“When life gives you lemons, sell them and buy a pineapple.” – David Turney
Need a little sunshine in your life? Why not try this beautiful Pineapple Upside-Down Cake?
The recipe uses allspice to spice the cake–an interesting spice choice, I think. The allspice gives the cake an unexpected peppery flavor which contrasts nicely with the gorgeous caramelized pineapple that tops the cake. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and you will enjoy an unbelievable layering of flavors.
Need to burnish your pineapple IQ? Here is a little history. (OK. OK. I was a history teacher. There’s always a history lesson.)
Pineapples are the fruit of a tropical terrestrial, a bromeliad. The fruit is indigenous to South America but its cultivation had spread to the Caribbean by the time the Europeans arrived. It is believed that Columbus brought pineapples back to the Spanish king from the island of Guadeloupe.
By the 17th Century, pineapples were a coveted luxury food in many parts of Europe and they commanded extraordinarily-high prices–the equivalent of thousands of dollars for a single fruit. (You should remember that the next time Costco charges you $2.50 for a pineapple. It’s a gift! Or, you are eating like a king. Or… something.)
To give you an idea of pineapple’s cachet in royal circles, here is a painting commissioned by England’s Charles II (he was the Stuart king restored to power after Oliver Cromwell’s death and the stuffy Puritans lost power in the 17th Century). In the painting, Charles is being presented with a pineapple by the royal gardener. Pretty big deal, from the look of it.
If you ask me, I think the artist had a sense of humor. You will notice the little King Charles Spaniel (Yep. The little dogs were named for Charles II, who reportedly adored them and gave them the run of the palace.) Is it just me, or is the pup giving the king an adoring “down dog?”
While pineapples were not unknown in early America, James Drummond Dole, a Harvard-educated horticulturalist, popularized the fruit in the United States in the early 20th Century. For seventy years, Dole’s Lana’i Plantation in Hawaii produced seventy-five percent of the world’s crop. Today, the major producer is Costa Rica with a yearly crop value that exceeds one billion dollars.
When you have finished the cake, since we all have a bit of extra time on our hands right now, how about trying a little pineapple art?
Here’s the recipe.
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
- 1 t. kosher salt (divided)]
- 3/4 t. baking powder
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 1/4 to 1/2 t. ground allspice (it's peppery)
- 5 T. fine yellow cornmeal (I blitzed some regular yellow cornmeal in my blender to get a finer texture)
- 3/4 C. buttermilk (I used whole milk curdled with some lemon juice)
- 1/2 C. whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 8 T. salted butter (cut into 1 T. pieces, room temperature, divided)
- 3 T. packed dark brown sugar
- 8 one-quarter inch thick fresh pineapple rings (cut into quarters)
- 1 C. white sugar
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
- Whipped cream for garnish (optional)
- Berries for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. and position the cooking rack in the middle of the oven. Use a 9 inch by 2 inch round cake pan for this recipe. Spray the pan lightly with cooking spray.
- Whisk flour, 3/4 t. salt, baking powder, baking soda and allspice in a bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the cornmeal, buttermilk and ricotta cheese together in another bowl. Set aside.
- Heat a non-stick skillet (12 inches) on your stove at medium-high heat. Put 2 T. butter, brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 t. salt into the skillet and stir until the mixture is bubbling. Add the sliced pineapple to the skillet and cook it until it is caramelized and softened. This will take about 10 minutes. The liquid from the pineapple and the butter mixture will have pretty much evaporated by the time your pineapple is cooked. Be sure your pineapple is cooked to the point that it is soft; this will make it much easier to cut pretty slices of the cake when you serve it. Also, a little golden brown color on the pineapple makes for a pretty presentation.
- Arrange the pineapple quarters in one layer in the bottom of your prepared cake pan. Put the pan into the oven and bake this part of the dish for about 5 to 10 minutes while you prepare the batter.
- Using your stand mixer and the paddle attachment, beat the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and the white sugar on medium speed until the ingredients are well mixed and the mixture becomes light and fluffy. This will take about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time to the batter. Scrape down the sides of your mixer bowl after the addition of each egg.
- Turn your mixer speed down to low and add the buttermilk and cornmeal mixture. Beat the batter for about 30 seconds. Your mixture will look a little curdled (don't worry about that!) and scrape down the bowl.
- With the mixer speed still set at low, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. This will take about 20 seconds and you will end up with a thick batter. Scrape the bowl with a spatula and fold the batter a few times to be sure the batter is well mixed.
- Take the cake pan (with the pineapple) from the oven and pour the batter carefully over the top of the pineapple. You will want to have an even layer of batter over the pineapple, so use a spatula to even things out.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. You want the cake to be a golden brown on the top and you want a skewer stuck into the center of the cake to come out clean.
- Cool your cake in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. When it is somewhat cooled, carefully run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen up any bits that might be sticking.
- Carefully invert the cake onto a serving dish. Cool to room temperature and serve.This is quite good topped with a generous dollop of whipped cream. Refrigerate any leftovers.
- Cook's Note: The spicy flavor of the allspice will mellow quite a bit by the second day.
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This recipe is adapted from one that appeared in Milk Street Magazine. Here is a link to the site: Milk Street Magazine.
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