Source: Fine Cooking #47 (also at FineCooking.com)

I love upside-down cakes. Nothing can beat the gooey, caramelly top with crystallized edges. Paired with a tart fruit (in this case pineapple, but I also love cranberry), it’s the perfect combination of sweet and sour.

I always get a bit apprehensive when making an upside down cake because I had one bad experience where the topping stuck to the cake pan and took half the cake with it. When I make other cakes, I usually line the entire pan with parchment paper to guarantee that it releases well. With an upside-down cake, you take some chances.

I’m happy to say this cake turned out perfectly. The inspiration for making this was the leftover half pineapple in my fridge. (The recipe calls for 1 small pineapple, but I had half a large pineapple which turned out to be the prefect amount.)

It comes together quite easily. Butter and brown sugar are mixed and brought to a boil to form the “caramel” topping, which is poured into the cake pan and layered with the sliced pineapple. The cake batter is a pretty standard thick cake batter with yogurt and orange zest for flavour (I substituted the orange zest for lemon zest for some extra zing). After 45 minutes in the oven, the cake is ready to be turned out onto a serving platter. Just give it a few minutes to cool down (it’s hard, I know) and you’re ready to enjoy.

Perfect for a breakfast or brunch. The only downside is that it’s a small 8″x8″ cake and will be gone in a day.