I love any excuse to use my cast iron skillet. It’s nothing fancy, just something I picked up during a random trip to Bed Bath. I dont use it all that often, but I just love the idea of a heavy pan that is great on the stove and in the oven. Plus, one of my friends with a serious sweet tooth was coming for dinner, so I had to make a dessert that would measure up to her high standards.
Enter the best food blog in the world: Smitten Kitchen. I can’t say enough good things about this blog. I have never made a single thing from there that wasn’t amazing. The author, Deb, is funny, entertaining and an incredible photographer. And man, does she love to bake. So I knew I was in good hands when I decided to make the Pineapple Upside-down Cake that she adapted from a Gourmet recipe.
As a note- I totally dig the upside-down cake. Be on the lookout for more in the future…
Pineapple Upside-down Cake – from Smitten Kitchen
Topping:
1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cored
3/4 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
Batter:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon dark rum
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
Special equipment: A well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet. If you lack a cast-iron skillet of this size, make the caramel in a small pot and scrape it into the bottom of a similarly-sized cake pan. (I used a 12 inch cast iron skillet, which I actually think was great, the cake was thinner, which meant more pineapple-y goodness in every bite.)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Make topping: Cut pineapple crosswise into 3/8-inch-thick pieces. Melt butter in skillet. Add brown sugar and simmer over moderate heat, stirring, four minutes. Remove from heat. Arrange pineapple on top of sugar mixture in concentric circles, overlapping pieces slightly.
Make batter: Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in granulated sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and rum. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed just until blended. Beat in pineapple juice, then add remaining flour mixture, beating just until blended. (Batter may appear slightly curdled.)
Nana's Kitchen Aid mixer stands the test of time and baking:)
Spoon batter over pineapple topping and spread evenly. Bake cake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cake stand in skillet five minutes. Invert a plate over skillet and invert cake onto plate (keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together). Replace any pineapple stuck to bottom of skillet. Cool on plate on a rack.
Serve cake just warm or at room temperature.
For Nana 