This pineapple upside down cake is soft and buttery with a caramelized brown sugar pineapple & cherry topping. Its juices seep down into the cake, adding even more luscious flavor and texture. A classic favorite using canned pineapple and maraschino cherries, this retro cake is served upside down and perfect any time of year.
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips. I also made a few small changes to the recipe to produce a softer cake and a reduced amount of batter. These changes are reflected in the printable recipe card below.
I love learning in the kitchen and I’m always working hard to improve my skill. With constant practice comes the opportunity to bring you the best recipes I can. This is an exciting post!
Improved Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe – Read the Difference
I developed and published a pineapple upside down cake recipe several years ago. It’s certainly loved by many, but the cake is prone to overflowing because there’s quite a lot of batter. Additionally, it can taste overly wet and the instructions were never written very clearly. As a cookbook author and baker, I’ve certainly improved my craft over the years!
My improved pineapple upside down cake recipe, written below, is much softer than my original. Using creamed butter instead of melted, cake flour instead of all-purpose flour, all white sugar instead of brown sugar + white, and using egg whites guarantees a huge textural difference. I adapted it from my white cake. My new recipe doesn’t yield as much cake batter, so we don’t have to worry about overflowing.
The pineapple cherry topping remains the same. You don’t mess with perfection. 😉
- Old Cake Recipe (in notes below): Overly heavy, wet, overflowed
- New Cake Recipe (below): Softer, pleasantly moist, reduced amount of batter
We’re using the same ingredients in my updated cake batter just in different forms, ratios, and amounts. Baking is truly a science and I’m happy to continue to deliver you well tested and improved recipes!
One reader, Julia, commented: “So moist, buttery, and caramelized! Made this for my father, who grew up eating pineapple upside down cake, and he absolutely loved it. ★★★★★“
One reader, Helene, commented: “I made this pineapple upside down cake yesterday for Father’s Day. I usually use a boxed cake mix. I’ve always had great success with Sally’s recipes, so I decided to try this from scratch cake. The cake was fabulous and tasted much better than a box cake. It was moist, tender, and easy to make. My husband loved it. I will be using this recipe from now on. ★★★★★“
Key Ingredients You Need
- Cake Flour: Lighter than all-purpose flour, cake flour produces a soft crumb.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: The two add plenty of lift under the heavy topping.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness.
- Butter: Instead of melted butter, use 6 Tablespoons of softened butter. (Not the whole stick, though you do need more for the topping.) Creaming butter and sugar guarantees a buttery soft crumb. It’s how I prepare my vanilla cupcakes, too.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar sweetens and tenderizes the cake. There’s brown sugar in the topping to provide essential flavor!
- Egg Whites: Don’t let yolks weigh down a cake that’s already weighed down by the fruit topping. After all my recipe testing, I now swear by just egg whites here. So there’s no waste, here are my recipes using egg yolks.
- Vanilla Extract: Flavor.
- Sour Cream: Along with cake flour and egg whites, sour cream promises a tender cake crumb. Plain yogurt works in a pinch.
- Pineapple Juice & Milk: Liquid is key in most cakes because it thins out the batter. You typically make pineapple upside down cake with canned pineapple, so use some of the liquid in the can for the cake batter.
I appreciate that the cake, in general, is smaller and not as overwhelming just like this apple upside down cake. Both are great options for smaller gatherings for Easter and other holidays. See more Easter brunch recipes and Easter dessert recipes.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Topping
I didn’t change my original topping recipe. Sticking with tradition, the topping includes canned pineapple rings, maraschino cherries, butter, and brown sugar. I always use 10 pineapple rings (some are halved for the sides), which is one 20 ounce can. Feel free to use fresh pineapple and cherries. Canned pineapple chunks will be a little messy and could spill down the sides when you invert the cake, so proceed with caution.
- My #1 Tip for the Topping: Blot the wet pineapples and maraschino cherries before using. The more liquid in the fruit, the more liquid that won’t “set.” Excess liquid creates an unpleasantly wet cake.
I know you’ll appreciate this too: pineapple upside down cake is basically already frosted. There’s no extra decoration required; the garnish is literally baked into the cake!
Overview: How to Make the Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake
This classic pineapple upside down cake is buttery rich and the sweet fruit topping is downright irresistible. Let me walk you through each step so you understand the process.
- Prepare the topping: Melt the butter, pour into an un-greased cake pan or pie dish, sprinkle with brown sugar, then arrange the blotted pineapple rings and maraschino cherries as you see in my photos and video tutorial. I always refrigerate the topping as I prepare the cake batter—this helps solidify the designed arrangement underneath the wet cake batter.
