Fresh Pineapple Upside Down Cake

We love this pineapple upside down cake! The gooey brown sugar and pineapple topping is simply irresistible. The cake itself is incredibly moist and tender, and the best part is that it’s so easy to make!

The simple cake batter is flavored with vanilla and lime, giving it a lovely tropical flavor that works so well with the fresh pineapple and brown sugar.

I love this pineapple cake so much and cannot wait for you to try it! For more cake recipes with fruit added to the batter, see our fresh strawberry cake or this lemon blueberry cake!

Key Ingredients

• Pineapple: For the best flavor, I love using fresh pineapple. It’s lighter and more tart than canned pineapple. If you don’t have any fresh pineapple, canned slices packed in water or light syrup work too!
• Butter: I use butter in two ways in this recipe. First, I spread it on the cake pan, then sprinkle brown sugar over it before adding the pineapple. This creates a delicious caramel-like topping that’s nice and gooey when you turn the cake upside down for serving. I also use butter in the cake batter to make it rich and flavorful.
• Sugar: I use brown sugar for the topping and granulated sugar for the cake batter.
• Eggs: To get the perfect texture, I separate the eggs. The yolks are beaten into the butter and sugar, while the egg whites are gently mixed in at the end. I’ve tried making this cake with whole eggs like in other cake recipes, but the batter rises too much and overflows the pan. By gently stirring in the egg whites (unbeaten), we limit the air in the batter and prevent it from overflowing in the oven.
• Baking Powder: This helps the cake rise.
• Flour: I use all-purpose flour, but you can substitute a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend if needed.
• Sour Cream: This helps to make our upside down cake tender and moist. Plain yogurt works well if you don’t have sour cream.
• Spices: I use a combination of cinnamon, lime zest, vanilla, and salt. The cinnamon isn’t traditional, but it adds a lovely warmth to the cake.

How to Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake

First, you’ll make the brown sugar topping. Grab your cake pan and spread softened butter all over the bottom. Scatter over brown sugar and cinnamon, then place pineapple slices on top.

As the cake bakes, the pineapple releases some of its juices and sweetness, which runs out into the brown sugar topping. Once the cake bakes and you turn it upside down onto a plate, you’ll have a delicious, gooey brown sugar topping.

I use my hand-held mixer for the cake batter, but a stand mixer works, too. I beat butter, sugar, and lime zest until light and fluffy, then add vanilla and egg yolks (saving the whites for later). I then add the flour, baking powder, and salt. I finish by mixing in the sour cream and (unbeaten) egg whites.

From there, I spoon the batter into the cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. I allow the cake to cool for a few minutes in the pan and then invert it upside down onto a serving platter (watch me do this in our video).

The pineapple slices are soft and sweet, the brown sugar gooey topping tastes incredible, and the cake is moist and tender. So good!