Did you grow up eating pineapple upside-down cake? Maybe your grandma baked it special for holidays and family functions. A dessert made popular in the 1920s and ‘30s, pineapple upside-down cake is traditionally made in a cast iron skillet to create the sweet, sticky and slightly crispy caramelized pineapple topping this classic American dessert is known for. To add a modern spin and an extra punch to this classic treat, caramelize the pineapples in a sugar glaze amped up with a robust, full flavored whiskey like Ransom Spirits WhipperSnapper whiskey. This handcrafted, Oregon-made whiskey adds the perfect balance of flavor to the ultra sweet topping traditionally found in this cake.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time:
Makes: One 10-inch cake
Ingredients:
For the pineapple topping:
½ cup water
½ cup brown sugar
½ ounce Ransom Spirits’ WhipperSnapper whiskey
4 tablespoons butter
pineapple rings (fresh or from a canned)
maraschino cherries
For the cake batter:
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, bring water, brown sugar and whiskey to a rolling boil, being sure to stir the mixture as it boils. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once mixture has reached a syrupy consistency, add 4 tablespoons of butter, stirring constantly to ensure that the sugar and butter do not burn. Continue simmering and stirring for 3 minutes. Mixture will continue to thicken and caramelize.
Add pineapple rings and return heat to high. Once boiling again, reduce heat to low and simmer for 8 minutes. After the pineapples have finished simmering in the glaze, remove pineapples from skillet and return glaze to a boil over medium-high heat. Gently boil for 1-2 minutes, or until glaze has become thick and syrupy. Cool glaze slightly and return pineapple rings to skillet. Place maraschino cherries in center of each pineapple ring and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and egg yolks until blended. Add sugar and melted butter, mix until all ingredients are combined.
On low speed, gently beat the flour mixture into the egg mixture until batter is smooth and free of any clumps.
Evenly pour the batter over the top of the pineapple topping in the skillet. Place skillet in center rack of oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cake is golden brown.
Let cake cool on counter for 5 minutes, then run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it from the skillet. Let stand for another 10 minutes before flipping cake out of pan onto serving plate.
