Mini pineapple upside-down cakes are just like retro classic upside down pineapple cake but in mini form! This mini cake has everything you look forward to the retro classic dessert –pineapple rings at the bottom with caramelized edges with tender moist vanilla cake.
We love all things pineapple. Our favorite has always been grilled pineapple until I made upside down pineapple mini cakes. My kids now want me to make mini pineapple cakes and dole whip more often.
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Ingredients you’ll need
Here’s what you need:
For bottom layer (cake toppings)
- 1 can pineapple rings
- ⅓ cup butter
- ⅔ cup brown sugar, tightly packed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 maraschino cherries
For top layer (cake)
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder (optional)
Ingredients notes
- Pineapple rings comes in juice and sugar syrup. I highly recommend pineapple rings in juice instead of syrup. Syrup ones are very sweet.
- Maraschino cherries are preserved cherries in a cherry liqueur called maraschino. The real maraschino cherries are expensive and hard to source. I used regular preserved cherries.
- Use white granulated sugar instead of mix of white and brown sugar in cake mix.
Ingredients additions & substitutions
To make adult cake, substitute vanilla extract with rum. Substitute vanilla with rum in both topping and cake batter.
To reduce the effort further, feel free to use yellow boxed cake mix instead of making it from scratch.
How to make mini pineapple upside-down cakes
Experts tip – make brown sugar butter topping after cake batter is done. The brown sugar butter syrup should be warm when you assemble the cake.
- Pre heat oven at 350F.
- In a bowl sieve all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon powder. Mix it together, keep aside.
- In another large bowl beat eggs until creamed and fluffy, for about 2 minutes. Add white sugar and brown sugar, beat for a minute.
- Add pineapple juice, vanilla extract (or rum if using), beat for few seconds to combine.
- Now add dry ingredients. Whisk until combined. DO NOT over beat cake batter.
- Keep batter aside.
- Place pineapple rings on a tray lined with kitchen paper towel. Dab the rings dry with a paper towel on top. If you are using real maraschino cherries, place that too on paper towel to dry out excess liquid.
- In a sauce pan add butter, brown sugar, salt and vanilla extract.
- Whisk together and heat it until brown sugar is dissolved.
- Remove sauce pan from heat and let it sit for few minutes.
- Spray generous oil on muffin trays.
- Pour a tablespoon of warm brown sugar-butter syrup at the bottom. (Note- I used regular muffin tray). For jumbo muffin trays you’ll need to add 2 tablespoon of brown sugar butter syrup.
- Place pineapple rings on it.
- Add halved cherry or full cherry (pitted) in the hole of pineapple rings.
- Pour cake mix over to fill muffin tray ¾ of the way full.
- Bake in pre-heated oven at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes(for jumbo muffin trays) or until toothpick comes out clean.
Note: cooking time will vary if use switch to regular muffin trays. Keep a close watch. Baking in regular muffin trays will need somewhere between 15 to 18 minutes. Check for done with toothpick test.
Pull them out of the oven and let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes.
Loosen the edges with butter knife. Place a cookie sheet on top of the muffin trays and flip them over. Mini pineapple upside-down cakes will come out clean onto the cookie sheet.
Enjoy immediately.
FAQS
You’ll need jumbo muffin tins to bake mini pineapple upside-down cake. If you don’t have jumbo muffin tins, you can use regular muffin tins and follow one of these hacks:
1. I used regular muffin tins to make this mini pineapple upside-down cake. To make pineapple rings fit at the bottom on regular muffin tins, simply cut pineapple rings into smaller rings using donut cutter. The size of donut cutter you have matters. The one I have results in smaller pineapple rings that fit perfectly in regular muffin tins.
2. Use regular muffin tins and simply use crushed pineapple instead of rings. Look for crushed canned pineapple instead of pineapple rings.
Canned pineapple rings preserved in juice (it’s better than pineapple rings in syrup) is best choice. Fresh pineapple will not work for this mini cake recipe for many reasons. When fresh pineapple ring bakes, it’s fibrous and don’t turn caramelized as it’s not soaked in juice or syrup.
Definitely use canned pineapple rings.
If pineapple rings don’t fit the muffing trays you are using, check the above trick mentioned.
Follow the same instructions and bake a full pineapple upside-down cake using 9” round cake pan. Baking time needs to be adjusted for full cake. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Then cover with aluminum foil and bake for further 10-15 minutes, check the doneness with toothpick test.
Pineapple cakes are best enjoyed the same day they are made. If you have leftovers, place them on a plate, cover tightly with plastic cling wrap and store in fridge for up to 3 days.
MORE PINEAPPLE RECIPES:
Grilled pineapple with brown sugar rum glaze
Grilled pineapple shrimp skewers
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📋RECIPE: Mini Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients
For bottom layer – cake toppings
- 1 can pineapple rings
- ⅓ cup butter
- ⅔ cup brown sugar tightly packed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 maraschino cherries
For top layer – cake
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder optional
Instructions
- Pre heat oven at 350F.
- In a bowl sieve all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon powder. Mix it together, keep aside.
- In another large bowl beat eggs until creamed and fluffy, for about 2 minutes. Add white sugar and brown sugar, beat for a minute.
- Add pineapple juice, vanilla extract (or rum if using), beat for few seconds to combine.
- Now add dry ingredients. Whisk until combined. DO NOT over beat cake batter.
- Keep batter aside.
- Place pineapple rings on a tray lined with kitchen paper towel. Dab the rings dry with a paper towel on top. If you are using real maraschino cherries, place that too on paper towel to dry out excess liquid.
- In a sauce pan add butter, brown sugar, salt and vanilla extract.
- Whisk together and heat it until brown sugar is dissolved.
- Remove sauce pan from heat and let it sit for few minutes.
- Spray generous oil on muffin trays.
- Pour a tablespoon of warm brown sugar-butter syrup at the bottom. (Note- I used regular muffin tray). For jumbo muffin trays you’ll need to add 2 tablespoon of brown sugar butter syrup.
- Place pineapple rings on it.
- Add halved cherry or full cherry (pitted) in the hole of pineapple rings.
- Pour cake mix over to fill muffin tray ¾ of the way full.
- Bake in pre-heated oven at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes(for jumbo muffin trays) or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Note: cooking time will vary if use switch to regular muffin trays. Keep a close watch. Baking in regular muffin trays will need somewhere between 15 to 18 minutes. Check for done with toothpick test.
- Pull them out of the oven and let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Loosen the edges with butter knife. Place a cookie sheet on top of the muffin trays and flip them over. Mini pineapple upside-down cakes will come out clean onto the cookie sheet.
- Enjoy immediately.
Video
Notes
- I used regular muffin tins to make this mini pineapple upside-down cake. To make pineapple rings fit at the bottom on regular muffin tins, simply cut pineapple rings into smaller rings using donut cutter. The size of donut cutter you have matters. The one I have results in smaller pineapple rings that fit perfectly in regular muffin tins.
- Use regular muffin tins and simply use crushed pineapple instead of rings. Look for crushed canned pineapple instead of pineapple rings.
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