Pineapple Upside Down Cake

For a 20cm cake for 5 - 6 servings

Ingredients

• For the topping:
• 450g can pineapple slices in juice
• 25 g butter
• 2 rounded household tablespoons golden syrup
• 3 crystallised cherries, optional
• For the cake:
• ¼ cup canola or other oil
• 1 Tbsp golden syrup
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 - 2 tsp mixed spice
• ½ cup pineapple juice or milk

Comments

Pineapple upside-down cakes never go out of fashion! If you are not sure about the truth of this statement, make this easily assembled, light cake, present it to your family or friends, and see how pleased they are! If you prefer to, however, replace the pineapple with other quick-cooking fruit of your choice. Toasted slivered almonds or other chopped nuts may be added with the fruit, too, if you like.

Method

Preheat oven to 180 - 190 °C with the rack just below the centre. Stand the tin of golden syrup in hot water in cold weather.

Find a suitable cake pan, preferably a ring pan 20cm across, which holds about 7 cups(of water) or use a round 20 cm pan if preferred. Spray the dry pan with non-stick spray. Drain off and save the liquid from the pineapple.

Cut the butter in pieces and arrange round the pan. Stand the pan in the oven until the butter has just melted, then remove and drizzle the room-temperature golden syrup evenly over the butter.

Arrange the drained pineapple rings on the syrup and butter, trimming the edges of the rings if they do not fit neatly. Put halved cherries, cut side down, in the holes in the pineapple rings, if you like. Put the prepared pan aside while you prepare the cake mixture.

Measure the oil, softened syrup, egg, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl or food processor bowl. Beat with a fork or whisk , or process briefly, until well blended.

Measure the flour and spices into a sieve and shake into the egg mixture, then add the juice. Beat just until well blended with the fork or whisk, or process in bursts. Do not overmix. The mixture should be runnier than most cake mixtures are.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes,in a ring pan, in a fast oven, or for 30 or 40 minutes for a round tin in a slower oven. The cake is cooked when the centre springs back when pressed and a toothpick comes out clean.

Run a knife around the edge of the cake pan, hold a flat serving plate over the pan while the cake is still hot. Using pot holders, flip the cake upside down and remove the pan. If any pineapple rings stick to the pan, take them out immediately and reposition them on the cake. Serve the upside-down cake warm, with your favourite plain yoghurt, sour cream or whipped cream.