Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes

By Gerry

Individual upside-down cakes are a cute twist on an old favorite. Don't use paper cupcake liners for these, or the pineapple will be hidden. The inverted cupcakes will attract some attention. To grab even more attention, package them individually in small Chinese take-out containers along with a colorful napkin

Ingredients

• Fruit Topping:
• 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• Cupcake Batter:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice or milk
• 1 egg

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray or grease a nonstick muffin pan.

Drain the pineapple chunks, reserving 1/2 cup juice for the batter, if desired. Place the pineapple on a double layer of paper towels to drain completely.

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and melted butter. Divide evenly among the muffin pan cups. Arrange the pineapple chunks decoratively on top of the sugar mixture. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder. With an electric mixer, mix in the butter and pineapple juice, beating for 2 minutes to make a smooth batter. Beat in the egg.

Spoon the batter over the fruit in the muffin pan, filling each cup three-quarters full. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then place a wire rack on top of the muffin pan and invert the cupcakes onto the rack so the pineapple is on top. Let cool completely.