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
Hello dearest Sally! (Live the name of your channel!! I truly am addicted to baking as well!)
I am going to be making lots of deserts for a luau fundraiser that my church is doing! And I thought it would be fun to make a delicious desert like this, plus I’ve ALWAYS wanted to try this!
As I said I will be making lots of deserts so I was wondering, in the consideration of time, would it be so terrible to use a boxed cake for this? And maybe just add some sour cream and other quick ingredients to it?
Let me know if this wouldn’t go well, and if you are having a major baker anxiety attack thinking of people eating a boxed vanilla cake with your decadent topping!
Thank you!! Hope your day has been lovely so far!
Hi Gloria, You could use a box caked mix if you prefer. It will taste different but it should work.
Super tasty. I skipped the cherries.
Indeed the butter leaks over an 8×8 inch pan, beware as recipe does say this:)
Soooo good! I only had vodka soaked cherries, so they just added to the delicious taste of this cake.
Very yummy! I used some subs Only since I wanted to use only what I had on hand. Success! First, i realized my milk had turned. Yuk. Exp date is in a few days before expiration date. I use a fridge thermometer so I know that wasn’t the reason. I used pineapple juice and some sour cream. I used a fresh pineapple I cut up and got enough juice as it had been cut a few days ago. I also used frozen cranberries since I love them. I used dark brown sugar in the batter with the white. I had no light brown. I had to bake longer and really had to babysit it. My oven is fairly new but I have just moved into a tiny beach studio the oven is tiny. I used a deep glass fluted pie pan. I have a slightly larger one I should have used since some overflow. I used the larger one ( fluted pyrex) when I made Sally’s apple upside down cake and that was perfect. I really stressed about subs but I just went with some tips on line and my brain. Food is so expensive now I try to sub more plus it is awful to waste. Bake and enjoy!
Hi there! What are your thoughts on using buttermilk instead of whole milk in the cake batter? Thank you!
Hi Laurie! We suggest you use buttermilk to replace both the sour cream and whole milk (2/3 cup total).
It’s amazing! It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve baked yet!
Made this for my birthday and it turned out amazing! I ended up cooking it for an extra 15 minutes but there is a lot of humidity in my area right now so that’s no big deal. It flipped over fine but a small inch of caramelized cake stuck to the glass pie pan so I definitely recommend greasing the sides of the pan during step one when you put the melted butter in it. I didn’t have any overflowing issues at all and after I flipped it there was only a little bit of liquid that dripped onto the pan (ended up dipping that little piece of cake that stuck to the glass pan into the liquid and it tasted pretty great). The cake itself was pretty strong and held together nicely when I moved it back into the pie pan after flipping (easier storage for me). Not at all dry or too moist. If anyone is reading this before they make the cake, make sure you read all of the instructions and the tips completely before you dive in and bake it, it should clear up any confusion.
I loved this recipe! The cake was so light and flavorful. The sour cream was absolutely perfect to counterbalance the sweetness. My 8-year-old did most of the baking and loved the experience! Is there a reason you don’t recommend baking it in a cast iron pan, as is traditional for pineapple upside down cake? Next time I’d like to try to bake it in cast iron, unless you have a reason not to.
Hi FlourBouquet, you can make this in your cast iron! Happy baking!
Could I use a different size dish for this? 8×8 glass?
Hi Jessica! Other bakers have reported baking this cake successfully in an 8×8 dish. Let us know if you give it a try!
I would like to try making a 6″ version of this for my friend to take back home with her to Jersey. I figured a smaller version would transport easier in a carry-on tote, if I invert it onto a cake board and wrap it really well. Do you see any issues with making this cake in a 6″x3″ round cake pan? Rather than try to halve the recipe, I would just pour less batter into my tin. How far up on the tin do you think I should fill it?
Hi Chloe! We would fill only about halfway up with the pan that deep but haven’t tested it. Let us know if you give it a try!
I made it Thanksgiving, yet had to cook it a lot longer. I made it Christmas at my mom’s and cooked it an extra five minutes, forgetting how long I had to cook it before. It seemed dry on the toothpick, but I guess not. After 20 minutes, it had fallen and is raw in the middle. I think I had to cook it an extra 25 minutes before. I had my heart set on impressing the relatives; now, it’s just up for salvation and back in the oven, all flat in the middle. Cook it longer…a lot longer.
I’m confused, why would you expect the cake to be done after 20 minutes? The recipe says: “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.”
Can you use evaporated milk instead of regular milk?
That should work in a pinch.
Made this for my brother’s birthday cake as he requested. He turned 19 and kept half of it for himself to take home lol best pineapple upsidedown cake and it looked so pretty.
I want to make this receipe in a bundt pan but am not sure what adjustments if any would be needed to the measurements. Can you help?
