This Apple Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a twist on the original recipe. It pairs the sweetness of pineapple with the crispness of apples tucked a rich cake base.
Step-By-Step Apple Pineapple Upside Down Cake
I’m always on the lookout for a great potluck dessert. I love Upside Down Pineapple Cake not only because it’s so easy to make but because it also looks so pretty on presentation.
So this last summer, I thought I’d go a little “midwestern tropical” by adding apples to this recipe. I’d still follow in part the main steps but include some fanned apples for a show-stopping cake.
This delightfully beautiful cake starts with simple ingredients from the pantry.
After preheating the oven to 375 degrees F, place butter in your baking dish and melt it in the hot oven.
Once the butter has melted, sprinkle some brown sugar over the butter and put it back into the oven to heat, about five minutes.
Baking it makes the brown sugar come out rich and sweet and creates a layer of sugary goodness to lay the apples on.
To prepare the apples, core and slice about two Fuji apples. I like leaving the skin on because I like the added crunch, but you can peel it if you want to.
Fan the apple slices over the buttered brown sugar. And, in the open spaces, place a marchino cherry.
Rather than using pineapple slices, like the original recipe requires, I use crushed pineapple. Drain it well and squeezed out the excess juice.
Then distribute the pineapple evenly over the apples.
When you start the batter, collect the pineapple juice and top with water if necessary to make one full cup.
Continue with mixing the batter per the box instructions.
Use a a mixer to combine the rest of the ingredients. Once mixed well, pour the batter over the pineapple.
Be sure to leave a bit of space at the top of the baking dish so that it won’t overflow.
Put this into a preheated oven to bake for about 50 minutes or so.
Once baked to golden brown, remove from the oven and let it cool on a rack for about 10 minutes. Next, take a knife around the outside of the cake to release it from the baking dish.
Then with a quick flip, invert the cake over onto a slightly larger serving platter. Let this sit for another 30 minutes and then after removing the baking dish, cut and served it. Delish!
It’s moist and rich, and between the apples and pineapple, well, let’s just say, the photo doesn’t do justice to how really tasty it is.
Apple Pineapple Upside Down Cake
This recipe is a step up from the original Pineapple Upside Down Cake. With crisp Fuji apples and crushed pineapple and the rich cake base, you'll be amazed at how simple and easy it is to make. Bakes up in under 60 minutes.
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp butter
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 Fuji apples cored and sliced
- 20 ounces crushed pineapple drained, reserve liquid
- 6 ounces maraschino cherries drained
- 1 box Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ yellow cake mix
Instructions
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Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pan). In 10 inch round or 13x9-inch pan, melt butter in oven.
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Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter.
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Arrange apples in a spiral with cherry in the center. If using a rectangular pan, you can do this several times. Add cherries where you want.
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Next distribute crushed pineapple over the apples and cherries. Be sure to fill in all the empty spaces.
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!For the Cake Mix
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Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 1 cup.
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Make cake batter as directed according to the directions on the cake box. Substitute the pineapple juice/water mixture for the water.
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Pour batter evenly over apples, pineapple and cherries.
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Bake 48 to 50 minutes (44 to 53 minutes for dark or nonstick pan) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
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After you remove cake from oven, let cook for five minutes.
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Then run knife around side of pan to loosen cake.
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Placing heatproof serving plate upside down onto pan; invert it carefully, so as not to drip the hot juices.
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Leave pan over cake for about 10 minutes so brown sugar topping can drizzle over cake.
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Remove pan. Cool additional 30 minutes.
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Serve warm or cool.
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Store uneaten cake in the refrigerator.
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Enjoy!
