RETRO PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

By BobD

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups cake flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
• ¾ cup plus ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 egg whites, divided
• ½ cup 2 percent milk, at room temperature
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• Five ½-inch-thick cored and halved pineapple rings, from about 1 small pineapple

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 325˚ and position a rack in the center.

2. In a small mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat ½ cup of the butter, ¾ cup of the sugar and the vanilla at medium speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add 1 of the egg whites and beat until combined. Mix in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, until combined.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the 2 remaining egg whites with the remaining ½ teaspoon granulated sugar until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.

4. In an 8-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter with the brown sugar over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture begins to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and arrange the pineapple in the caramel. Pour the batter over the top and smooth with a spatula.

5. Place the skillet in the oven and bake the cake until golden and a tester stick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let the cake cool in the skillet for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the cake and carefully invert it onto a plate. Replace any pineapple pieces that stick to the skillet. Serve warm or at room temperature.