Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

By carvalhohm

_When you use canned fruits in up-side-down cakes, be thrifty--save the leftover syrup for gelatin desserts, fruit drinks or party punches_.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup margarine or butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 can (8 1/4 ounces) sliced pineapple, drained
• 7 maraschino cherries
• 6 pecan halves
• Dinette Cake batter (recipe below)

Details

Servings 9

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat margarine in round layer pan, 9x1 1/2 inches, in oven until melted. Sprinkle brown sugar over margarine. Place 1 pineapple slice in center of pan. Cut remaining slices into halves; arrange halves cut sides out around pineapple in center of pan. Place cherries in center or curves of pineapple slices; arrange pecans around center slice. Prepare Dinette Cake batter; pour over fruit in pan. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Invert onto heatproof plate. Let pan remain a few minutes. Serve warm and, if desired, with whipped cream.

*Dinette Cake*:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour or 1 1/2 cups cake flour (If using self-rising flour, omit baking powder and salt)
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat all ingredients in large mixer bowl on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, 30 seconds. Beat on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally, 3 minutes. (Follow direction as given above)