PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This cake is terrific warm, and it’s mighty good cold, too. Amounts for flour and butter are listed by weight (ounces) and by volume (cups or tablespoons); use either measurement. Serves eight.

FOR THE CARAMEL:

4 Tbs. water 1 cup sugar

FOR THE FRUIT:

1 large, ripe pineapple

FOR THE CAKE:

4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract

7 oz. (11⁄2 cups) unsifted all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder

1⁄4 tsp. salt

1⁄2 cup nonfat buttermilk

Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch square or round cake pan and set it on a heatproof surface.

Make the caramel—In a heavy saucepan with a tight- fitting lid, stir the water and sugar together. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, swirling occasionally. Cover the pan for about 4 min. so the condensation washes down any sugar crystals from the sides of the pan. Un- cover and boil for about 12 min. (the bubbles will be large) or until it turns light amber. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the caramelized syrup into the prepared cake pan. Be careful: the syrup will be very hot. Allow the caramel to cool; it will set up within 5 min.

Prepare the fruit—Cut off the top of the pineapple and cut a slice from the bottom so it will stand upright and then quarter it. Core, peel, and slice the pineapple as shown in the photos opposite. Arrange the slices on the hardened caramel, overlapping them, with flat edges up. Remember that this will be the top of the cake (see the sidebar at right for other fruit preparations).

Assemble the cake—With an electric mixer, cream the butter. Gradually add the sugar, beating until the mixture is light. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about

15 seconds to incorporate each. Add the vanilla extract.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until the flour disappears. Add the buttermilk and mix again. Add the remaining flour, mixing just until the flour disappears. Spoon large dollops of the batter over the sliced fruit, taking care not to dis- turb the arranged fruit slices. Smooth out the batter.

Bake the cake until a skewer stuck in the center comes out clean and the top of the cake is a deep golden color, about 50 min. Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife between the cake and the pan. Set a serving platter upside down on top of the cake pan, invert the platter and the pan, and let them rest for 4 to 5 min. to allow the caramelized fruit to settle onto the cake. Gently lift the pan from the cake and serve.