Pineapple Upside Down Cake in Cast Iron Skillet

5 from 8 votes

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!

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine :American

Servings: slices

Calories: 337kcal

Recipe Source: Chenée Lewis

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.

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Notes

Skillet: I used a Lodge 10.25" skillet for this recipe, which was a good size -- the cake, when baked, rose to the edge of the skillet. You can also use a 9-inch cake pan, although I haven't tested that option. You'll most likely need to bake your cake for a little longer. Let me know your results if you try the cake that way!

Storage: 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 it a little in the microwave before serving.

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!

Nutrition

Nutrition Disclaimer

Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can't wait to see (and share) your results! Follow me on Instagram at @chenee_today and tag #cheneetoday!