I took most of the users advice, I used the drained juice in the cake batter and had to add a little water to meet cake mix directions.Also, I used a 11" skillet and it was almost full. My twist was to mix 1 tsp. cinnamon to brown sugar before I spread over the butter and I also added 1/4 cup shredded coconut after I layered the cherries and pineapples. It came out great and my husband could not wait for it to cool! He pleaded for a piece before it had solidified. He said " Damn babe this is good" his highest rating :). So thanks Anne, hope I can repay you.
-UPDATE 6/17/03
I made this for our family doctor as a thank you for his extraordinary care and compassion, he loved it, wanted to run away with me-hahahha.
10/02/2005-For gifts, I now use both rings and crushed pineapple and place cherries in each ring and in gaps. Cake is gorgeous this way and each ring is a slice. I bake in two cake pans to make two cakes-one to give and one to keep.11/06-New Twist, we soak the drained crushed AND ring pineapple in RUM, drain and then use. OMG :)
Made this in a 9x13 pan and it came out looking so impressive! My family said it not only looked better than the ones in the bakery...it tasted a million times better! I used a yellow cake mix since that's what I had on hand and it was awesome.
Yum! I used a Duncan Hines Pineapple Surpreme instead of white cake and subbed the juice for the water and OMG. Make SURE you make it in a cast iron pot. It makes a BEAUTIFUL cake... and it was wonderful! My family wants this again already, I just made it 3 days ago!!!
I do not have an iron skillet, so I made it in a regular 9 by 13 cake pan and it was fantastic.
Excellent basic recipe. I did not have an iron skillet so I used a 9x13 baking pan. Instead of sliced pineapples I used crushed pineapples then placed cherries on the pineapples. This was the first time I ever tried to make a pineapple upside down cake and it was great! A lot easier than I thought it would be.
Thank you for this recipe.
Tips: Daub your pineapple dry or you'll have a semi soggy cake. Daub your cherries dry or you'll have red stain on your cake. Substitute ALL (or as much as you have on hand) water for pineapple juice. Add small pineapple chunks (daubed dry) and a dash of vanilla to your batter. Use salted butter if at all possible. It adds a nice contrast to the heavy sugar. Add a dash of cinnamon atop your brown sugar. And believe it or not, pear halves make an excellent accompaniment to the pineapple rings in this cake. Lastly, use a cast iron skillet if possible. This makes a great subtle crust.
Wow...this is GREAT! So easy ! I used a 13 inch Cast Iron skillet, (well seasoned) to prevent sticking. The cake came out about 2 inches thick. I increased butter to 1-1/4 sticks and used all pineapple juice to substitute the water. My son and his friends devoured this cake. Making two, next time. A keeper for sure. Thanks Anne.
I just made this this morning to bring with me to a picnic after an exercise class. (Yes, I know, not the healthiest choice for a dessert!) Each of the ladies took a second helping and asked me for the recipe! I chopped up the leftover fresh pineapple that I had grilled as a side dish last night in lieu of the canned variety. Because I did not have any pineapple juice to use in the cake mix, I used half water and half rum (~1/3 cup rum for a total of 2/3 c. liquid). This added a very nice "adult" flavor. I used a yellow cake mix and skipped the cherries. Next time I might add some pecans to the bottom before baking. Did require about an extra 10-15 minutes to bake.
I made this for a luncheon, and it turned out fabulous. My mother-in-law called it the best she had ever eaten. No one would know that it was a mix! I used a yellow cake mix, like others suggested. Also, I used a 10 inch iron skillet, but still didn't fit all of the batter in- maybe 3/4. I also like to use pineapple tidbits instead of rings- more pineapple flavor in each slice. Thanks!
I had some problems with this recipe. First off, how big of an iron skillet has everyone got!?! Mine is 9" and I had enough cake batter to make nearly a dozen cupcakes after I'd put what I needed into the upside-down cake. I was glad I followed another reviewer's suggestion to put a cookie sheet under the cake while it baked because butter and sugar bubbled up and over the edges and would have been a mess in the oven. When I flipped the cake over onto my platter, there was a crust of still crystalized brown sugar all over the top, it never dissolved, so I think the amount of brown sugar called for is too much (and I only used 1 cup!). The cake mix makes it too sweet also. All in all, it was edible, but I think I'll keep looking.
