An upside-down cake🎂 is characterised by placing the toppings such as butter, sugar and fruit at the bottom of the pan and pouring the batter on top. The cake when de-panned, is inverted bringing the right-side up with a baked-on crust of butter and caramelized sugar.

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Traditional upside-down cakes include the American pineapple upside-down cake, the French Tarte Tatin, and the Brazilian or Portuguese Bolo de ananas (also known as abacaxi).

Apples, cherries, oranges and peaches are some of the other most common fruits used to bake a similarly fashioned cake. I have used apples too earlier but somehow lean towards pineapples. Pineapple being a family favourite, we added those in my son’s birthday cake and they taste divine with the flavour of caramelised sugar getting infused into the fruit. The subtle sweetness of the spongy cake with the pineapples makes for a delicious combination.

I’m sharing here my recipe for American Pineapple Upside-down Cake made with ready cake mix in a pressure cooker. If you would like to bake in an oven, please use the directions on the cake mix package.

Recipe makes an 8″ cake in pressure cooker

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2 mug cakes in microwave

Ingredients:

Betty Crocker French Vanilla Cake Mix – 520 gm
Oil – 125 ml
Water – 250 ml
Eggs – 3, medium
Butter – 2 tbsp
Brown sugar – 2-3 tbsp
Canned pineapple – 1 tin, 450 gm
Candied cherries – 7 halves
Cake pan – 8″, preferably aluminium pan if using in pressure cooker.
Parchment / butter paper to line the baking pan

Instructions:

Melt the butter for 15-20 seconds in a microwave.
Grease the baking pan with butter using a brush.
Line the pan with a parchment/butter paper.
Pour the remaining butter into the pan and ensure it covers the entire base of the pan.
Sprinkle brown sugar over it and make sure it covers the entire base of the pan.
Place 7 pineapple slices over the sugar layer.
The pineapple can has about 9 slices. Place the remaining 2 slices in two coffee mugs to make mug cake.
Pre-heat the pressure cooker on the largest burne of your has stove at the lowest flame.
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs.
Add oil, water and sift the cake mix using a sieve.
Beat lightly for 30 seconds and then vigorously for 3 minutes.
Pour the batter into the 2 coffee mugs till halfway.
Pour the remaining batter over the pineapples in the 8″cake pan.
Place the cake pan into the pre-heated pressure cooker.
Close the lid. Do not place the pressure weight.
Let it bake for 60 minutes.
While you wait for the cake to bake in the pressure cooker, place the coffee mugs one at a time in the microwave and cook for 1.5 to 2 minutes tops to make mug cakes.
Check for doneness (of cake in the pressure cooker) by inserting a fork or skewer/toothpick in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, cake is ready. If not, let it bake for 2-5 minutes more. Caution: the pressure cooker will be very hot, be careful.
Turn off heat.
Leave the cover on for 5 minutes and then remove it outside and cool on a wire rack.
When it cools down to room temperature, place a plate on the baking pan and then it upside-down. The parchment paper should release from the pan easily.
Peel off the parchment paper and top the pineapples with cherry halves and enjoy.