Pineapple Upside-Down Cake — Ad-Free Recipe, Ingredients First

The topping is really a quick caramel, so cook the butter and brown sugar until it bubbles before you lay the fruit in. Bake it in the same skillet and flip it while it is still warm, or the sugar sets hard and the rings stay stuck.

The Ingredients — and where to get them

Cook for 1 nine-inch cake

Butter

Half melts into the caramel topping, half creams into the cake batter.

3/4 cup

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Brown sugar

Cooked with butter it becomes the caramel that coats the fruit.

3/4 cup

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Flour

Builds the cake; spoon and level so the crumb stays light.

1 1/2 cups

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Eggs

Two eggs bind and lift the butter cake.

2 eggs

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Milk

Loosens the batter to a pourable consistency for an even bake.

1/2 cup

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Fresh pineapple

Cored and cut into rings; fresh caramelizes better than watery canned.

1 pineapple

Local / market

Vanilla extract

A spoon in the batter rounds out the caramel.

1 tsp

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The Rundown

Greedometer ●●●●● A fair little treat

A reasonable little indulgence.

EffortSome doing

Cook it with

Air fryerOne-potSheet pan

The Method

Make the caramelMelt 1/4 cup butter with the brown sugar in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat until it bubbles, then take it off the heat.
Set the fruitArrange pineapple rings in a single layer over the caramel, pressing them into the sugar.
Mix the batterCream the remaining butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar, beat in the eggs, then alternate flour and milk to a smooth batter.
BakePour the batter over the fruit and bake at 350F for 38-42 min until a skewer comes out clean.
Flip warmCool 5 min, run a knife around the edge, and invert onto a plate while still warm so the caramel and rings release.

The Toolkit

Cast-iron skillet · Hand mixer · Serving plate · Mixing bowls · Rubber spatula · Paring knife

Straight Answers

Can you make Pineapple Upside-Down Cake in an air fryer? — Yes

Yes — bake it in a small pan or dish that fits the basket, at about 25°F below the recipe temperature. Air fryers run hot and fast, so check it early; no flipping needed.

Can you freeze Pineapple Upside-Down Cake? — Yes

Yes — freeze it well-wrapped, then reheat or toast straight from frozen. Frost or glaze after thawing.

Can you make Pineapple Upside-Down Cake ahead of time? — Yes

Yes — bake it a day or two ahead; it keeps well-wrapped at room temperature and freezes cleanly. Add any frosting or glaze close to serving.

Is Pineapple Upside-Down Cake gluten-free? — Not as written

Not as written — it contains gluten. Make it gluten-free: swap in a gluten-free flour blend (check the other labels too).

Is Pineapple Upside-Down Cake vegan? — Vegetarian, not vegan

It’s vegetarian but not vegan as written — it has dairy and egg. Make it vegan: use plant milk, oil, or a vegan cheese for the dairy, and a flax or aquafaba egg for the egg.

Community Notes

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Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, and where to source it