When cooking for our own enjoyment and for that of others, to me, first and foremost, the mission is to fix something that tastes great. Since first impressions make a difference, it’s nice if what we prepare looks good too. A well made, Pineapple Upside-down Cake can meet both of those goals.
Years ago my only experience with Pineapple upside-down cake had been what I had grabbed while in a cafeteria line where I ended up with what I remember as a dry white square piece of cake with a slice of pineapple on top and a cherry. It was not all that great. No, it wasn’t even a little great. In fact, I did something I rarely do; I didn’t clean my dessert plate. I went for years without trying it again.
Had I experienced a homemade, sweet, rich, freshly baked cake, of that type prior to that industrial, commercial kitchen variety, I would have known that dry thing I didn’t even finish was an aberration. But, I didn’t and as a result, it took a very long time for me to even give one a taste again. Because of that, I’ve missed out on a great dessert for years. I’m working on making up for that now.
12″ Single batch makes for a bit thinner cake
(object in picture larger than it appears)
No spare slices left behind.
Thanks to social media and the plethora of food posts, and pineapple upside-down cake pictures in particular, I decided to give it another try, but this time to make my own. The first one wasn’t picture posting pretty, but the taste convinced me to keep at it and I’m glad I did. As my confidence grew, we added this fruit topped cake to the demo list and it seems others have liked the results as well.
I’m not going to lie, the first time I fixed one in a Dutch oven in the woods, I was worried. I was worried that the cake wouldn’t come out of the oven in one piece. I was worried that the fruit would look all funky once the cake was flipped. I was worried that the cake might not be completely baked. I didn’t even think about leaves or ashes blowing into the batter or the pot; had I, that would have really messed up my confidence. I did use parchment paper as an extra aide in making sure the cake came out okay. It turns out the worry was wasted as it worked out fine and everyone enjoyed it.
After exploring several recipes, I find myself once again going with what is relatively simple and I’m glad to share it with those interested.
How we did it…
Ingredients all lined up for cake duty. 
No, parchment paper is not really necessary. Certainly not this much. 
Over a ring of coals, melt butter in a Dutch oven, add brown sugar and stir well. Place pineapple slices in next with cherries in each of the rings of pineapple. Feel free to add cherries in any spare space for a really colorful and tasty finished product.
For the cake, a good quality yellow or golden cake mix is the base of the recipe. Don’t worry about the instructions on the box, just dump the mix into a bowl and add the wet ingredients.
Hopefully you didn’t dump the juice because we use it in the batter. Drain the pineapple juice into a liquid measuring cup and then add enough Sprite to equal 1 1/2 cups liquid. Add three eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and mix well. Add to the cake mix and stir until batter is formed.
Pour batter over fruit in Dutch oven. Cover and add coals – 1 ring on top and 1 ring below. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. When it smells like cake, it is likely done or getting close. The edges should be pulling away from the sides and when pushed in the center it should spring back. If you want to be on the safe side, and you trust in toothpick tests, give it a poke.
Add Sprite to Pineapple Juice to make 1 1/2 C 
2 Double Batches in 14″ ovens 
Ready to cut.
Let the cake cool with the lid ajar for at least 10 minutes. I like to place a piece of parchment paper over the open oven. This gives us a cake on a piece of parchment that can be slid onto any plate, tray, or other surface for transport or serving. Put the lid back on the pot and while wearing heavy gloves, invert the pot setting it upside down on a stand that will accommodate it. Carefully remove the pot and allow the cake to cool a bit more, if you have the patience, before you dig in!
Sometimes training wheels provide some comfort, and for this kind of cake, while not necessary, parchment paper in the bottom of the pot can be that aide. It will guarantee a full release of the cake when flipped. It’s always nice to have success on the first try.
(This recipe works with either a 10” for a nice thick cake or a 12” for a thinner cake and when doubled it works great in a 14” camp oven).
Pineapple Upside-down Cake
Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C butter
Canned sliced pineapples – reserve juice
Maraschino cherries
Sprite
3 eggs
1/3 C vegetable oil
1 t vanilla extract
Directions:
Melt butter in the Dutch oven, add brown sugar and stir well. Place fruit in the pot, covering the bottom as much as possible.
Combine reserved pineapple juice with enough Sprite to equal 1 1/2 cups liquid. Add eggs, oil, and vanilla. Mix well. Add cake mix and stir until batter is formed.
Pour batter over fruit. Cover and add coals – 1 ring on top and 1 ring below. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until done. The cake should be a golden brown, the edges should be pulling away from the sides and when pushed in the center, it should spring back.
Cool at least 10 minutes. Put the lid or serving plate/board on top of the pot. Invert the pot and carefully remove. Don’t forget the pot is still hot, use heavy gloves or hot pads.
Cool a bit, but it’s okay to eat warm. In fact, it’s darn good eaten warm.
