Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Some time ago, I made my very first, proper cake! I can do cookies, biscuits and muffins but prior to this, I've never made a cake before so naturally I was a little apprehensive. That and the fact that I'm not  so much of a natural cook in the kitchen, but I try. 

Anyhow, this cake turned out to be SPECTACULAR! I don't mean to blow my own trumpet but this was really, really good. The recipe is very simple and kinda fool-proof. If I can do it, so can anyone!

I googled recipes for Pineapple Upside-Down Cake and chose this recipe from "Joyofbaking" (click here).

Doesn't that just look gorgeous?! Sweet, sticky and indulgent, yum!

Here's the recipe (serves 6-8). I made just a few small modifications.

Cake mix:

195g of plain flour

2 tsp of baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

113g of butter (I used Lurpak salted butter although unsalted was called for)

200g of white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs, separated

120ml of full cream milk

1/4 tsp of cream of tartar

Topping:

55g of butter (again, I used salted instead of unsalted as instructed)

160g of brown sugar

A couple of pineapple rings from the can

Candied cherries

Instructions:

(1) Preheat oven to 180 deg C and grease a 9 inch round cake pan (I used a non-stick spring tin)

(2) In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and dissolve brown sugar together.

(3) Remove from heat and pour into the cake pan. Place your pineapple rings inside your pan (6 rings should fit a 9 inch pan) and place half a candied cherry in the hole of each ring. Set cake pan aside.

(4) In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt together.

(5) In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add in vanilla extract and egg yolks.

(6) Add the flour mix slowly, alternating with milk.

(7) In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites with the cream of tartar until you get firm peaks.

(8) Fold in the egg whites into the cake batter in two additions.

(9) Pour the batter into the cake pan and smoothen out.

(10) Bake for 45-60 mins.

(11) Remove from oven and cool, then invert the cake onto a large plate. 

I served this cake with thickened cream instead of whipped cream. 

Most amazing cake EVER. I should make this again some time soon. When I have time, like after my thesis review is done........