Tuesday, February 7, 2012

upside down birthday cake

Today my baby is 20 years old! Where oh where did the time go?




She requested a pineapple upside down cake, so that's what she got. It is, after all, her big day.
I got this recipe from Martha Dixon's Copper Kettle Cookbook


In 1954, Martha started hosting a local cooking show "Martha Dixon's Copper Kettle", WJIM Channel 6 (now WLNS), which led to her cookbook in 1963.

Martha Dixon's Pineapple Upside-Down Cake


Topping:

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
9 slices pineapple


9 maraschino cherries


Heat oven to 350°F. In 9-inch square pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Arrange pineapple slices over brown sugar. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice.



Cake:
1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten until light

2 cups cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla


Cream butter and sugar until light & fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk and mix well. Add vanilla. Pour cake batter over fruit. Bake in moderate oven (350 F) 30 to 35 minutes. Turn onto large plate and cut cake so there is a whole slice of pineapple for each serving. Garnish with whipped cream and a cherry.



I modified her recipe just a bit. My 9" square pan was full of fudge, so I used a round cake pan. It took a bit longer to bake & only held 7 slices of pineapple. I had no maraschino cherries, so I used frozen Michigan tart cherries. I don't have cake flour, so I used all-purpose flour. Aside from all that, the cake was wonderful. As a bonus, it prevents scurvy.