- Prepare the cake batter: Whisk the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla, then the sour cream. Pour the dry into the wet ingredients, pour in the pineapple juice & milk, and then beat to combine. You’ll have about 2 cups of cake batter and it’s very straightforward to prepare.
- Spread over topping: Pour and spread the cake batter over the chilled topping.
- Bake: Because of the wet bottom layer (which is the topping), the cake takes much longer than a typical 1 layer cake. Its juices will bubble up the sides, creating these incredible caramelized edges. (They’re so good!) With upside down cakes, it’s always good practice to place a baking pan or sheet on a lower rack to catch any juices should they splatter over the edges.
- Cool: Cool the cake for 20 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Inverting any sooner will create a seeping mess—we want the topping to “set” as much as it can. You can serve this cake warm, though it slices much better if you let it cool completely at room temperature first.
Expect a Dense Cake
I’ve been making pineapple upside down cake since I could hold a spatula. I’ve made hundreds of versions, or so it seems, and I say with 100% certainty that this cake will always be on the denser side. (Unless you are using store-bought cake mix.) You see, the cake is served upside down. The weight of the topping, which is the bottom of the cake as it bakes, weighs down the crumb beneath it. Pineapple upside down cake will never be as light and airy as white cake. If you were to make this exact cake batter and serve it right-side-up, the cake would taste much airier.
Does that make sense?
I know you’ll love its unique texture, especially paired with the brown sugar caramelized fruit topping. Let me know how you like it!
Print
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 8-10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Updated in 2020, this is my favorite recipe for traditional pineapple upside down cake. For best success, read the recipe and recipe notes before beginning.
Ingredients
Topping
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 8–10 pineapple slices (see note)*
- 15–20 maraschino cherries (see note)*
Cake
- 1 and 1/2 cups (177g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60ml) pineapple juice, at room temperature (use leftover from can)
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Prepare topping first: Pour 1/4 cup melted butter into an ungreased 9×2 inch pie dish or round cake pan. (Make sure the pan is 2 inches deep. I recommend this pie dish, which is 1.8 inches deep but I never have an overflow issue.) Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Blot any excess liquid off the fruit with a clean towel or paper towel. (The wetter the fruit, the more likely the cake could overflow or the topping could seep over the sides when inverted.) Arrange about 6-7 blotted pineapple slices and all the cherries on top of the brown sugar. I like to halve 3 pineapple rings and arrange them around the sides of the pan, too. See my photo and video above for a visual of the arranged topping. Place pan in the refrigerator for a few minutes as you prepare the cake batter. This helps solidify or “set” the topping’s arrangement.
- Make the cake batter: Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed until creamed together, about 2 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. On high speed, beat in the egg whites until combined, then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer onto low speed and as the mixer runs, slowly pour in the pineapple juice and milk. Beat on low speed just until all of the ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Remove topping from the refrigerator. Pour and spread cake batter evenly over topping.
- Bake for 43-48 minutes, tenting foil on top of the cake halfway through bake time to prevent the top from over-browning before the center has a chance to fully cook. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean—a couple moist crumbs are OK. Don’t be alarmed if your cake takes longer or if the cake rises up and sticks to the foil. (We serve the cake upside down anyway!)
- Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for just 20 minutes. Invert the slightly cooled cake onto a cake stand or serving plate. Some of the juices from the topping will seep over the sides—that’s ok. You can slice and serve the cake warm, but the slices will be messy. I find it’s best to cool the cake completely at room temperature before slicing and serving. Do not refrigerate the cake to speed up the cooling process because it could end up tasting overly dense.
- Cover leftover slices and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature. I don’t recommend freezing the cake as a whole because the topping arrangement doesn’t thaw very nicely. See make ahead instructions below.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can refrigerate the topping in step 2 for up to 1 day. If refrigerating for longer than 1 hour, cover it tightly. Other than that, this isn’t the best cake to make ahead of time or freeze because the pineapples will settle down into the cake—while still tasty, the presentation won’t be as pleasing. You can, however, prepare the wet ingredients (cover and refrigerate) and dry ingredients (cover at room temperature) separately up to 1 day ahead of time, then continue with the recipe the next day. Let the wet ingredients come to room temperature before mixing.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Pie Dish or 9-inch Round Cake Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack
- Old Recipe: The current cake batter recipe was updated in 2020. If you loved the old cake batter recipe, originally published in 2014, here it is: The topping recipe is the same. Prepare the recipe above through step 2. For the cake batter, whisk 1 and 2/3 cups (210g) all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together. In a separate bowl, whisk 1/2 cup (115g) melted unsalted butter, 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar, 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup (60g) yogurt or sour cream, 1/2 cup (120ml) milk, 1/4 cup (60ml) pineapple juice, and 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract together. Whisk wet and dry ingredients together until smooth. Continue with step 5 in the recipe above.
