This easy pineapple upside down cake recipe has a buttery brown sugar pineapple topping and a moist, tender cake that melts in your mouth.
The simple cake batter is flavored with vanilla and lime, giving it a lovely tropical flavor that works so well with the fresh pineapple and brown sugar.
I love this pineapple cake so much and cannot wait for you to try it! For more tropical desserts like this, see our butter rum pound cake, coconut cream pie, or my favorite key lime pie!
Key Ingredients
- Pineapple: For the best flavor, I love using fresh pineapple. It’s lighter and more tart than canned pineapple. If you don’t have any fresh pineapple, canned slices packed in water or light syrup work too!
- Butter: I use butter in two ways in this recipe. First, I spread it on the cake pan, then sprinkle brown sugar over it before adding the pineapple. This creates a delicious caramel-like topping that’s nice and gooey when you turn the cake upside down for serving. I also use butter in the cake batter to make it rich and flavorful.
- Sugar: I use brown sugar for the topping and granulated sugar for the cake batter.
- Eggs: To get the perfect texture, I separate the eggs. The yolks are beaten into the butter and sugar, while the egg whites are gently mixed in at the end. I’ve tried making this cake with whole eggs like in other cake recipes, but the batter rises too much and overflows the pan. By gently stirring in the egg whites (unbeaten), we limit the air in the batter and prevent it from overflowing in the oven.
- Baking Powder: This helps the cake rise.
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour, but you can substitute a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend if needed.
- Sour Cream: This helps to make our upside down cake tender and moist. Plain yogurt works well if you don’t have sour cream.
- Spices: I use a combination of cinnamon, lime zest, vanilla, and salt. The cinnamon isn’t traditional, but it adds a lovely warmth to the cake.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Tip 1: Make a brown sugar topping. Grab your cake pan and spread softened butter all over the bottom. Scatter the brown sugar and cinnamon over the top, then place the pineapple slices on top.
As the cake bakes, the pineapple releases some of its juices and sweetness, which runs out into the brown sugar topping. Once the cake bakes and you turn it upside down onto a plate, you’ll have a delicious, gooey brown sugar topping.
Tip 2: Make the cake batter. We like to use our hand-held electric mixer to make the cake batter, but a stand mixer works, too. Beat butter, sugar, and lime zest until light and fluffy, then add vanilla and egg yolks (saving the whites for later). Add the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Tip 3: Add egg whites and sour cream last. Finish the cake batter by mixing in the sour cream and (unbeaten) egg whites. We add them later to keep our cake tender and moist, and to make sure it rises just how we want it to. (I’ve added whole eggs to this cake before, earlier in the steps, and the cake overflowed.)
Tip 4: Cool the cake in the pan before flipping. Spoon the batter into the cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Then, let the cake cool for a few minutes in the pan before inverting it onto a serving platter (watch me do this in our video).
Tip 5: Fix any holes. If, when you remove the cake, some pineapple sticks to the bottom of the pan, remove it and press it into place, using a spoon to even out the brown sugar layer. No one will ever know!
Serving Suggestions
This pineapple upside down cake is lovely all by itself, but it’s even more delicious with a spoonful of coconut ice cream or vanilla ice cream, homemade whipped cream, or this dairy-free coconut whipped cream (which is lovely with the tropical pineapple). And if the brown sugar topping isn’t enough for you, you can always add an extra drizzle of homemade caramel sauce (yum!).
More Cake Recipes
Fresh Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
We love this easy pineapple upside down cake recipe! For the best results, use fresh pineapple. If you can only access canned pineapple, use pineapple in the lightest syrup you can find.
We ask that you separate the eggs for this upside down cake. You will beat the yolks with the butter and sugar, then gently mix the unbeaten egg whites into the batter at the end. This creates a more tender, moist cake while preventing too much air from being incorporated into the batter, which can cause it to overflow when baking in the oven.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
8 ounces fresh pineapple, a quarter of a pineapple (225g)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided (170g)
½ cup brown sugar (100g)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
2 teaspoons lime zest or lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, separated
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (195g)
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt (125g)
Directions
1Prep: Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Set aside an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan that is at least 2 inches tall. We do not recommend using a springform pan for this recipe as the brown sugar topping tends to leak out of the bottom.
2Prepare pineapple: Remove the ends and peel the pineapple. Cut into four long wedges, and then cut away the core. Slice two of the wedges into ½-inch thick slices. You will need most of these for the cake. (Watch our video to see how we cut the pineapple.)
3Make brown sugar topping: Spread 4 tablespoons of the butter over the bottom of the cake pan. Scatter the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the butter. Arrange the pineapple wedges in one even layer over the butter and sugar.
4Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, beat the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter, granulated sugar, and zest with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and beat until smooth. Save egg whites for later.
5Mix dry ingredients: In another bowl, whisk or sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
6Make batter: On low speed, mix half of the flour mixture into the butter and egg yolk mixture until only a few streaks of flour remain, then mix in the remaining flour. Add the (unbeaten) egg whites and sour cream. Mix on low speed until blended.
