This easy pineapple upside down cake in a cast iron skillet recipe is so good, and pretty simple to make! If you've ever wanted to try a cast iron skillet pineapple upside down cake from scratch, now's your chance!
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And if you like this classic dessert recipe, try my Blueberry Cake Filling, my Vegan Gingerbread Loaf Cake, or my Pumpkin Pecan Dump Cake!
Pineapple Upside Down Cake in Cast Iron Pan
Growing up, my favorite dessert that my mom would make is pineapple upside-down cake. It's a fun retro dessert that still definitely holds up, and is always a treat when I have some. As I got older and got more into baking, I started making a lot myself.
I typically used to make it using a yellow cake mix as the base, which is easy and always comes out great. But this from-scratch cast-iron skillet version is so easy and even more delicious!
I decided to make this cake because my friend Jackie was having a birthday this week and specifically requested pineapple upside-down cake! It's one of my favorite cakes to make, so it was definitely a no-brainer!
Jump to:
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake in Cast Iron Pan
- Can you bake a cake in a cast iron skillet?
- Why should I use a cast-iron skillet?
- Ingredients
- What is the best pan for pineapple upside down cake?
- Pineapple upside-down cake step-by-step
- Cast Iron Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Rum
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Top Tip
- Related Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Can you bake a cake in a cast iron skillet?
You sure can! And this cast iron pineapple upside down cake is the best place to start! It's simple to make, and the cast iron skillet helps the topping to caramelize so well. I love using a cast iron skillet for this type of cake -- it's so easy and the perfect dessert for any celebration!
Why should I use a cast-iron skillet?
The method of making classic pineapple upside down cake involves melting butter in the bottom of the pan, adding pineapples, brown sugar, and cherries, and then pouring the batter on top.
So after flipping the cake over once it's baked, the caramelized pineapples and cherries become the topping, and gives the cake a buttery sweet richness. Using a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet makes it easier to melt the butter, and helps to caramelize the pineapple topping even more to take this classic cake to the next level!
That said, this cake can definitely be made in a 9-inch cake pan -- just watch the cake closely near the end of the baking time. If you do make it in a regular cake pan, let me know how it works out!
Ingredients
You can see the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below, but here's a look at what you'll need to have on hand:
- sugar - using granulated sugar in the cake batter adds the perfect sweetness.
- eggs - make sure your large eggs are at room temperature before you start mixing your batter. If they feel cold to the touch, submerge them in a bowl of lukewarm water for 15 minutes.
- vanilla - for the best flavor, I like to use pure vanilla extract. Or you can make your own vanilla!
- vegetable oil - this adds moisture to our skillet upside down cake. You can use canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or any other neutral flavored oil.
- milk - I use whole milk in all of my baking for the best flavor and texture, but you can substitute low-fat milk or buttermilk, if desired.
- crushed pineapple - reserved from can of crushed pineapple below
- flour - for this cake, all-purpose flour helps maintain a great structure and balance out the other ingredients.
- baking powder - using baking powder gives our skillet pineapple upside down cake a lift.
- salt - adding in a little salt helps to bring out all these other flavors.
And then to make the upside down caramelized topping, here's what you'll need:
- butter - I use salted butter for the best flavor, but you can definitely use unsalted butter too if you throw a pinch or two of salt in with your butter.
- light brown sugar - I find that light brown sugar gives the best balance of caramely sweetness in this cast iron skillet pineapple upside down cake recipe
- crushed pineapple - You can definitely use pineapple slices, but I love the ease of using crushed pineapple, and how you get pineapple in every bite! Drain the pineapple into a bowl and reserve the juice for the cake batter!
- maraschino cherries - each maraschino cherry will need to be cut in half. I typically use regular bright red maraschino cherries, but you can also use Luxardo cherries for even better flavor.
What is the best pan for pineapple upside down cake?
I like to use a good-quality, well-seasoned cast iron skillet for this cast iron pineapple upside down cake recipe. A great option is the Lodge cast-iron skillet! You can also use a 9 inch cake pan or skillet, but you may need to bake your cake a little longer in a standard cake pan.
You'll also need a rubber spatula, a whisk or electric mixer to mix up the cake batter.
Pineapple upside-down cake step-by-step
It couldn't be easier to make this delicious cake! To start with, the super-simple batter is similar to my spiced banana cake -- another single layer cake!
Once you've whipped up the cake batter in a large bowl, you'll melt butter in your skillet over medium heat.
Then sprinkle your brown sugar into the bottom of the skillet on top of the melted butter. This will help caramelize the topping on your cake.
Then, place the cherry halves, cut side up. Ordinarily you would arrange them evenly across the cake, but I placed mine in a "J" in honor of my friend Jackie's birthday. Feel free to get creative!
Once you have the cherries down, gently spoon the drained pineapple over the top (we used the reserved pineapple juice in the cake batter).
You'll notice this recipe calls for crushed pineapple, whereas most pineapple upside-down cake recipes call for a can of pineapple slices. This is just my personal preference -- I find that crushed pineapple makes the cake easier to slice than pineapple rings, and gets more pineapple flavor more evenly all over the cake!
But it's up to you -- the caramelization method is the same whether you use crushed or sliced pineapple. If you do end up using sliced pineapple, then just put your cherry halves in the center of each pineapple ring!
In any case, the final step is to just pour batter over the pineapple in the skillet, and bake until golden brown for the best pineapple upside down cake ever!
