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- Using fresh pineapple instead of the syrupy canned rings (and skipping the maraschino cherries entirely) makes for a better texture and a flavor that’s sweet-tart, not cloying.
- Adding sour cream to the batter gives the cake a tender crumb and a richer, slightly tangy taste that provides a nice contrast to the caramelized topping.
- With an elegant look and a built-in reveal, this cake is sure to impress your guests — perfect for a party when you want to pull out all the stops.
Pastry chef Kristin Ferguson makes her pineapple upside-down cake with slices of fresh pineapple, which sets this recipe apart from the usual version of the retro dessert. You’ll find the extra effort well worth it, as the fruit cooks down with a vanilla-infused caramel to create a sticky, decadent topping. To top it off, Ferguson serves her cake with homemade buttermilk ice cream; you can also go with your favorite store-bought ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Who invented pineapple upside-down cake?
Though this dessert has certainly reached American-classic status, its origins are a little fuzzy. Upside-down cakes likely already existed in other forms, but many food historians pin the origins of the pineapple version to around the 1920s, when the fruit — as well as syrupy preserved cherries, another classic topping — were both very popular. Dole (then called the Hawaiian Pineapple Company) also promoted the recipe, though it almost certainly originated elsewhere.
Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
- You can make this into a single eight-inch cake — or make individual cakes, which Ferguson likes to do.
