Pizza cupcake appetizers are easy to make and enjoyable to make. When I was little, I often assisted my grandmother in making these.
| Prep Time: | 20 mins |
| Cook Time: | 30 mins |
| Additional Time: | 10 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 1 10- or 11-inch cake |
Ingredients
- 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple rings
- ¼ cup water, or as needed
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 (16.25 ounce) package white cake mix (such as Betty Crocker Super Moist)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 7 maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Drain canned pineapple into a 1-cup measure. Add water if needed to measure 1 cup. Set aside juice and 7 pineapple rings for the cake. Set any remaining juice and rings aside for another use.
- Melt butter in a 10- or 11-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- While the butter is melting, combine cake mix, reserved 1 cup pineapple juice, vegetable oil, and egg whites in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Remove melted butter from the heat and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over top until all butter is covered. Arrange 6 pineapple rings around the outer edge of the skillet and the remaining ring in the center without overlapping. Place a maraschino cherry into the center of each pineapple ring. Pour cake batter over the pineapples.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the skillet for 10 minutes; don’t let the cake cool too much or it will stick to the pan.
- Run an offset spatula around the edges to gently loosen cake. Place a plate over the skillet, then flip and carefully turn the warm cake out onto a plate. Transfer any fruit or glaze that sticks in the skillet back to the cake.
- You can use all water to make the cake, but the pineapple juice adds more flavor.
- Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of pineapple rings and juice. The actual amount consumed will vary.
Reviews
I love this recipe from its layout, the photos, the details and end result. I think my first Pineapple Upside Down cake turned out great. I am praying my girl will love it, after all as a treat I made it for her. For added, extra flavor, this recipe called for a 1/4 cup of the pineapple juice added to the water level in the cake batter mix. But took it up a notch, and reduced the water level a couple of teaspoons lower and added two teaspoons of the cherry juice for that added bump in flavor too. HaHa, good luck all, and happy pineapple’ing.
I have trouble telling when this cake is done. I’ve made it two times and each time had to add about 10 minutes to the cook time. I have a thermometer in my oven, so I know the temperature is correct. It is delicious but mine is ugly since getting it back into the pan is impossible!
Came out moist and flavorful. Used whole eggs instead of egg whites. Used organic coconut brown sugar also. Did not use the cherries as they are disgusting. Will make again when I have the need.
I make it every July for my friend’s birthday. It’s her favorite cake.
Pineapple upside down cakes are one of my favorite to make and eat–and this one turned out pretty good. For me, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar in the topping was too much and made it too sweet (my favorite upside down cake recipe uses only 2/3 cup brown sugar). I also prefer using a butter or yellow cake mix versus a white cake. Those are my personal taste preferences, though. I opted to make this in a 10 inch tube pan, and made a scalloped pattern with the pineapple rings cut in half for a different look. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh so good! Everyone loved it.
Used 10″ cast iron, left a little bit of batter in the bowl to prevent potential over flow, which I had no issues with. My kids loved it, it looked good although was slightly crumbly. Would definitely make again because the kids liked it, it tasted yummy and was pretty easy not to mentioned looks impressive for the effort.
I used a “premium” yellow cake mix and only had dark brown sugar. The cast iron created a wonderfully caramelized crust. It’s so easy. It’s so good.
Love ❤️ this recipe! It was amazingly delicious
First time to bake a Pineapple Upside down cake using a store bought cake mix & following the Instructions from here. Since I can’t find a round sliced pineapple, I used tidbits & arranged into a circle plus used raspberries instead of cherries which was also unavailable in the groceries. The result was beautiful and delicious birthday cake as shown in my photo. Thanks for the recipe !
Recipe was good. Used a 12 inch skillet. I had to bake it for 37 minutes. Otherwise just like the recipe said!
I made this 2 times in 3 days. Followed the recipe found out all 10 inch skillets are NOT alike. First hint first batch pineapple rings did not fit. Second batch I rolled them up the edges to make room aesthetics great. First batch used yellow cake mix. Second white. Second batch really fluffed up looked like a souffle. Second batch only 1 cup brown sugar. Second batch added some almond and banana extract for aroma and a hand full of shredded coconut to the cake mix. OMG original was awesome, second little touches explosion to the senses. 5 star to original traditional recipe, and right behind it the little tweeks . BTW first time I ever bought/used a cast iron skillet to cook/bake with ever. Anything I can do, you can do TOOOO.
Sunday baking, it was yummy! No clue what happened to the middle cherry…lol
I happened to have a yellow cake mix and made everything else according to the recipe. I loved my mother’s recipe, but this was even better.
This cake was extremely easy to make and our family loved It! I will say that even in using the pineapple juice in the cake batter, I still could have done with some more flavor.
Made it by recipe turned out excellent
I love the recipe and my cake turned out awesome! (But)My cake was very undone after 28 minutes. I baked for approximately 35 -37minutes for it to be completely done.
I have made this recipe for over 50 years. Perfect the way written with a 12″ cast iron skillet or a 9″X13″ baking dish. I have had no problems with variations. Subbing other fruits like peaches or apples works out well with this recipe. Using the Splenda brown sugar blend with no sugar added fruit makes it a little lighter on the calories and tastes good. An important part is getting it out of the pan when warm but not hot.
I have never made an upside down cake before. I loved the crunch from the brown sugar being cooked in the cast iron skillet. I have made this 2 more times, and loved it every time.
Easy and delicious! I served it with vanilla ice cream, and even the cast-iron skillet cleaned up easily with a little soap and water. It was as good as I remember, and I’ll make it again, soon! I used a ten-inch Dutch oven, so lots of room in my well-seasoned cast-iron pan.
Made 24 cupcakes and a cake from a 2nd batch. Delicious! My husband wanted 8 cupcakes “now”, and a whole batch made “just for him” later! My skinny daughter ate at least 3 servings! Marinated pineapple in 1/4 c spiced rum for about 2 hours. Drained the rum, added pineapple juice to make 1 cup, and used in place of water in batter. Used half dark and half light brown sugar. Used FOIL liners for cupcakes, but lined 10-12″ cast iron pan with parchment paper on bottom and then sprayed it all. Both worked perfectly. Added 1 tsp. cinnamon and dash of nutmeg to brown sugar. Used 1 heaping TBS each of butter and brown sugar to each cupcake liner. Added 1 tsp. each vanilla and coconut extract to Pineapple cake batter. Baked cupcakes about 5 minutes longer; cooked cake about 10 min. longer. Cut off tops of muffins with serrated knife to make flat bottoms. Cooled 5 min. The addition of pecans in the extra spaces would have enhanced the appearance, but it was beautiful anyway. I made my first PU cake around 1963, but this is the BEST recipe (with mods). Thanks!