Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

A couple days ago, I went grocery shopping with a friend who just had to buy some discounted pineapple (he was hungry and impulse buying.) When it came time to eat dinner that night, he decided that he was too full to touch the pineapple he'd purchased for dessert. Since it was already past its prime when we bought it, I decided that it was best to make use of this pineapple before it simply rotted in my refrigerator.

I believe I have made a pineapple upside-down cake at some point in my life - but it would have been ages ago. I decided to try this relatively simple recipe, which I found after viewing many other not-so-simple sounding recipes. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy this cake was! The only challenges were melting the topping (it seemed like my sugar mixture stayed "gritty" even after boiling for the recommended time.) I also got another work-out with the challenge of beating egg whites to stiff peaks with just a whisk. (I really need to invest in an electric mixer!)

Fortunately, all the effort was worth it because this might be my best-tasting cake yet! I was extremely pleased with how moist the cake was. My only complaint was that my pineapple slices shifted when the cake baked and expanded. If I was baking this cake again, I would probably try to arrange the pineapple rings more tightly in the pan - that or I might just try cutting the slices into smaller chunks so that it formed a more solid layer of pineapple. However, since the cake is delicious, I really can't complain.


Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
(makes one 8-9 inch round cake)

Topping
¼ c. butter
¾ c brown sugar
sliced pineapple

Cake
1½ c flour
2 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
½ c. softened butter
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs, separated
½ c. milk
¼ t. cream of tartar

Melt the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan until completely dissolved. Heat the mixture for an additional couple minutes until bubbles form. Pour into a greased 8" (or 9") pan. Add a layer of pineapple rings. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a second bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla and egg yolks (one at a time.) Add the milk and flour mixture, alternating between wet and dry ingredients. Mix the egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat until stiff peaks form and gently fold into the cake batter. Pour atop the pineapple and bake for 45-50 minutes at 350°F (177°C.) Remove from oven and allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack and then turn over onto a serving dish.