- Pineapple & Cherries: Traditional recipes use canned pineapple and maraschino cherries. I recommend 1 20 ounce can of pineapple rings/slices, which usually holds 10 rings/slices. You can use fresh pineapple rings/slices and fresh cherries if desired. If using fresh cherries, I recommend halving them. Blot excess liquid off the fresh fruit just as I instruct in step 2. Fresh or canned pineapple chunks, tidbits, and/or crushed pineapple will create a messy topping that could spill over the sides when the cake is inverted. I recommend rings/slices because they are larger.
- Sour Cream & Milk: Full fat sour cream and whole milk are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full fat plain yogurt would work instead of the sour cream, though the cake may not taste as tender. Same goes with a lower fat or nondairy milk.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Can I use a bundt pan for this recipe?
Hi Dena, a Bundt pan would work. You may want to cool it for a little longer before inverting it. The bake time might be a little shorter, but it’s hard for us to say without testing it. Let us know how it goes!
can you use a springform pan for the pineapple upside down cake?
Hi Maggie, The buttery topping would likely seep through a springform pan. You could place anther baking sheet under it to catch any drips.
I enjoyed making this recipe so much! I made it twice. I had to substitute heavy cream for whole milk, light brown sugar for dark brown and pink Himalayan salt for plain salt. All good. The second cake I made in a PYREX pan and am waiting to see if the cooking time changes. The first one as in a 9” round Wilton cake pan , timetable was on the money.
My 80-year-old mother and her friends were reminiscing about desserts from the 70’s, so I made this for them. It came out beautifully, just like the one in your photo. They were all tickled to see one for the first time in many years and said it brought back tons of memories. They said the cake itself was absolutely delicious and the caramelized pineapple and cherries were a delightful bonus. Can’t wait to make it again!
Should the sides of the pan be buttered?
Thank you.
Hi Lauren, We just pour the melted butter into the bottom of the pie dish. You can watch how it’s done in the video above.
I made this last night because I’ve been craving it for weeks! The cake was delicious! Dense, moist slightly spongy. I did use all purpose flour and I think it turned out perfect. I was a little disappointed at the lack of crusty, gooey topping, though. I think the next time I will double the butter and brown sugar to more resemble how I remember my mom’s cake. Awesome recipe!
I love this recipe! Can I double it for a crowd with a 13×9 pan?
Hi Mitzi, for a 9×13-inch pan, we would double the recipe, fill the pan only about halfway with the batter and use extra for cupcakes (about 18-20 minutes bake time for the cupcakes). We’re unsure of the bake time for the 9×13-inch cake.
Hi Sally,
I know you’re not a fan of substitutions, but my dad is the biggest fan [there can ever be] of jackfruits. So he asked me if Sally has a recipe for a jackfruit upside down cake [yep you’re popular in my household :)]. Do you think the recipe would massively need to change if i wish to substitute pineapple with jackfruit?
Any inputs will be highly appreciated! Thank you very much.
Hi Avani, we haven’t tested this cake with jackfruit, but it sounds delicious. We would love to hear how it goes if you give it a try.
Can I use all purpose flour in the updated recipe?
Hi Jade! The resulting cake will be less light and soft, but it will work.
I think you could possibly retain the light, softness of the cake with Vegan All Purpose Flour, I use Pamela’s vegan all purpose flour for everything, which comes out light and fluffy for most part, but I also use oat milk so that might be a factor too. It’s a lot lighter than grains/wheat and dairy milk.
I made this cake for Valentine’s Day. We loved it so much it that we are going to make this every year. Thank you.
I’ve made this three times now and it is just incredible! Rave reviews and I love the crunchy topping!
Have you ever mixed the egg yolks in and then beat the egg whites to fold in last? I wonder how that would turn out? I saw another recipe that is similar to yours but they used the eggs like that so it was also fluffy.
