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Pineapple Upside Down Cake: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C)
and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a non stick
vegetable spray) a 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pan with 2 inch (5 cm) sides.
Topping: Place
the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until
the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Continue cooking, without
stirring, for a few
more minutes or until bubbles just start to appear around the outside edges of
the mixture (the sugar starts to caramelize). Then remove from heat, and
pour into your prepared cake pan. Evenly arrange the pineapple slices on
top of the sugar mixture. If you like, place a Maraschino Cherry in the center
of each pineapple slice. Can also place more cherries around the outside edge of
the cake.
Cake Batter: In a large bowl,
sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of your electric
stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter, sugar,
and vanilla extract until light and
fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the egg yolks
and beat until incorporated. Add the flour mixture (in three additions),
alternately with the milk (in two additions), ending with the dry ingredients
(the batter will be thick).
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg
whites with the cream of tartar just until the whites hold a firm peak. With a
large spatula gently fold the beaten egg whites into the cake batter in two
additions. Pour the batter into the cake pan, smoothing the top with the back of
a spoon or offset spatula. Bake in
preheated oven for 35 - 45 minutes, or until the top of the cake is a deep
golden brown and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan (a toothpick
inserted into the cake (not the pineapple) will come out clean). Remove from
oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife
around the edge of the pan and then invert the cake onto your serving plate.
Serve warm. This cake is best on the day it's baked. But leftovers can be
covered and stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Reheat in the
microwave.
Makes about 8 servings.
Note:
Instead of canned pineapple slices, you can use
1 medium fresh pineapple. Peel, quarter, and core
the pineapple and then cut into 1/4 inch (.5 cm) slices.
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References:
Anderson, Jean. The American
Century Cookbook. Clarkson Potter/Publishers. New York: 1997.
Grigson, Jane. Fruit Book.
Penguin Books. London: 1982.
Lovegren, Sylvia. Fashionable
Food. MacMillan. New York: 1995.
Smith, Andrew F. The Oxford
Companion to American Food and Drink. Oxford University Press. New York:
2007.
Waters, Alice. Chez Panisse
Fruit. Harper Collins Publishers. New York: 2002.
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