Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes
Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes turn a classic dessert into neat individual portions with caramelized pineapple, glossy cherries, and a soft, moist sponge cake underneath.
Equipment
- 12-mold JUMBO muffin tin
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Small saucepan
- Wire cooling rack
- Toothpick
Ingredients
For the cake
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 2 teaspoons rum (or pure vanilla extract)
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
For the topping
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon rum (or vanilla extract)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 12 pineapple rings
- 12 maraschino cherries
Instructions
Cake and Assembly
- Heat the oven to 350 °F and coat a 12-mold JUMBO muffin tin generously with non-stick cooking spray. The pan needs a thorough coating so the warm sugar topping releases more cleanly after baking.
- Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until smooth, then beat in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and rum or vanilla before stirring in the pineapple juice. The wet mixture should look fluid and evenly blended, with no streaks of egg left behind.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch together in a separate bowl, then add the dry mixture gradually to the wet mixture and whisk only until combined. Stop as soon as the batter looks smooth and light, because too much mixing can make the cakes dense.
For the topping
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in the brown sugar, rum or vanilla, and salt and cook for 1 minute. The mixture should look glossy and thickened, not grainy, and it will smell deeply caramel-like.
- Spoon 2 tablespoons of topping into each muffin cup, set a pineapple ring on top, and place a cherry in the center of each ring. Make sure the fruit sits flat so the finished tops come out even and neat.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups and fill each one only 3/4 full, then bake for 20 to 22 minutes. The tops should puff, turn pale golden brown, and a toothpick in the center should come out clean.
- Cool the cakes in the pan for 5 minutes, loosen the edges, then invert them onto a wire cooling rack. Expect hot syrupy steam when you flip, and look for bubbling caramel around the edges just before they come out of the oven.
Notes
Sogginess tip: Blot the pineapple rings very dry with paper towels before placing them in the pan. Too much moisture will thin out the brown sugar glaze and make the cake bottom soggy.
Flipping: Invert the cakes exactly 5 minutes after baking. If you do it too quickly, the sponge can tear. If you wait too long, the caramel bottom will cool, harden, and stick permanently to the pan.
Release tip: Run a thin plastic knife around each cake before flipping to loosen any sticky edges without scratching your nonstick pan. If a cake gets stuck, lift it gently with the knife and spoon any remaining syrup from the cup over the top.
Storage: Store leftover cakes in a sealed container in the refrigerator to protect the moist fruit topping. Reheat in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to soften the topping back into a gooey glaze.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.