake can be left out for about two days. Just make sure to loosely cover the cake with saran wrap.
If you plan on having the cake for longer than two days, store covered cake in the refrigerator.
More Cake Recipes
- Citrus No-Bake Cheesecake
- Mini Oreo Cheesecakes
- Peach Cobbler with Cake Mix
- Blackstone Griddle Cakes
- Cupcakes on the Blackstone Griddle
- Honey Cake
- Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Mandarin Orange Bundt Cake
Pineapple Upside Down Cake – FAQ
To keep cake from getting soggy make sure to not add any extra liquid. This means to not add extra butter in the bottom of the pan with the brown sugar. Do not add the juice from the pineapple rings to any part of this recipe. Reserve the pineapple juice for other recipes. To help prevent cake from becoming soggy, do not cover while warm. Make sure to completely cool cake before covering it.
This easy pineapple upside down cake freezes well. Make sure to cover the cake with saran wrap and also cover with a protective lid to help cake from becoming damaged during freezing. When ready to thaw just pull from freezer 24 to 3 hours at room temperature before serving.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
This grilled pineapple upside down cake is packed with a succulent pineapple flavor as well as a brown butter caramel topping.
Ingredients
- Pineapple, slices 20 oz
- Butter 1/2 cup
- Brown Sugar 1 cup
- Maraschino Cherries 10-15 each
- Eggs, separated 4 each
- Cake Flour 1 cup
- Baking Powder 1 teaspoon
- Salt, iodized 1/4 teaspoon
- Sugar, granulated 1 cup
- Butter, melted 1 tablespoon
- Vanilla 1 teaspoon
Instructions
- How to Grill Pineapple
I prefer to use canned pineapple because it is so quick and easy to use. - Warm up your grill on medium to medium low heat.
- Place the pinapple rings in a single layer on the grill.
- After a couple of minutes, look at one of the rings to see if you have golden brown to light black color lines. If desired, flip rings over and grill other side. You only need to have one side of the rings grilled but if you do both sides it just adds to the flavor.
- Remove rings and place into a container until ready to use.
- Brown Butter
Time to brown your butter. - Melt ½ cup butter (salted or unsalted) in a small saucepan on the stove over medium to medium low heat. The melted butter will start to with clear bubbles so continue to boil.
- Stir every so often making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to move around the milk solids that have settled at the bottom. You are cooking out any water present in the butter.
- The butter will start to become foam on the top. Make sure to give your Beurre Noisette (brown butter) a stir every now and then.
- As the butter boils you will notice the color starting to turn from yellow to light brown, then golden brown.
- If you stop stirring for a minute, the foamy butter will present you with pockets of browned milk solids that grow right in front of your eyes. This is where you determine how far you want to take your brown butter flavor. I like a good golden-brown color to the melted butter but not a light black color. For me this is my sweet spot!!
- Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
- How to Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Gather all of your ingredients. - Preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit or 165° Celsius.
- Spray your 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.
- In the pan of browned butter add your brown sugar. Stir to incorporate. Spread evenly in the bottom of your 9x13 baking pan.
- Place the grilled pineapple rings in a single layer so the grill marks are facing down. Make sure to spread out the rings.
- Add the maraschino cherries to the center of each ring. You can either use whole maraschino cherries (with no stems) or cut in half and place rounded side toward the butter/brown sugar mixture. If you have extra cherries add around the pineapple.
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake from Scratch
First, whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together and set aside. - Second, separate your eggs.
- Thirdly, beat the egg whites to a soft peak and then gradually add the sugar to a medium peak. Set aside.
- Next, in a separate mixing bowl beat the egg yolks at high speed until thick and light yellow.
- Gently, hand fold the egg yolks into the egg whites with a spatula until just combined.
- Then, fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture until just combined.
- Fold in the melted butter (you can use melted brown butter if you have it) and vanilla to the cake mixture.
- Finally, spread the cake batter over the pineapple mixture making sure not to disturb the ingredients at the bottom of the pan.
- Place pan into the preheated oven on the bottom self.
- Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes until cake surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip.
- I prefer the toothpick test. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake until the toothpick comes out clean making sure not to go into the pineapple layer on the bottom.
- When Should I Flip My Pineapple Upside Down Cake?
Make sure to cool the cake for about 5 minutes before flipping the pineapple upside down cake onto a serving platter. - When your ready, place the platter on-top of the cake. With oven mitted hand, carefully flip the cake over. If any of the maraschino cherries or pineapple slices fall off, just stick them back onto the cake.
Notes
Do You Eat Pineapple Upside Down Cake Warm?
This grilled pineapple recipe tastes like heaven when served a little warm. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra special treat!! Just make sure not to serve it hot as soon as you flip the cake over. The caramel sauce on the top will burn you if you are not careful.
Can You Leave Pineapple Upside Down Cake Out?
Brown butter grilled pineapple upside down cake can be left out for about two days. Just make sure to loosely cover the cake with saran wrap. If you plan on having the cake for longer than two days, store covered cake in the refrigerator.
How Do You Keep Pineapple Upside Down Cake from Getting Soggy?
To keep cake from getting soggy make sure to not add any extra liquid. This means to not add extra butter in the bottom of the pan with the brown sugar. Do not add the juice from the pineapple rings to any part of this recipe. Reserve the pineapple juice for other recipes. To help prevent cake from becoming soggy, do not cover while warm. Make sure to completely cool cake before covering it.
Can You Freeze Pineapple Upside Down Cake?
This easy pineapple upside down cake freezes well. Make sure to cover the cake with saran wrap and also cover with a protective lid to help cake from becoming damaged during freezing. When ready to thaw just pull from freezer 24 to 3 hours at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 353Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 64mgSodium 139mgCarbohydrates 71gFiber 4gSugar 54gProtein 4g
Note: For exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information is simply a guideline.
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