Ricotta cake and sweet, juicy pineapple combine to create a delectably rich flavor combination. Use full-fat ricotta for this; skim ricotta is too watery and won’t give the cake its distinctive flavor.
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 50 mins |
| Cool Time: | 10 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 30 mins |
| Servings: | 10 |
| Yield: | 1 9-inch cake |
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- ½ large fresh pineapple – peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch thick half circles
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan with at least 2-inch high sides.
- Pour melted butter into the greased pan and swirl to coat. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Place pineapple slices in an even layer over the brown sugar, slightly overlapping and trimming pieces to fit as necessary, covering the whole bottom of the pan. Set aside.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl until combined.
- Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form.
- Cream together 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar, softened butter, egg yolks, and vanilla in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add ricotta cheese and mix until just combined. Add remaining flour mixture, stirring until just combined.
- Add 1/3 of the whipped egg whites to the batter, and fold until no streaks of egg whites remain. Gently fold in remaining egg whites until no streaks of egg whites remain. Pour batter evenly over pineapple slices, and gently smooth into an even layer.
- Place cake pan into the preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs, 50 to 55 minutes.
- Allow cake to cool in the pan 10 minutes before running a knife around the sides to loosen. Invert cake onto a serving platter and let pan sit for a few minutes on top of the cake before removing. Allow cake to cool before serving.
- The amount of pineapple you will need to cover the bottom of the pan will vary depending on the size of the fruit, and how it was trimmed. Just make sure to cover the bottom of the pan evenly with pineapple.
- You can use canned pineapple rings in place of fresh, just be sure to drain them, and pat them dry before putting them into the pan. You can also add maraschino cherries for a more traditional look as well.
Reviews
This cake was fun to put together with lots of ingredients. My husband said this cake a bit more punch in flavor. Changes made to this recipe were: – Chopped vs sliced pineapple – Grease and flower bundt cake pan – Pour pineapple chunks in melted brown sugar into the bottom of the Bundt If I make this in the future I would consider adding Macadamia nuts and coconut flakes
This cake turned out really light and was not dense. I was worried because the battered seemed thick but the end result produced a light and airy cake. I did double the recipe because I have a large family and also cut the amount of sugar. All in all it was a really good recipe.
Just like the previous reviewer I noticed that the vanilla was excluded from the directions. I added it with the sugar, butter and eggs. I haven’t had pineapple upside down cake in ages but after making this one, I will be making it often. Thanks for a great recipe, Kim!
This was absolutely fantastic! A big hit at our dinner party! Lots of steps, but definitely worth it! I did notice an error in the recipe, though. It calls for vanilla but doesn’t state when to add it, although I would assume it is at the very end before the batter goes into the pan. I didn’t notice it until it was too late, so didn’t get the vanilla added, but honestly didn’t even miss it! Thanks for sharing this recipe!