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PIneapple Upside-Down Cake

When I first made this cake, I was under the impression that I didn't like pineapple upside-down cake. Turns out, I just don't like the ones sold at the grocery store and served at the church potlucks of my childhood. This one is a nice combination of spongey cake with a caramel/fruit topping. If you're careful, you can eat enough fruit before the pineapple cooks down that you can trick yourself into thinking you've been healthy.

I choose to make this cake in one pan. I saute the pineapple, make the caramel, return the pinapple, and put the cake on top of it -- all in the same cast iron skillet. The only trouble with this plan is that the recipe is written for a 10" skillet, and I have a 9" and a 12". Believe me, I've tried with the 9" and it's just too small, so I use the 12". Which is perfect for holding one whole pineapple, but does mean the cake batter is a bit thinner than intended.



Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Cook's Illustrated


Topping:
1 pineapple, in chunks (about 4 c)
1 c brown sugar
3 T unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Cake:
1 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking power
 1/2 tsp table salt
8 T unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 egg white
1/3 c whole milk


Prepare a 9" cake pan or 10" cast iron skillet.

For the topping, combine pineapple and brown sugar in skillet and cook over medium heat, about 15-18 minutes.

Empty fruit into a strainer over a bowl. Return juices to skillet, leaving pineapple to drain (keep it over a bowl). Begin to cook down the juices. At the 4 minute mark, add any additional juice that may have drained from the pineapple. Cook 2-4 more minutes, until thickened, and it begins to darken.

Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla.



If using a cake pan, pour the caramel mixture into the pan and set aside.

(Pineapple will continue to release liquid as it sits, but you will not use this.)

For the cake, preheat oven to 350.

Whisk together flour, powder and salt.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Reudce to medium. Add vanilla and combine. Add eggs, one at a time, and then the egg white. Beat well and scrape down the bowl.

Reduce speed to low. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Add 1/2 of the milk. Repeat flour-milk-flour. Give a final stir with a spatula, scraping the sides and bottom. The batter will be thick.

To bake, distribute pineapple over the caramel and lightly press fruit down. Using a rubber spatula, drop mounds of batter over fruit and then spread over to reach the sides of the pan.

Tap pan lightly against counter top to release any air bubbles. Bake about 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Then, invert, cool to room temperature (about 2 hours), and then serve.


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