Eggless Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Let's make an eggless and yummilcious Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Perfect for birthdays or any celebration.

Oh ! This was in the making for so many years now. When I got the recipe from various sources, I used to run out of flour. When I had flour, it wasn't the pineapple season. And when I had both, the pineapples were too tart. And then the fear of whether this would turn out to be as good as I thought it would be rattled me on and on.

Till I conquered my fears with this recipe that I tweaked a bit, and my family loved it a lot. In retrospect, I know I should have made this earlier, but guess good things come to those who wait ! Eh eh 🙂

History of Upside Down Cakes

The history of upside-down cakes dates back to the Middle Ages, where Europeans would cook fruit-topped desserts over open fires and flip them to serve. In America, these evolved into "skillet cakes," often featuring seasonal fruits like apples and cherries. The term "upside-down cake" gained popularity in the early 20th century, with the first American recipes appearing in the 1920s. The pineapple upside-down cake became particularly famous after a 1925 recipe contest sponsored by the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, which helped make it a staple of American baking by the mid-1930s. Today, upside-down cakes remain a beloved dessert, adaptable to various fruits and ingredients. (Source : Wiki)

Various dishes with Pineapple - our family favourite fruit 🙂

Pineapple is a tropical fruit that lends itself to both sweet and savoury flavours and a huge favourite at our place (barring a few who don't prefer eating it). From the delish Cuban pineapple strawberry salad to broccoli pineapple pizza to pineapple raita to upside down pineapple cake to pineapple Coconut Cooler to pineapple Gojju ( umm.. you get the drift right:p) , this is a fruit we wait for most during the brief winter that descends upon us.

What other fruits can be made in Upside Down Cakes?

Upside-down cakes can be made with a wide variety of fruits, offering endless possibilities for creativity and flavor. Here are some of the different fruits commonly used in upside-down cakes:

Pineapple: A classic choice, often paired with cherries or pecans
Apples: Great for fall-themed cakes, especially when combined with pumpkin
Peaches: A popular summer choice, often paired with raspberries
Plums: Including plumcots (a cross between plums and apricots) and Mirabelle plums
Pears: Similar to apples, they add a sweet, tender texture
Bananas: Used in the Brazilian Bolo de banana
Berries: Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are all great options
Citrus Fruits: Oranges, lemons, and grapefruits can add a tangy twist
Stone Fruits: Nectarines, pluots, and apricots are also popular choices
Figs: A sweet and exotic option for upside-down cakes
Rhubarb: Often used in combination with other fruits for a tart flavor
Mangoes: A tropical twist for upside-down cakes

These fruits can be used individually or combined to create unique flavour profiles and textures.

Other Fruit based desserts you may like on the blog

Apple Crumble with Almond Flour | Quick Eggless Desserts

Apple Crumble is a quick to make dessert for party, potluck or just to indulge as is. Served warm as is or with a scoop of ice cream!

Check out this recipe

Eggless Banana Chocochip Bread with Cranberries and Coconut Sugar

Let's bake a refined-sugar free and eggless Choco chip Banana bread with Cranberries and Coconut Sugar. Perfect for the Holidays or any celebration

Check out this recipe

Rasayana | ರಸಾಯನ | Rama navami recipe

Rasayana is a a Quick Banana Relish with Jaggery and coconut. Often offered as an offering / Naivedyam during Pujas

Check out this recipe

Till then, give in to the temptation and make yourself a batch of this luscious looking cake and enjoy a yummy post-dinner dessert :-))

Prep time : 15 mins ; Baking time : 25-30 mins ; Makes : Approx 350-400 gm cake

Ingredients to make the Pineapple Upside Down Cake:

For the Pineapple Layer -

6 Thickly cut pineapple pieces (fresh or canned, halved / full)
⅓ cup Brown Sugar (increase it to ½ cup if the pineapples arent fully ripe) - ⅓ cup
¼ cup Butter (softened)

For the Cake dough -

1.5 cups All Purpose Flour (APF) / Maida
½ cup Wholewheat flour
1 cup Aerated water (Club Soda)
¼ cup Butter
¼ cup Olive Oil (Any neutral oil will do)
¾ cup Condensed Milk ( I ended up using a little less than this)
½ teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/16 teaspoon Salt (or a pinch)
½ teaspoon Pineapple essence (I didn't add)

How to make Pineapple Upside Down Cake

(A) For the pineapple layer :

In a baking dish, slightly grease it and arrange the pineapple slices (cored) as the base. Make sure to cover the entire base of the pan with the slices.
In a non stick pan, melt the butter (for the pineapple layer), and once slightly melted, tip the sugar and bring flame to low. Sprinkle a few drops of water to prevent the sugar from burning and tip this sauce over the pineapple slices (in the dish) the moment it gets glossy (about 2-3 mins).. Dont turn your attention away, the sugar burns really fast).
Tap the pan once or twice to see that the sugar syrup has coated the base of the pan. Set aside

(B) For the cake :

Preheat oven to 175 C / 350 F
In a bowl, Sieve together both the flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt twice over
In another bowl, mix together condensed milk, olive oil, butter and essence (if using)
Add ¼ cup of the sieved flour mixture and ¼ cup Aerated water. Whisk well (or if using an electric beater, whisk till the aerated water is absorbed).
Repeat this process till the flour mixture and soda water get exhausted.
Pour immediately over the pineapples.
Bake for 35-40 mins till done (Mine was done at 33rd min itself).
Once done, wait for 3-4 mins and invert onto a serving plate (Don't wait for too long as the syrup hardens and it would make it hard for the cake to be inverted without breaking)
Serve warm or at room temperature as it is. Or to make it even richer, serve it with whipped cream or Vanilla Ice Cream
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