What's For Zert? | Recipe | Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

      "What's for zert?"   Papa [my father] would ask.   "What's for dessert"?  That is.  Papa had a funny way of putting a spin on certain words and things.  He was funny, he had personality and the charm to go along with his wit.  That's a few of the qualities that made him so loveable.  When my father was growing up, in the 1940's, his family would only have dessert on Sundays.  His father worked at Chrysler and his mother worked at Hudson's.  There were five children in his family and dessert was a special treat.  My father loved dessert and one of his favorite cakes was my mother's Pineapple Upside-Down cake.  Papa loved chocolate cake also.  I will make one some time soon, perhaps for St. Valentine's day.  Erich takes after his Pepe'.  He loves dessert, and his eyes got pretty big when he saw the maraschino cherries on the top of the cake.  I asked Erich, "how do you like the cake?"  He said without hesitation, "It's awesome!"
 

The weather has been so bitterly cold that I have been in the mood to bake.  I remember my Mama making Pineapple Upside-down cake when we had ham for holidays.  Its been a long time since I have made one, I forgot how good it is!  The cake is soft, moist and fluffy with a lovely vanilla flavor, and a hint of pineapple.  The pineapple and cherries baked in the buttery brown sugar is wonderful.  Erich said that he thinks it's a pretty cake.  How sweet.  I would love to try this recipe again with pears, or maybe peaches.   








Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Adapted from "Old Faithful" my vintage Better Homes and Gardens 'New' Cookbook.

1  8 ounce can pineapple slices
2  Tablespoons butter
1/2  cup packed brown sugar
6  maraschino cherries, halved
1 1/2  cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2  teaspoons baking powder
1/4  teaspoon salt
1/3  cup shortening
3/4  cup granulated sugar
1  egg
1 1/2  teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven 350*F

Drain the pineapple slices and reserve the liquid in a measuring cup for liquids. 
Halve the slices.  Melt butter in a saucepan them pour into a 9x1 1'2 inch round cake pan.  Stir in brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of pineapple juice.  Add water to remaining juice to make 2/3 cup.

Arrange pineapple and cherries in bottom of the pan.  Combine flour, salt, baking powder in bowl.  Cream shortening and sugar in mixing bowl till combined.  Add egg and vanilla and beat 1 minute till creamy. 

Add flour and pineapple juice alternately to cream mixture until all is combined.  Spread in pan.

Bake in a 350* oven 40 minutes.

Cool five minutes, then very carefully invert onto a cake plate. (The brown sugar will still be very hot.) 


                                                                 Happy baking!
                                                                      ~Marcie