Tiny, tender, and moist, these charming upside-down cakes are topped with pineapple and cherries to craft a tea-sized take on the classic dessert. Pictured with our Chocolate Chip & Walnut Blondies and Almond-Anise Snowballs.
Mini Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes
Serves: Makes 48
Ingredients
- 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries, well drained
- 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbits in juice, well drained
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1⁄2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- 1⁄4 cup sour cream
- 3⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1⁄2 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1⁄3 cup whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 2 (24-well) mini muffins pans with cooking spray.
- Place 1⁄2 teaspoon melted butter into each well of prepared pan. Add 1 teaspoon brown sugar to each well, patting with fingertip or a spoon tip to level surface and cover bottom of wells.
- Remove and discard stems from cherries. Cut cherries in half length-wise. Blot well on paper towels. Place 1 cherry half, rounded side down, into center of each well.
- Cut pineapple tidbits in half cross-wise and blot well on paper towels. Arrange 6 pineapple pieces around each cherry half in each well, creating a flower shape. Refrigerate to chill fruit while batter is being made.
- In a large bowl, beat together softened butter and granulated sugar with a mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Beat in egg and egg white until well incorporated. Beat in sour cream and vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add to butter mixture, beating at low speed while adding milk slowly. Beat until well combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Using a levered 2-teaspoon scoop, drop batter into each prepared well, covering fruit and being careful not to overfill.
- Bake until edges of cakes are light golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean, 11 to 12 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans for 5 minutes.
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with nonstick foil.
- To remove cakes from pans, run the tip of a thin knife around edges of any cakes that appear stuck and trim any cake surfaces that have risen higher than edge of well. Place a prepared baking sheet over each muffin pan, invert, and gently remove muffin pan. Serve cakes immediately while warm, or lightly cover and serve within a few hours.
Notes
Kitchen Tip: Measure flour by spooning it into a dry-measure cup and then scraping off excess with a knife to level.
