“When autumn darkness falls, what we will remember are the small acts of kindness: a cake, a hug, an invitation to talk, and every single rose. These are all expressions of a nation coming together and caring about its people. ” Jens Stoltenberg
Yesterday was a very pleasant mid fall day. The sun shone bright, the wind was lite and the temps managed to squeak up higher than the predicted 38F. I decided it was a perfect day to make a pineapple upside down cake in my favorite vessel for this. My trusty Cast Iron Skillet.
Trusty workhorse. Well worn.
I remember the first time I made an upside down cake in the skillet. I was terrified that it would get stuck. I’m pleased to report that has never been an issue. I have lost a couple pieces of pineapple on occasion but it is an easy fix to pat them back in.
My problem on this particular Saturday, I did not have sliced pineapple but I did have a 20 oz can of crushed pineapple. OK so hmmmmmmmmmmm….well we have google these days and sure as I’m a Packer Fan, there is a recipe for that! I took said recipe and tweaked it for my own tastes! And this is how we do it!!!
First I assembled what I needed. Always a good idea before you start because I have on many occasions started baking and found out a major ingredient was not available in my home. The 40 mile round trip to the grocery store isn’t always happening. So I’ve gotten better at pre assemble…..kind of like bands and floats at a parade.
Assembled and ready to march!
Next step is to preheat your oven to 325F. Than take whatever you are cooking your cake in and put that stick (1/2 Cup) of BUTTER in it . (Do NOT and I repeat DO NOT substitute with Hippolyte Me’ge-Mourie’s aka margarine) Once your butter has melted remove the pan from the oven. First take you heaping one cup of Brown Sugar and sprinkle it all over the pan! This is where I started doing my own thing. The recipe did not call for cherries. How does that happen in a Pineapple Upside down cake recipe? So I sliced some maraschino cherries up and and set them over the brown sugar ! I next drained the can of crushed pineapple. I used my Pampered Chef Easy Read Measuring Colander placed in my 4 cup liquid measuring cup.
4 cup liquid measuring cup and measuring colander work well together.
After the pineapple was drained it went atop the brown sugar and cherries. Make sure to save the collected pineapple juice!!! Than chop up 3/4 cup of walnuts or pecans to be placed on top of the pineapple. (Though when the cake gets flipped I guess it would be on the bottom of the pineapple…..but more so mixed around ha!)
“They say that there are moments that open up your life like a walnut cracked, that change your point of view so that you never look at things the same way again.”
Jodi Picoult
So we are now moving to the batter. I placed 3 large eggs and 1/2 cup of oil in my 2 Pampered Chef 2 QT Batter bowl. Check the liquid you drained from the pineapple. We need it to be 1 cup, the recipe originally called for water to make 1 cup. BLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH tasteless and dilution right there. I took some of the juice from the cherries and added that to my pineapple juice to make one cup. I think better than water any fruit juice would work well! And that cup of juice to the eggs and the oil and wish together.
they say oil and water don’t mix……thats why we use juice ha!
Last comes the Duncan Hines yellow cake mix added to the liquid mixture and beat in by hand. You could use a electric mixture but what’
s wrong with a few lumps? Lumps are life!!! I’ve got and have had plenty lumps in my life!
” a diamond is merely a lump of coal that did well under pressure” unknown
Pour the batter over everything else that was already placed in your vessel. (For some reason the word “vessel” is amusing me today). And carefully place into the oven to bake. Mine took about 40 minutes but I’d start checking on yours after 30 minutes.
“
Love is when you have a really amazing piece of cake, and it’s the very last piece, but you let him have it.
E. Lockhart
LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA TEEEEEEEEEEEEEE DAAAAAAAA! It is done!!!!
Oven done, and won!
Now comes the tricky part. I let it cool about 20 minutes and then enlisted the muscles of my husband! I get a little nervous flipping that cast iron skillet and my platters are often not quite big enough. I wanted this cake to come out clean so I begged him to help. He did a masters job of cake flipping and I’m adding it to his list of accomplishments!!!
“Let them eat cake”
It was a successful cake baking and eating day! I hope you all will try out this easy recipe and if you do something to make it a little different that turns out good, please share!!!! I’m currently hosting a “Virtual Facebook Pampered Chef Party” so I tried to use several items I’ve had for years in this blog.
Now go EAT DRINK AND MAKE MERRY!!!!
“What Love Is Like
Love is like
a pineapple,
sweet and
undefinable.”
― Piet Hein
I’lll take the cake with the red cherry on top.