In the kitchen with Sharon this week is my co-worker and friend, Tracie Guisinger, making her famous pineapple upside down cake.
We had a recent birthday at The Times-Gazette and Tracie was nominated to make the birthday cake. Tracie brought it to work and we all pretty much scraped the pan. It was delicious — the best pineapple upside down cake I have ever had.
I asked Tracie what she did and was it a secret recipe. She said, while smiling, “I use my mother’s cast iron skillet.”
Thank you so much Tracie for not only the tip to making your cake, but for sharing it with all of us.
Please send your favorite recipes to [email protected] or call 937-393-3456. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Ingredients
12 pineapple slices in juice (from three 8-oz. cans)
16 maraschino cherries
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist yellow cake mix
1 cup pineapple juice (from can of pineapple)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Add melted butter to 12-inch cast iron or ovenproof skillet. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Arrange eight pineapple slices in bottom of skillet. Cut remaining slices in half; arrange around inside edge of skillet. Place one cherry in center of each whole and half pineapple slice.
2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, pineapple juice, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed until moistened; beat two minutes on high speed. Pour into skillet over fruit.
3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until cake is golden brown and springs back when touched lightly in center.
4. Cool cake in skillet 5 to 10 minutes. Run knife around edge of cake to loosen. Place heatproof plate upside down over skillet; turn plate and skillet over. Remove skillet. Serve cake warm.
Sharon Hughes is the advertising manager at The Times-Gazette. She is also a mother, grandmother and chef.
