Tropical Fun: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Each glass of our Sauvignon Blanc bursts with essences of juicy pineapple, ripe passion fruit, and flirty citrus blossoms. In short, it boasts all the best flavors for summer. It's the warm weather here in the Livermore Valley that makes these notes possible: we expose our Sauvignon Blanc fruit to the sun early in the growing process, encouraging golden ripeness and flavor development.

Inspired by this tropical delight, we brought out an old favorite from our recipe box: pineapple upside-down cake. Nostalgic and delicious, this cake is both delightfully easy while still being a showstopper! 

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients

• Topping:
• ¼ cup butter melted
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 (20-oz) can pineapple slices packed in juice (reserve ½ cup juice)
• 19 maraschino cherries
• Cake:
• 6 tablespoons butter softened
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
• 1 large egg
• 4 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt
• ½ cup pineapple juice reserved from can
• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions 

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Make topping: Place melted butter in unlined 9-inch cake pan and lightly brush up the sides. Add brown sugar and stir to combine into a paste. Evenly distribute paste over bottom of pan and arrange pineapple slices on top and along sides (slice rings into ⅓ to line the side). Fill pineapple ring holes and gaps between pineapples with maraschino cherries. Set aside.
3. Cream wet cake ingredients: Place butter and both sugars for cake in large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until creamy and fluffy; about 4-5 minutes. Add egg and beat until fully combined and fluffy. Finally, beat in sour cream and reserved pineapple juice.
4. Make cake batter: Combine dry cake ingredients in medium bowl. Gradually add to creamed mixture while beating on low speed until a smooth cake batter forms.
5. Assemble and bake: Spread cake batter evenly over pineapples and cherries in pan. Bake in hot oven for 45-55 minutes, until middle is fully baked. Cake will be a deep caramelized brown when ready, do not remove from oven too early, or middle will collapse!
6. Cool and invert: Remove cake from oven and allow to cool in pan on cooling rack for 5-8 minutes (no longer, or cake will get stuck!). Carefully invert on a large serving plate. Place plate on cooling rack to cool.

Recipe and photo by Nora from Savory Nothings

Inspired by the delicious subtleties of our Sauvignon Blanc, we recommend serving your cake with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, or a fun citrus sorbet for the best summertime dessert.

Enjoy our Wine of the Month, Sauvignon Blanc, for only $22 a bottle!