7Bake: Spoon the cake batter onto the pineapple in the pan, then spread it into an even layer. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
8Cool and serve: Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and invert it onto a plate to cool. If some pineapple slices stick to the pan, use a spatula to transfer them back on top of the cake, then spread some gooey brown sugar sauce over them to cover them up. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: You can refrigerate the leftover cake for up to 3 days. Freeze it, wrapped well in foil, for up to 1 month. Thaw it overnight in the fridge. You can rewarm slices in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
- Leftover pineapple: Beyond enjoying juicy pineapple in fruit salads or alone, you can also broil slices or sear slices in a pan with some butter. Serve warm with a little whipped cream or ice cream. I also love making this pineapple avocado salsa!
- Recipe adapted and inspired from Alice Medrich’s “Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts”
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
I love to bake. Had a fresh pineapple so I made this recipe. It came out of the pan perfect. Best ever . Shared with our dear friends. Thank you for this amazing cake recipe.
You are so welcome! 🙂
I love this cake!! We are RVing this summer. Could this be baked in a cast iron on the grill? I only have a medium size cast iron so wondering about the ingredient measurements.
Hi Lis, this is a really good question, and I bet you can. That said, I’ve never done this (or any cake on a grill for that matter), so you would be experimenting a bit. We’d love to hear how it goes!
I only had a springform so I used parchment paper to origami fold a large “cupcake cup” with the sides extending to the rim of the pan. No leaks! The cake is awesome
Turned out delicious. I make 1.5 x the recipe to fit a 8×11-1/2 cast iron enamel baking dish. I reduced the sugar by 30% and substituted the butter that goes in the cake with coconut oil. It was rich but not overly sweet which is what my husband had asked for me to do. I would make this again.
Love this recipe, easy. And well received.
So yummy! I followed your recipe exactly. I used what I had, yogurt, lemon, (I will use lime next time), fresh pineapple and baked in an 8 in square pan. Plain whole milk yogurt is so wonderful to use in baking. I read over many pineapple cake recipes and chose yours.
We are so glad you made ours and thank you so much for coming back to leave such a kind review! 🙂
I’ve made this 3 times and the whole family loves it. I’m wondering whether it works with gluten free flour as I’d love to make it for some guests who don’t eat gluten?
Hi Carly, I have not made this cake with gluten-free flour. I would imagine that a standard GF all-purpose blend will work, though.
Thanks – I gave it a go and added an extra egg to help bind it without the gluten and it turned out perfectly!
This cake was amazing. It’s now my new favorite (used to be a 4-layer coconut). The lemon zest really shines through. I cut my pineapple pieces smaller and tossed in a few Fabbri Amarena Wild Cherries.
Just made this for a family gathering. Best ever pineapple upside down cake. Thank you for sharing.
Im gong to make this due to the ingredients and the reviews, but I wanna thank you for not having so many pop-ups on your site that I can’t get to the recipe – a dream come true!
So my previous comment I said my cake was baking… Just came out the oven and WOW!!! The aroma, the texture, the flavour is a 10/10. Definitely my go to. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Yay! So happy you loved your cake 🙂
This is probaby the most delicious cake I have ever had!!! We are heading to Maui next month so I have been thinking of my favorite foods to eat there. Thanks so much for this recipe and getting me in the mood for tropical treats!
Such a straightfoward and easy recipe, luckily I had everything in my pantry but the lime. Didn’ want to waste pineapple got a lime and went to work. My family loved it. I can see why some of us had made it again I know iI surely will. thought we’d have eft over but nope great summer treat. Thaks for the recipe.
Absolutely awesome recipe. I was so amazed by how good it tasted! Thank you!
This is a fantastic recipe and I’ve currently made it 3 times. I dream about eating it, it’s that delicious! I’m not a great baker but the recipe is straightforward and foolproof. I’m in the uk so I used caster sugar not granulated (does this affect anything?) And also I only had dark brown sugar for the topping, but it worked well with the cinnamon. I love American and Canadian recipes, they have much more flavour- cinnamon, lime, vanilla – and moisture from sour cream or buttermilk. If this was a recipe from the UK it would have none of those! This recipe is dfinitely a keeper.
Just made this & was a bit skeptical…came out great!! I softened my butter for the bottom of the pan, just a bit & used dark brown sugar (it’s what I had) I cut my pineapple a bit too thick and should have cut in small pieces it was delicious but would have been easier to eat if cut in little wedges. Made fresh whipped cream & what a winner. The taste was perfect! Thanks for a great recipe. Also I used a solid 8 inch square pan ( a good quality one) I think that helps with the carmelization. I definitely would not use a springform unless you lined it with parchment you want to save all that gooey syrup!! Yum yum
We are thrilled you loved the recipe 🙂
Hi Joanne and Adam, I would like to make the pineapple upside down cake but before l make it, l noticed in the video that you poured a little bit of what looked like lime juice, and l didn’t see that ingredient in the list. Is lime or lemon juice supposed to be added and how much of it? Thank you
Hi Jo, We use lime zest to add a lime flavor to the sugar in the cake itself.
