Make Your Own Mini Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes
This old-school dessert never goes out of style, but the fat and calories in traditional recipes might force you out of those skinny jeans. Our properly portioned recipe saves the day!
Recipes for typical pineapple upside-down cake call for sticks of butter and cups of sugar just for the pineapple topping! This leads to slices of cake with at least 400 calories and 15 grams of fat.
Making pineapple upside-down cupcakes equals portion control for this culinary classic. You can also make this same recipe in a 9x13 inch cake pan and divide into 12 pieces for the calories to come out the same. While the occasional maraschino cherry (the typical topping), is harmless, we used fresh raspberries instead.
*You can also use a boxed vanilla cake mix – we like Arrowhead Mills brand.
** Cut pineapple vertically into thin planks, then into small rounds using a cookie cutter or ring mold
Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Prepare cake batter and set aside.
Spray a 12-cup cupcake pan liberally with cooking spray. Fill each cup with one teaspoon of melted butter, followed by one teaspoon of brown sugar. Add pineapple and a raspberry to each cup, then top with 1/3 cup of cake batter. Bake for 20 to 24 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Using a butter knife, gently remove the cupcakes and turn them pineapple side up. Transfer to a wire wrack to cool completely. Serve dusted with confectioners’ sugar.
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Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of Dana White Nutrition, Inc., which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition. See Dana's full bio »
