Quick & Easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Baking calms my soul. There’s something exciting about putting on an apron, taking out all the ingredients, and creating a satisfying dessert you hope the family will enjoy. Of course, there’s those times you follow the recipe exactly and the final result becomes one of those “nailed it” memes. Either way, it’s time spent in the kitchen for the ones you love and that makes it all worth it. So enjoy the big smiles when they take that first bite or jump into the laughter that comes with a bit of a mishap!

Today’s bake is a pineapple upside down cake by Taste of Home. I was actually out of baking powder, but found a substitute using lemon juice and baking soda. Here’s the link I found. The cake had risen just fine with this substitution. We also didn’t have maraschino cherries so it’s missing that pop of color your accustomed to with pineapple upside down cake. Toast the pecan pieces in a 350° oven for about 8 minutes to enhance their flavor.  I used a dark 9x9 pan lined with parchment paper for easier clean up.  Bake at 350° for about 25-30 minutes. You’ll need to keep an eye on it since oven temperatures vary. The original recipe says to bake at 375°, but I lowered it because of the dark pan. In case you’re curious, the texture of the cake is similar to angel food cake.

Now let’s talk pecans.  After all, that’s our business here at Calianna. The pecan pieces are from last years harvest. They maintain their taste if you store them in the freezer. I like to store them in plastic containers, but sometimes I’ll just use the bag they came in and seal it with a close pin.

One last note...

For even less clean up, line your cake plate with foil and use a paper plate to serve. Look, we’re real people here at Calianna and I wasn’t about to do more dishes! Ha!