Cast Iron Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Rum
If you want to add a little rum to this cake, I don't blame you! My Rum Pound Cake and my Eggnog Bread Pudding with Brown Butter Rum Sauce are two of my favorite recipes!
All you need to do is replace half of the pineapple juice in the batter with dark rum, and sprinkle on a tablespoon of dark rum to the topping after you add the pineapples. It's that easy!
Frequently Asked Questions
This is in some ways, the point -- the moisture in the cherries and the pineapple soaks into the top of the skillet cake to form the moist, caramelized pineapple topping. If you're worried about having too much moisture in your cake, you can drain your pineapples very well and pat your cherries dry before adding them in.
When making the caramelized topping, your first step is melting butter in the pan. So you won't need to separately grease the pan when making upside down pineapple cake in a cast iron skillet.
Luckily, with this recipe we're using a pan that has a handle. So you'll just run a knife around the edge of the warm cake while it's in the skllet, then top the skillet with a large heat-proof plate, wire rack, or platter, and then invert them both so that the skillet is now on top. The cake should fall right out.
No, because you want the sugar to still be in liquid form to allow the caramelized topping to come out of the pan. If you wait too long, the brown sugar may harden or thicken, which may make it harder to remove from the pan. Just let your cake cool for about 10 minutes after you remove your cake from the oven.
Yes, I like to keep leftovers in the fridge because of the fruit topping. But it tastes best if you allow it to come to room temperature or heat each slice of pineapple upside down cake a little in the microwave before serving.
Top Tip
For the best results, don't forget to measure your flour by weight with a kitchen scale! It'll help ensure accurate measurements and prevent a dry cake!
Related Recipes
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
For the cake:
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup whole milk - (you can substitute lowfat milk or buttermilk, if desired)
- ⅓ cup pineapple juice - reserved from can of pineapple
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the topping:
- cooking spray
- 6 tablespoon salted butter
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- 20 oz crushed pineapple - drained and ⅓ cup juice reserved
- 10 maraschino cherries - cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray an 8 or 10-inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray. (You can also use a 9-inch round cake pan -- see note)cooking spray
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat sugar, eggs, & vanilla for one minute.⅔ cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Stir in oil, milk, and juice and mix well.⅓ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup whole milk, ⅓ cup pineapple juice
- Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt and fold in with a rubber spatula until just combined. Set aside while you prepare the topping.1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- On the stovetop, melt butter on medium heat in your cast-iron skillet.6 tablespoon salted butter
- Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter in skillet. Add cherry halves evenly to brown sugar layer, cut side down.⅔ cup light brown sugar, 10 maraschino cherries
- Spoon crushed pineapple over cherries and pat with the back of a spoon to distribute evenly.20 oz crushed pineapple
- Pour batter into pan on top of pineapples and bake for about 30-35 minutes in preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a cake plate. If any of the pineapple sticks to the pan, just scrape it off and gently add to the top of the cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Last Updated on April 17, 2025 by Chenée Lewis
Jen says
We made the cake in a 9x9” square metal pan. It turned out amazing! Delicious and moist! Definitely a keeper!
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so happy you liked it! 🙂 Thank you!
Susan says
I made this yesterday and it’s delicious! Your recipe is perfect, I used buttermilk and it was light, fluffy and not overly sweet. Thanks for the recipe!
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you!
Carole says
Love your blog…we have blooming cacti and fruit trees, and many bees!
Chenée Lewis says
Amazing! That sounds so lovely!
Susan Sims says
Great, easy recipe! We loved it! I used buttermilk (have it on hand and need to use it) and subbed mayonnaise for the vegetable oil. There is something about oil in a cake that I don't like so I've started using mayo which you can't detect. It just makes for a very moist cake. The next time I make this cake, I am going to cut the sugar in the batter to maybe 1/4 cup. With the nice brown sugar topping, the cake needs just a little for our taste buds. Your topping to batter ratio is perfect! Just like a pineapple upside cake should be.. Great job on this recipe!
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you so much! So glad it worked for you and I love the mayo substitute!
Jennifer says
I made this today for my family and we can’t wait to try it - it looks and smells wonderful! I had never used my cast iron for baking a cake and it was so much easier and less mess. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so glad you're giving it a try! I hope you and your family enjoyed!!
Tina says
I’ve made this twice and it is delish. I was looking for a crushed pineapple recipe because I had crushed instead of rings. I love it more this way! Thank you
Chenée Lewis says
I like it better that way too! Glad you liked it!
Tina says
This was delish! Thanks for the great desert, my family loved it.
Chenée Lewis says
So great to hear! Thanks!
BETHANY Ann JACOB says
Your pineapple upside down cake looks so scrumptious that, at 230 am, I am heading to the kitchen to whip one up and praying I have the ingredients! If I have to improvise I'll let you know how it turned out as well as my (improvisions)☆used! I don't think that is an actual word : p ☆
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you!! I hope you liked it! And yes let me know how any changes work out lol! 🙂
Lisa Highfield says
Great recipe. I used fresh pineapple I got free and added just a little of the cherry juice to the batter. Beautiful and delicious! Thank you for sharing
Chenée Lewis says
I love the idea of adding the cherry juice! Thanks for the feedback! 🙂
Grace Fredericks says
This looks delicious. I love pineapple, I will definitely give it a try.
Chenée Today says
Awesome! Let me know how you like it!
Macy says
Your pictures look amazing! Hahah, if I ever attempt this, I hope mine can look half as good.
Chenée Today says
Thanks! I'm sure they'll look just as good!