Once-Upon-A-Christmas Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Looking through my collection of food photos, I came across a group of pictures I’d labelled “Pineapple-Marshmallow Upside-Down Cake”. Then I looked through my file folder -- that’s a real folder with all kinds of handwritten notes and recipes cut out of magazines -- I found a recipe I’d named “Once-upon-a-Christmas Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

I don’t know as either title does this cake justice. I also wonder about posting about a food that appears to be for Christmas. Obviously (I think...) I’d planned to post this one shortly after the holidays because I used up my peppermint candy canes in it. And there was the red and white theme -- candy canes, marshmallows, cherries.

The original recipe came from my Betty Crocker cookbook. Betty Crocker has been my “friend” for many years. Safe, simple and dependable. That is, until I step up and start adding whatever I can find. You’ve heard the saying... “everything but the kitchen sink”.

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO SEE ENLARGED VERSIONS.


So, if this recipe were to be properly named, listing all the ingredients, it might be called

ONCE-UPON-A-CHRISTMAS PINEAPPLE, MARSHMALLOW, PEPPERMINT CANDY CANE, WALNUT, MARASCHINO CHERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE.

That’s just too wordy, so I’m sticking to OUAC-Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.

Ingredients...

1-1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk (any)
1 large egg
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
2 six-inch peppermint candy canes
7 large marshmallows
20-ounce can sliced pineapple
8 maraschino cherries (stems removed)


Directions...

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Blend flour, white sugar, shortening, milk, baking powder, salt and egg for thirty seconds. Mix on low mixer setting for three minutes. Set aside.

3. Melt butter in oven in the pan you’ll be using to make the upside-down cake. (I used a 7-inch x 11-inch x 1.5-inch glass pan.) Remove from oven.

4. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly on melted butter, then top with walnuts.

5. Crush candy canes. Small chunks are best. I put mine in a plastic bag and whacked them gently with a small hammer. Sprinkle evenly over butter-brown sugar mixture.

6. Cut each marshmallow into four thin circles, for a total of twenty-eight. Space evenly over ingredients already in pan.

7. Arrange pineapple slices evenly in pan. It may be necessary to cut at least one in half to make the fit.

8. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring.

9. Pour batter carefully over top of all the other ingredients in the pan.

10. Bake 45 - 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

11. Place a heatproof serving plate/platter over the pan and turn the whole assembly upside down. Important: Leave the cake pan in place for 5 - 6 minutes. Carefully remove the pan and let the cake cool about 15 minutes before serving.

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One of my favorite food blogs is Bam’s Kitchen. In a recent posting she added a video on How to Peel a Head of Garlic in less than 10 seconds. No muss, no fuss, no stinky fingers, this is perfect for those of you who crave fresh garlic.

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LIKE Step by Step in the Kitchen on Facebook. I'll be posting extra notes and photos there.

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