Spicy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 534
- Total Fat
- 18
- Saturated Fat
- 11
- Carbohydrates
- 91
- Dietary Fiber
- 1
- Sugar
- 67
- Protein
- 6
- Cholesterol
- 81
- Sodium
- 322
- Total: 2 hr 35 min (includes cooling time)
- Active: 35 min
Ingredients
Caramel Topping:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
2/3 cup sugar
One 20-ounce can pineapple rings
2 tablespoons fresh red Thai chiles, chopped
Cake:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
Directions
- For the caramel topping: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter just the sides of a 9-by-3-inch round cake pan.
- Stir the sugar and 1/3 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Cook, no longer stirring, but gently swirling the saucepan occasionally until the mixture is the color of light amber, 4 to 5 minutes. (If needed, brush any sugar crystals off the side of the pan with a pastry brush dampened with water.) Remove the saucepan from the heat, and carefully whisk in the butter (use caution; the mixture can bubble up considerably). Pour the caramel into the prepared cake pan, tilting the pan to cover most of the bottom (be careful; the pan will be very hot from the caramel). Lay the pineapple rings in the pan and fill each hole evenly with the chiles. Set aside.
- For the cake: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and crushed red pepper flakes in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine the coconut milk, buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl; set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk mixture and mixing until just incorporated.
- Pour the batter over the pineapple in the cake pan and spread evenly. Bake until the cake is golden brown and bounces back when pressed and a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center, 50 to 60 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to separate it from the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack until just cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes. Invert a serving platter over the cake pan and, while holding them together, quickly flip them over so the cake unmolds, pineapple-side up. Let cool completely. Cut into wedges, and serve.
Cook’s Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)