I had previously made an
easier Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, but this recipe from Flour proves that a little more trouble can really make it worth your while. A homemade caramel takes some time but isn't hard to do, and fresh pineapple soaks up the caramel. The cake is rich and moist but crisp at the edges.
If I had one complaint, it's that the caramel was just a
tad too sweet. Just a tad. But my preference for sweets isn't the same as everyone else's, and Joe said the cake and level of sweetness were perfect.
I get intimidated by caramels because of how easily those damned crystals form, but this one was simple enough. The sugar-water mixture starts out clear, then develops a golden tinge. At bottom-left, you can see the outer ring is still clear and the pot needs to be swirled before the whole mixture becomes golden brown.
I'm glad Joe helped make this, not least because it's really hard to snap photos while whisking burning-hot caramel! Butter is whisked in, making the caramel steam and froth; pineapple is added and cooked in the caramel, then removed to a plate before being placed in the cake pan.
The caramel is poured over the pineapple, and then topped with the cake batter. After the cake is baked and cooled, it gets up-ended onto a serving platter. Each bite gives you a little burst of juice from the caramelized pineapple, and cake that's rich and moist.
