Anyway, as is the tradition of our office, on your birthday, you choose either a potluck theme or a restaurant from which everyone orders lunch. For the cake, we either order a cake or someone makes a cake. For the 2nd year in a row, my dear friend Melinda made me a pineapple upside down cake. For my lunch, we ordered from this little place. Now, I know I'm always posting chocolate cakes, as is evidenced by this, this, and this post, and yes, I adore chocolate cake, but truthfully, if it's my birthday cake, and I don't have to please anyone but myself, I just love pineapple upside cake. I know it seems an odd choice of favorite cake, but I think it's because so many of my favorite flavors and textures are in one cake. Caramelized sugar, crunchy pecans, buttery cake, and best of all, the taste and texture of pineapple crusted with sugar....mmmmmm. Maybe you're wondering about the birthday cake I had at home? I neglected to call both of my favorite bakeries early enough, so neither would accept my order; one said they were booked until the end of Mardi Gras, and the other said I needed to call 7 days in advance. So, rather than a traditional cake, I bought a King Cake, while not my choice of a great birthday cake, King Cake is a favorite of Brett and Andrew. However, I still wanted my own birthday cake, and that's when I decided to make the subject of today's post. I used a butter cake recipe for the base to which I added the traditional pineapple rings and pecans; however, rather than using the traditional brown sugar, I used turbinado sugar. One, I love the ease of even distribution, and two, the sugar provides yet another textural component. You'll notice that I call for a 13x9 pan; it's what my mother always used, and I've just continued doing the same. You can, of course, bake the cake in round pans, dividing the batter evenly. Pineapple upside down cake actually freezes quite well; flash freeze for about an hour, then wrap and return to freezer.
I've also included a convenience version, which uses a cake mix.
On to the giveaway! Sue, from Couscous and Consciousness won last week's giveaway, and chose Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana. Up for grabs this week are a subscription to Louisiana Cookin' magazine, Marcelle Bienvenu's Who's Your Mama, Are You Catholic, and Can You Make a Roux?, Cooking Up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found from The Times-Picayune of New Orleans, Tom Fitzmorris's New Orleans Food: More than 225 of the City's Best Recipes to Cook at Home, River Road Recipes: the Textbook of Louisiana Cuisine. I'm actually going to choose two winners, as I'm running behind on the giveaway schedule. All you have to do is leave me a comment telling which you would like to win. If you are the lucky winner chosen by random.org, you'll win your choice! The giveaway is open to everyone, even my international blogger buddies, although the magazine subscription is only valid for residents of the US. I'll choose two winners on Friday, 2/25. I do ask that you be a follower of Louanne's Kitchen, so just click the little follow button on the left, and leave a comment.
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Pineapple Upside Down Cake Printable recipe
3 sticks unsalted butter, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 cup pineapple juice
3 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar
2-20 oz cans pineapple rings in juice, drained (reserve juice for cake)
2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
Melt 1 stick of butter and pour into 13x9 baking pan; be sure to butter sides of pan, as well.
Sprinkle turbinado sugar over melted butter and arrange pineapple rings over sugar; sprinkle on pecans and set pan aside while preparing cake batter.
In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining 2 sticks of softened butter, vanilla, and granulated sugar; cream together until well mixed.
Add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.
Alternately add flour and pineapple juice to butter mixture, beating until well-mixed.
Pour cake batter over fruit and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a tester inserted comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before inverting.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake, convenience version
1 pineapple cake mix
3 eggs
1 1/3 cup pineapple juice
1 stick, plus 1/3 cup butter, melted and divided
1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar
2-20 oz cans pineapple rings in juice, drained (reserve juice for cake)
2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
Melt 1 stick of butter and pour into 13x9 baking pan; be sure to butter sides of pan, as well.
Sprinkle turbinado sugar over melted butter and arrange pineapple rings over sugar; sprinkle on pecans and set pan aside while preparing cake batter.
Prepare cake batter by combining cake mix, eggs, juice, and 1/3 cup melted butter.
Pour cake batter over fruit and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a tester inserted comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before inverting.
