Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Upside-down topping:

• 3/4 c. butter
• 3/4 c. dark brown sugar
• 1 large can crushed pineapple in juice, drain the juice and set aside (If you’re a baller, you can use chopped fresh pineapple)
• spices: cinnamon, ginger

Cake batter:

• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 c. butter, softened
• 3/4 c. white sugar
• 1/4 c. pineapple juice (from the can)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 healthy splash dark rum
• 1 healthy splash whole milk (optional)
• spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom

Preheat oven to 350.

First make the topping.  Make sure the baking pan you’re using has high sides. While preheating the oven, melt the butter in the pan. When the butter melts, add the brown sugar and spices. Stir until well dissolved. Add the pineapple chunks and spread them evenly through the sugar butter on the bottom of the pan.

In a small bowl sift together flour, baking powder, salt and spices. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Add half the flour mixture and beat. Then add vanilla and rum and milk, again mixing until just combined. Then add the remaining flour and beat until combined.  The mixture might look curdled, but that’s really just suspended butter pieces. Yum.

Spoon the batter over the pineapple topping and spread it out evenly. Bake 45 minutes to an hour at 350.  Let cake stand for a few minute. Invert the cake over a serving platter. Ta da!

Above: pineapple chunks in brown sugar and butter.  Ain’t nothing wrong with that.