Dressed Up Cake

You may ask what is with the title of this post. Well that is thanks to Randy. I had told Randy I had made a cake and he said he had to add some things to it. I didn't quite understand it because this is not just a plain cake, its a pineapple upside down cake. Randy managed to take a simple pineapple upside down cake and make it very pleasing to the eye.


Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
(Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy)


For the cake:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature if using hand mixer
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk

For the topping:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 to 6 slices fresh pineapple, cored, or 1 cup drained pineapple chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 1/2 inch or 10-inch cake pan with cooking spray. I used a square baking dish instead.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt three times and set aside.
Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in the pan and spread evenly over the bottom. Sprinkle in the brown sugar and press down in an even layer. Arrange the pineapple in an even layer on top of the sugar, breaking up the pieces if necessary.
Make the topping. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter on high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. ( I do not have a stand mixer so I used the hand mixer. I am hoping to get a Kitchen Aid soon). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to beat at high speed while you gradually add the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. At low speed, slowly add the sifted dry ingredients alternating with the milk. Beat until smooth.
Spread the batter over the pineapple. Bake for 35 to 40 minute, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes.
Using oven mitts, reverse the pan onto a large serving plate and allow to the cake to cool before serving (it can be served warm but not hot).