PINEAPPLE RIGHT SIDE UP CAKE-HELLO COLUMBUS

HELLO, COLUMBUS! 

OR, PINEAPPLE RIGHT-SIDE-UP CAKE  

The titles of this dessert are both examples of Southern jokiness. Christopher and his crew drooled when they tasted the pineapple on Guadalupe in 1493, then introduced it to Europe and the world: It was already being cultivated in China in 1594 and was a greenhouse pet in Europe soon after. Pineapple upside-down cake has long been a Southern favorite. Versions appear in Gulf Coast family recipe books as early as the 1870s. The pineapple is usually placed on the bottom of the cake, which is cooked in a heavy iron skillet and turned over when served. In this version, the pineapple is placed on top before the cake goes into the oven.

1 (8-ounce) can unsweetened sliced pineapple with its juice 

2 tablespoons dark rum, divided

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

good pinch of salt

1/4 cup milk 

3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter 

1 beaten egg 

pinch of mace 

pinch of nutmeg 

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Drain pineapple, saving about half of the juice, into which you pour 1 tablespoon of rum. Put pineapple and juice aside. 

3. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and stir well. Combine juice mixture, milk, melted butter, egg, and spices; add to dry ingredients. Add rest of rum and mix all very well. Don’t beat the dickens out of the stuff; just be sure the dry ingredients are moistened. 

4. Put batter into greased baking pan. Top with pineapple, sprinkle with brown sugar, and bake for a generous 30 minutes or until blade or pick comes out clean. Cool before serving. If you wish to be showy, you can serve with melon balls. For baroque tastes, whipped cream flavored with Cointreau or Triple Sec is always served alongside.