Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

By wing118677

Let this cake cool 30 minutes before inverting so the bourbon caramel can absorb.
Special equipment: 10" diameter cake pan with 2" high sides, a small round cookie cutter (about 1" in diameter)

Ingredients

• Caramel
• nonstick vegetable spray
• 1 1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in 1" pieces
• 1/4 c. bourbon
• Cake
• 1 medium pineapple
• 1 2/3 c. cake flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 c.(1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp., cut in 1" pieces
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream

Preparation

Step 1

Caramel
Preheat oven to 350. Coat cake pan with non-stick spray, set aside. Cook brown sugar and butter in a small deep heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisking occasionally until mixture is bubbling and sugar is completely dissolved. Boil, whisking occasionally until caramel darkens, thickens, emulsifies, and pulls away from sides of pan, about 3 mins.

Remove from heat and whisk in bourbon (mixture will bubble vigorously). Return caramel to a boil, cook for 1 minute. Pour caramel into prepared cake pan and swirl pan until bottom is completely covered. Let cool completely before proceeding (caramel will harden).

Cake
Cut skin from pineapple, making sure to remove all broken eyes. Cut into 1/4 to 1/2" thick rounds from pineapple. Using cookie cutter, remove core from rings. Drain rings briefly on paper towels if very juicy. Arrange pineapples decoratively on top of caramel in cake pan without overlapping. Cut rings into smaller pieces to fill gaps, if desired.

Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, and butter in another medium bowl until light and fluffy, 5-6 mins. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to blend between additions. Scrape sides of bowl well, making sure to incorporated all butter and eggs. Beat for 1 minute longer.

Beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with sour cream in two additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Scape batter into pan, smooth top.

Bake cake until tester comes out clean, 50-60 mins. Transfer to wire rack. Let cool in pan for 30 mins. Run a sharp knife around sides of pan to loosen cake, tap bottom of pan and invert cake onto a large plate.

Cake may be made up to 8 hours ahead. Cover with a cake dome and let stand at room temperature.