Skillet Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I know , I know just another Pineapple Upside Down cake….nuh uh. Would I give you something ordinary, something run of the mill? The right answer is no…I hope any way! LOL!!  To Read More, Click On The Recipe Title.

 I’ve made lots and lots of Pineapple Upside Down Cakes because it’s my husbands favorite cake, but never a cake like this. It’s the cake part of this recipe that is out of the ordinary, not your typical upside down cake recipe. This is a sponge cake, it has no fat (butter or shortening ) in the cake. But it’s the most moist cake you’ll ever find on a Pineapple Upside Down cake. The fat comes from the eggs, beating them till thick and lemon colored , then beating the egg whites till stiff and folding them into the batter. It is this side short of being Angel Food Cake soft! This cake is melt in your mouth. Look how soft it is!

Oh did I forget to say you also make it in a cast iron skillet? Why a cast iron skillet ? The even distribution of heat that you can’t get with a cake pan. It came out of the skillet like a dream. The cake recipe and the skillet baking make this the perfect Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Yes it’s a little more work but once you taste this, any other recipe will pale in comparison. Ok lets get those cast iron skillets out ….we have a cake to make!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Grandma’s Cookbook
texascooking.com

1/4 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped pecans ( I didn’t use these)
20-ounce can of pineapple slices, drained, reserving 5 tablespoons juice ( I used crushed pineapple)
3 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
maraschino cherries ( I put the cherries on top of the brown sugar before I added the batter)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt the butter in a 9-inch cast iron skillet. Add the brown sugar and pecans; stir well to thoroughly combine, then turn off the heat — don’t cook it. Arrange 8 pineapple slices in a single layer over the brown sugar mixture (your 9-inch skillet should accommodate 8 slices without overlapping). Set the skillet aside. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl; set aside. Beat the egg yolks at medium speed until they are thick and lemon colored. Gradually add the sugar, continuing to beat. Add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture, and stir in the reserved pineapple juice. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the whites into the cake batter. Pour or spoon the batter evenly over the pineapple slices. Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the cake in the skillet for 30 minutes; then invert it onto a serving plate. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring.