Golden Pineapple Upside Down Cake
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time:
- 1 large pineapple
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 160g/5.6ozs. butter, softened
- 150g/5ozs. brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2.5 cups cake flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 200ml/7flozs. buttermilk (or milk soured with 1 tablespoon lemon juice)
Step 1 - Line a 18cm/7inch springform tin on the base and sides with parchment. Preheat oven to 180c/350F. First make the pineapple top. Top and tail the pineapple and remove the hard skin from outside the pineapple. Mandolin the pineapple on setting 2 or 3 (not the thinnest). I recommend using a mandolin for a consistent thickness but you can also use a knife if you want.
Step 2 - Place the 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water onto boil and dissolve the sugar. Set on medium heat and gently simmer the pineapple discs until pliable-they should be done in 3-4 minutes. Drain and cool until ready to handle. Then place these on the base and sides of the lined tin overlapping. Chop the remaining pineapple and simmer until soft. Cool and drain and toss the pieces in a couple of tablespoons of the overall cake flour mixture.
Step 3 - Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, flour, salt, baking powder, buttermilk and floured pineapple pieces and mix until just combined. Spoon on top of the pineapple lined tin and bake for 1 hour or until the centre springs back when touched. Cool and then carefully upend the cake. Serve with vanilla ice cream.