Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Warm pineapple upside-down cake will melt in your mouth.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Serves 8


Ingredients:

2 tsp plus 1/4 cup softened butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
8 oz. canned pineapple - drained
6 maraschino cherries - halved
1&1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp finely chopped or grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp lemon juice


Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 2 tsp butter in a 9-inch round cake pan.

Stir in the brown sugar and 1 tbsp water. Arrange the pineapple (cubes or slices) and cherries evenly in the pan, in any design you like. Set the pan aside.

Stir the flour, sugar and baking powder into a medium mixing bowl. Add milk and the remaining butter, along with the egg and the vanilla. Add the lemon zest, cinnamon and lemon juice.

Beat the mixture with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are basically combined, then beat on medium speed for about a minute. Transfer the batter into the pan containing the pineapple. Be careful that you don't disturb your fruit design.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and turn over onto a plate. Serve warm.


Enjoy....


Tips:

• Try using fresh instead of canned pineapple, or use a fruit besides cherries; strawberries, blackberries and figs are all tasty possibilities.
• Garnish the top of the cake with crushed pineapple or a pineapple spread.
• Allow the cake to cool before attempting to remove it from the pan. If you don't, the cake may stick.