PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… The Best of Gloria Pitzer’s Better Cookery Cookbook (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; February 1990, 11th Printing, p. 97)
INGREDIENTS:
3 cans (8-oz. each) sliced pineapple, in juice
1 C. packed, light brown sugar
1/3 C. butter or margarine, melted and cooled
7 red Maraschino cherries, cut in half
½ C. chopped pecans
18-oz. box yellow or white cake mix
1 pkg. Dream Whip powder
4 eggs
1 C. cold water
[bottled/jarred pineapple sundae topping for glaze]
INSTRUCTIONS:
Drain pineapple, reserving 2 TB of the juice. Combine brown sugar and butter, spreading it in a 9”x13”x2” baking pan. Arrange pineapple slices in single layer to fit the pan, cutting slices, if necessary. Place cherry halves, cut side up, in middle of each pineapple ring.
Drizzle in the reserved juice. Sprinkle on a layer of chopped pecans. Combine dry cake mix with Dream Whip powder. Beat in eggs and water for about 5 minutes or until batter is smooth. Carefully spread batter over pineapple [cherries and nut] layer in the pan.
Bake at 350°F for 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let it stand in the pan for about 5 minutes, [placing pan] on a wire rack. Place a greased jelly roll pan over top of cake pan and carefully invert cake onto pan, holding pans securely in place as you turn it over.
Let stand 1 minute before removing top [pan]. Scrape down any excess topping, rearranging pineapples and cherries, if necessary. Drizzle the top with the sundae topping to give it a glaze. Serve warm or cold topped with ice cream and/or whipped cream.
