Pineapple- Blackberry Upside-Down Cake

For the longest I have been wanting to make Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. A few weeks ago Nithya Krishnan, a member of the Chef at Large group had posted a picture of the upside-down cake that she had made. She was also gracious enough to provide us with the link to the recipe that she had followed. It was a recipe by Trisha Yearwood on Food Network. I looked at that link and at another recipe that I had seen and compared the two. I decided to modify Trisha Yearwood's recipe and make the cake. In my home there is an abundance of fresh fruits at all times. I do not use canned fruits. Hence,instead of canned pineapple, I have used fresh pineapple instead of canned and blackberries instead of cherries.I have to confess though that the berries gave the pineapples a star-burst appearance which some may not find aesthetically pleasing.I have also used coconut oil instead of margarine and reduced the amount of butter used.You can find the original recipe here. When I made the batter, I worried that the batter was too thick and that it may not be enough for the pan I used instead of the square 8 inch x8 inch pan that the recipe called for. I had to literally spread the batter over the pineapples so that they all could be covered. This had me worried that the cake layer would be too thin. I figured, if not a cake, I might just end up with a pie.In the end though, I realised that I worried needlessly. The cake was soft, fluffy and the right thickness. The taste was delicious with the right amount of sweetness. My colleagues said it was Purrfect! The cake was gone in no time! That was good for someone who made it the for the first time. I  would definitely make this again. I am also looking forward to making an eggless version of it.

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

Pineapple: 1/2 pineapple sliced into rings( about 6-8 rings), central core removed.
Blackberries: 10-12
Brown sugar: 1/2cup
Butter : 2 tbsp
Flour : 1 1/2 cups
Baking powder: 2tsps
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Egg: 1 large
Coconut oil: 1/3 cup
Sugar: 2/3cup
Vanilla essence: 1 tsp
Milk: 2/3 cup

Method:

Heat the oven to 350 degree F.
Place a baking pan ( I used a 13 x 9 pan, you could use a smaller pan for thicker cake)on low heat on the stove, add butter. When the butter is just melted, turn off the flame. Sprinkle brown sugar. Now place the pineapple rings in a single layer completely lining  up the bottom of the pan. Fill the center hole of each pineapple with blackberries. Keep it aside.

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Keep aside.

Beat together coconut oil, egg,vanilla and sugar until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is creamy. Now fold into this mixture flour and milk alternatively in batches,mixing gently. Be careful not to overmix.

Pour this batter over the pineapple-berries, making sure that the pan is completely covered.

Place on the center rack of the oven and Bake for 25-30 mins at 350 deg F. Test with a toothpick to check if it is done. It should come out clean.

Let it cool for 10 mins. Using a knife loosen it from the sides of the pan. Place the serving tray on top of the pan and gently overturn it. Leave it like that for 5mins. Then cut and serve! 

Enjoy! 

Cooking made easy:

There was a time when I used to hesitate to bring whole pineapple home as I used to find cutting it an extremely tedious process. Not anymore! Cutting a pineapple is actually very easy. Here are the steps:

1. Cut the leafy crown of the pineapple, discard it.
2. Now keep it upright on the cutting board and with the knife shave off the peel using vertical strokes, turning the pineapple in a clockwise motion.
3.Now cut the pineapple into 2 halves vertically.
4. Cut each half again vertically into 2 equal halves.
5. Vertically slice off the central hard portion of each quarter.
6. Now place each quarter horizontally and cut it into bite size pieces.

 If you want to slice it into rings, after step 2, place the pineapple horizonatlly on the cutting board and cut it into rings of desired thickness. Remove the central core.

I shall definitely take pictures and add them to this post next time I cut a pineapple.

Tip for healthy living:

Eating pineapple 2-3 hours after a meal is supposed to help burn off belly fat and bloating. This is due to the presence of Bromelain in pineapple that is supposed to help digest proteins. Bromelain is also supposed to have anti-inflammatory properties and helps relieve arthritis pain. Pineapple is a rich source of vitamin C which is known to help with the immune system. Elderly Indians believe that pregnant women should avoid pineapple as it promotes miscarriage/ labor. Why? I have not been able to find any articles stating the reason.

Food for Thought:

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.(Sir Issac Newton).