Pineapple Rightside uP Cake!

Usually I don't post two days in a row, but I'm really excited about this delicious cake! Oh, I know I'm supposed to blog about some fabulous ethnic recipe today, but I want this blog to accurately represent who I am! I'm usually all over the place; sporadic in a somewhat organized way :). For instance, when I walk into my kitchen, my world temporarily gets turned upside down, not because I end up with disasters (though sometimes that is the case!) but because my kitchen temporarily transforms into a place resembling a mad scientist's lab. I'm even able to pull off the look! So, while sporting raggedy PJs, pink hello kitty socks for good luck, and a disheveled hairstyle with flyaways in all the right places, I begin my cake baking adventure.

I call this a Pineapple Righside uP Cake because I think the name accurately captures what went on this morning; my kitchen was turned upside down, so the cake came out rightside up! (And my cake just so happened to come out with a bald spot on the bottom because I didn't spray the pan enough...but noone has to know! ;) Heather from Sweet Sins 2 Share inspired me to create this recipe. Her cake came out moist and mouthwatering, and ever since I laid eyes on the pineapple upside down cake she posted on her blog, I've had an overwhelming craving for a slice! I have to admit, Heather's cake is much healthier than mine. I was feeling rebelliously unhealthy when I put my recipe together, but I felt bad afterwards so I made a fat-free glaze!

(I couldn't decide which pic I liked better, so I posted both :P)

This cake was so fun and easy to make! It's flavorful and, thankfully, quite moist too. Here are the ingredients I used to bake the cake that my hubby referred to as Spec-Tac-Uuuularrr (that's exactly how he said it ;). I'm quite critical of my baked goods, but I have to say, this is one of the tastiest pineapple desserts I've had to date. It's not the least bit dry and it's quite pineappley. Of course, my grandma's version really does take the cake ;)!

Pineapple Rightside uP Cake
2 heaping cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup half & half
1 1/3 cup sugar
8 oz can crushed pineapple, pureed w/ a hand blender
1 egg
Zest from 1 large orange

First I mixed the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl
Then I added in the canola oil, egg, orange zest, and half and half
I pureed the crushed pineapple with a hand blender
Then I mixed all the ingredients together with a hand mixer
I baked the cake in a square 9 inch pan
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes

Glaze/Topping
1 8 oz can pineapple slices
Juice from the above 8 oz can of sliced pineapples
1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar
1 TBSP corn starch
2 TBSP marachino cherry juice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
a handful of marachino cherries
a handful of macadamia nuts


Initially, I mixed everything together (with a hand mixer) aside from the cherry juice in a medium sized bowl
I used half of the glaze to cover the cake
I used the pineapples, cherries, and macadamia nuts to create a flower on the cake
Then, I added the marachino cherry juice to the bowl with the glaze
As I served the cake slices, I covered them in a little more of the cherry/pineapple juice glaze

(...later this week, I will blog about my Traveling the World One Plate at A Time recipe, the post will be about a fresh Japanese dish called Saka-Muchi!)