I loved the recipe, but my cake cracked when I flipped it over. Do I need it cool it longer? I
Hi Nici, did it crack around the pineapples? The cake has cracked around the pineapples for us before too. We’ve found that happens when the bottom (which bakes as the top) isn’t perfectly level and so as the cake cools, it settles to have a flat bottom and then it cracks a bit on top. Waiting for it to cool a bit longer before flipping could help if you want to try it next time. Glad you still enjoyed the cake!
This is so good. I made it for my daughter’s boyfriend’s birthday cake. It’s his favorite kind of cake. Just made it again but I didn’t let it cool enough before flipping and it was like someone had cut into the cake around each pineapple, the cracks were so deep. Well, I certainly know better now. Practice patience. Wait for it to cool a bit longer next time. ❤️
Can i double this recipe?
Hi Daniel, you can double the recipe and use a 9×13 pan. Fill the 9×13 pan only about halfway with the batter and use extra for cupcakes (about 18-20 minutes bake time for the cupcakes). We’re unsure of the bake time for the 9×13-inch cake. Hope you enjoy it!
Hii! I was wondering the weight of the cake after baking it?
Hi Chloe, We are unsure of the exact weight of the baked cake.
I made the old recipe in the notes and it didn’t rise for me. New new has a 1 tsp and whipped egg white. The only variation in mine was that I didn’t have brown sugar but used 1 tsp of molasses with white sugar. I wonder if that would be enough to prevent it rising of if it is a typo.
Do you add the tin foil halfway through or right at the beginning? That’s the o ly thing I’m confused about because in the video it doesn’t show the tin foil going on.
Hi Allison, you tent the pan with foil half way through bake time. Hope you enjoy the cake!
I plan to make this cake in time for a dinner at a friend’s and carry it there in the baking pan (easier to transport) and invert it 3 hours later just in time to serve. Do you think it will release well at room temp instead of when hot? And I plan to make this in a regular 9″ round pan, not glass.
Hi Naren, it’s best to follow the timing in the recipe. If you wait too long to invert, the pineapples will settle down into the cake—while still tasty, the presentation won’t be as pleasing. You could invert it onto a serving plate and transport that way. Hope it’s a hit!
I would like to make this upside down cake a day ahead but read that it is not wise to do that so how should I store it overnight so it will still be good and look nice the next day?
Hi Janice, the pineapples may sink into the cake if left overnight. It will still taste great but may not look as nice as you would like. See recipe notes for our recommend make ahead instructions!
This recipe is fantastic. I made it New Year’s Eve for family and they ate it all. Making it again today for friends.
Hey Sally, I always enjoy your recipes and videos. I just watched your video for pineapple upside-down cake. Can you tell me which Kitchenaid mixer you have in the video? I am curious about the color and size.
Hi Connie! That is a 5-quart mixer. The color is Misty Blue—the mixer itself was a was a special edition for KitchenAid’s 100 year anniversary!
This was really AMAZING!!! I made it in a pan with a hole in the center and that worked out great, I think any pan would work but I only tried that one. I didn’t use maraschino cherries but next time (there definitely will be a next time) I would use them. Last thing, i used two cans of pineapple which I think is to much, and the juice of one can.
This turned out perfect!
Best pineapple upside down cake recipe to date! Just sweet enough without going overboard on the sweetness. Angelfood like cake consistency! Could not recommend this recipe enough! Well done! And thank you for putting this out here for us!
Can I double the recipe and make in a 9 x 13 pan?
Hi Susan, yes, you can double the recipe for a 9×13-inch pan. Fill the 9×13-inch pan only about halfway with the batter and use extra for cupcakes (about 18-20 minutes bake time for the cupcakes). We’re unsure of the bake time for the 9×13-inch cake. Hope it’s a hit!
Thank you Sally! I only had whole wheat flour so I used 75% of the amount of flour needed and it turned out great! Happy New Year!!!
I liked this recipe but 48 minutes wasnt enough time. The middle still was undone. I baked for 61 minutes. My middle sank but thank goodness its an inverted cake. Flavor and texture were great though
really a wonderful, sweet cake
What size pan for this cake
Hi Arlen, we recommend a 9×2-inch pie dish.
I made this recipe using gluten-free flour, Bob’s Red Mill 1.1 (I have Celiac). It came out perfect and was so delicious! No one would ever know it was gluten free including me. I followed the instructions exactly except used 1 whole egg instead of two egg whites and mixed all by hand. I also halved the pineapple rings to create a fan around a center ring to maximize the amount I could use since the cake likely wouldn’t rise much without gluten. I used a spring form pan without and problem and didn’t need to tent with foil. So good ❤️