Easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Pineapple Upside Down Cake on a baking sheet

This Easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake is made with boxed cake mix and canned pineapple and jarred maraschino cherries. It is assembled in just minutes but has all of the flavors of this classic dessert!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Cool Time 30

Total Time 1 40

Servings pieces

Calories 426kcal

Author Meghan

Equipment

1 13x9-inch cake pan

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter
1 cup packed brown sugar plus extra to fill in gaps
20 ounces canned pineapple slices in juice drained, juice reserved
6 ounces jarred maraschino cherries without stems drained (about 18 cherries)
1 box yellow cake mix
½ cup vegetable oil see note
3 eggs see note

Instructions

Make the Topping:

Place the butter in a 13x9-inch pan and set it on the middle oven rack. Preheat the oven to 350°F or 325°F for a dark or nonstick pan. Check on the butter after 5 minutes to see if it has melted.
6 tablespoons butter
Once the butter has fully melted, sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the melted butter. If you have gaps, you can add extra brown sugar to fill them in.
1 cup packed brown sugar
Gently lift the pineapple slices out of the can with a fork. Pat the rings dry with paper towels. Strain the juice left in the can through a small strainer into a glass measuring cup to remove any pineapple bits. Add water to the juice to make a total of 1 cup of liquid. Set the juice aside.
Arrange the pineapple slices on top of the brown sugar. Place a single cherry in the center of each pineapple slice. Then, place the remaining cherries around the slices, gently pressing them into the brown sugar.

Bake the Cake

Prepare the cake according to your package instructions but instead of water use the reserved diluted pineapple juice.
Pour the cake batter into the pan over the topping.
Bake the cake for 40 to 46 minutes (or 44 to 53 minutes for a dark or nonstick pan) until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Run a knife around the edges of the pan as soon as it is removed from the oven to loosen the cake.
Place a heatproof serving plate upside down on top of the pan. Turn the plate and pan over together. Leave the pan on top of the platter for 5 minutes so the topping can drizzle over the cake.
Remove the pan. Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Oil and egg amounts will vary depending on your boxed cake mix. Please follow the directions on your specific mix.

Source: Adapted from Betty Crocker

You're Gonna Bake It After All

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