Absolutely lovely recipe. Was a super hit across three generations. I reduced sugar by 30%. Thank you. this one is a show stopper and a keeper!
Lovely recipe! Writing this as my cake is in the oven (2nd time I’m making this recipe). First run through I followed the recipe exactly, second time through I made a few adaptations as I had some missing ingredients. I’ve found this recipe to be super forgiving and delicious. I only have push base tins so I just lined the base of mine with foil or parchment paper and that seemed to work well. Adaptations: -Ran out of natural yoghurt so subbed with double cream and lime juice. -Low on butter so topped up with melted coconut oil (for the brown sugar topping not the filling)
Absolutely great pineapple upside down cake. It is now in the special dinners dessert lineup!
This pineapple upside down cake is delicious. The crumb is tender, buttery and sweetly flavored. I did not use cinnamon this time, but will try it the next time. And I did not have enough lemon or lime, but used both to make two teaspoons of zest. It was so good!
Found this recipe googling for one that didn’t use canned pineapple. Delicious! I kept it mostly as written but added about 1.5, 2 tsp grated fresh ginger, since I was chopping up gingerroot for another recipe and it goes great with pineapple. Would recommend that change, it adds another layer off depth to the final product.
Very delicious and easy to make pineapple upside down cake. I added marrochino cherries halves on a top.
Where is the video on cutting pineapple?
There is a video next to the recipe.
Just made this recipe. And it turned out amazing! Used biscuit cutters on fresh pineapple to make the rings. I used bourbon dark cherries and a splash of bourbon in the batter. I did use a springform pan with a cookie sheet for drips. Brought it to a client as a first-time make. (risky) Probably the best pineapple upside down cake I’ve ever had!
Hello there, If I don’t have diary, what can I replace yogurt with? Please let me know. Thank you.
Hi there, while we have not tested these, dairy-free substitutes I’d try are a plant-based yogurt (like almond or coconut yogurt), mashed banana, or applesauce.
The recipe as written is easy to follow and the end result was spectacular. My family loved it and this will now be my go to recipe for pineapple upside down cake.
I brought this to my friend’s dinner party and it received rave reviews all around . It reminds me of my mom’s except better! The recipe is perfect as written. Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe!
Huge success!! I had some pineapple that was definitely past its prime, but chopped it up as directed; substituted Gluten free flour and added 1/2 tsp zanthum gum. My guests had 2nds of dessert, and that from a man who doesn’t care for sweets or dessert. I hold this recipe in high regards.
This turned out amazing! Was given a pineapple for the holidays but my mom can’t eat it raw so I was looking for recipes to use it in. I had never made a pineapple upside-down cake before, but it was a big hit, several people ditched the pumpkin pie in favor of a slice!
Awful disaster if a recipe. Waste of time, ingredients and resources. Follew the recipe to the letter and I now have burnt sugar leaked out of the bottom of the cake tin and solid at the bottom of the oven, the smell of burnt sugar throughout the house and a wobbly uncooked batter. Needs far longer to cook that specified time. Needed to specify that cake tin should not have a push out bottom. Most tins do nowadays! Haven’t tasted it yet as it’s still in the oven after 50 mins and still raw in the center.
Hi Annalise, I’m so sorry to hear about your experience with the pineapple upside-down cake! Springform pans aren’t ideal for this recipe because of the potential for leaking. I’ve now added an extra note in the recipe to highlight this, so hopefully, other bakers won’t have the same issue. When baked in a standard 8-inch cake pan (like in our video), the cake usually takes 35-40 minutes. It sounds like your oven might run a bit cool, which can definitely affect baking times. Using an oven thermometer can help you get a more accurate reading. I hope this helps, and while I can’t always respond as quickly as I’d like to, I’m always here to answer any other questions you might have! – Joanne
This is by far the best pineapple upside down cake I’ve had in a while. Moist and delicious and very easy to make. Used fresh pineapples and blueberries.
I love your addition of blueberries! So happy you enjoyed it, Gail.
Absolutely delicious and just the right size!
Hi Gayl, We are thrilled you enjoyed the cake. Thanks for coming back and sharing.
Second time making this cake. Absolutely wonderful. We all fought over the leftovers the next day.
That’s amazing, Jamie! I am so happy it’s been such a success for you.
This was a wonderful cake! The lime zest was inspired addition! We served to neighbors who kept needing to “even up” the edges !! So delicious
Has anyone tried using gluten free or almond flour? Would like to make for my daughter in law. Thank you!!!
Hi Marcy, I think you will have the best outcome with a GF flour blend, not almond flour. If you try it, please let us know!
Cake came out delicious. Recipe was very easy to follow. I followed some other reviewer and cut the white granulated sugar in half (added .5 cup instead of 1 ). I used a spring form pan and the caramelized sugar was leaking in the every end of baking. I put an aluminum foil underneath the pan while baking. I also used canned pineapple in light syrup for this recipe.
Hi there, I am so happy that the cake worked so well for you. In the case of this recipe, we do not recommend a springform pan (I’ll add that note to the recipe to make it more clear). I am glad you were able to add the foil barrier to prevent a mess in your oven. Thanks so much for the feedback!