Hi Mary, 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 this recipe for mini pineapple cakes? If so, how much of the topping do you put in each cup?
Hi Kristy, You can certainly turn these into cupcakes using a regular cupcake pan and dividing the topping and batter evenly among your cupcake pan. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but it should be about 18-20 minutes. Let us know how they turn out for you!
I love the old recipe – thanks for keeping it. My family says that this is the best tasting cake ever!
The cake stuck to the sides when I inverted it onto a cake plate after cooling for 20 minutes like the directions said on the recipe. Any suggestions?
Hi Erica, the topping caramelizes and can bubble up the sides. After slightly cooling, it can dry and become quite sticky. What may help for next time is greasing the edges of the pan with butter before adding the topping and cake batter.
You can run a knife along the edges to loosen it before you invert it.
The cake came out perfectly!! I didn’t have brown sugar, so it didn’t get the pretty caramelized color yours has. But it looks so nice and smells better.
I loooooved this recipe and so did my family. I want to make a larger cake how would the ingredients change to make it in a 9×13
Hi Allison, for a 9×13 pan, we would recommend doubling 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 cake. So glad your family enjoyed this recipe!
Thank you so much for responding
Did you make the 9 x 13 cake and how long did you bake the cake and did it turn out well. did you only fill the pan halfway and how did the cupcakes turn out. thank you.
I just made this cake for the first time. It smells great but haven’t tasted it yet. When I flipped it over the cake started to separate from the pineapples. Can you tell me why that would happen. I let it cool enough and followed everything.
This happened to me, too!
Did you cut around edges?
This recipe comes out flawlessly every time I make it. Perfection!
I made this cake according to the recipe, using the flour + cornstarch substitute for cake flour, and substituting thoroughly drained crushed pineapple for the maraschino cherries. IMHO it was dry and the egg white cake batter not nearly as tasty as a full-on yellow cake. I love Sally’s recipes and I think she achieved the results she wanted here, but for my (and hubs) tastes the old fashioned gooey cake is better.
I would like to use your new recipe but incorporate some pineapple liqueur in the cake batter. Could I cut down on the whole milk to add the liqueur. I’m thinking like 1/4 cup milk and the remaining liqueur?
Hi Nicolele, we haven’t tried it ourselves, so we’re unsure of the results. The cake may not be as soft and tender without the full amount of milk, but let us know what you try!
I have made this recipe many times, and have had a great outcome! I was planning to make it today, but I didn’t have the cherries this time. Is it okay if I use raspberries instead?
Hi Heidi, that shouldn’t be an issue!
I loved this recipe came out perfect! I used fresh pineapple . The only thing I would do differently is use less sugar , little too sweet for me. I will use 1/2 cup of granulated sugar next time.
Hi, I would like to make this for thanksgiving but I wanted to know how long in advance I could make it. We have to travel so I’d have to make it on Tuesday. Any help would be appreciated
Hi Brian, this isn’t the best cake to make ahead of time or freeze because the pineapples will settle down into the cake. However, see recipe notes for a few make ahead options.
My grandchildren, ages 5 and 7, and I made this for something new to create in the kitchen and this was fun. We made the cake flour ourselves and it was easy to do.
One thing I did a bit differently was to place parchment paper down and spray the pan with canola oil spray prior to placing the butter, brown sugar and fruit into the pan.
I was honestly a bit worried with the amount and consistency of the cake batter…just seemed like it wouldn’t be quite enough and wasn’t as thick as other batters used in the past but everything worked out just fine.
After baking, my 2 little ones sat and stared at it for the 20 minute cool down and were so surprised when they saw the top right where Gram said it would be! When we turned it out on the serving plate, it came out perfectly.
It was light and delicious and half gone within the first hour.
Thanks for your super recipe Sally!
We’re so happy to hear that this cake was a hit for you, DebiJo!
Oh my gosh so delicious! The only thing I did differently was use the Bada Bing Cherries. I personally feel they have a better, richer flavor then the plain Maraschino version. My husband loved this! Thank you!
Can this recipe be halved, without compromising texture?
Hi Carol, you should be able to halve this recipe for a smaller pan with no problems. Enjoy!
Hi- Looking to make these into cupcakes.For anyone who has tried this: Is there a specific cupcake pan that would work best or would a regular one work if i greased it? And any tips?
Hi Sofia, You can certainly turn these into cupcakes using a regular cupcake pan and dividing the topping and batter evenly among your cupcake pan. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but it should be about 18-20 minutes. Let us know how they turn out for you!
Can you use buttermilk in this instead of whole milk and sour cream?
Hi Sonia, you can use buttermilk to replace both the sour cream and whole milk (2/3 cup total).
Excellent! My only issue was the cake stuck to the pan. Next time I would definitely grease the sides.