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Looking down on a cake with pineapples and maraschino cherries on the outside.
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Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake

A rich, moist, buttery cake is served upside down, to show off the elegant, tangy, and delicious pineapple topping. That's why everyone loves this vegan pineapple upside down cake.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 slices
Calories 250kcal

Ingredients

Topping

  • 4 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 10 pineapple slices
  • 20 maraschino cherries

Cake:

  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup vegan sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.

For the Topping:

  • Distribute melted butter into a deep-dish pie pan (9x2) or cake pan, tilting it to make sure every edge of the pan is coated. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly across the pan.
  • Prepare the pineapples by removing them from the can and blotting them dry with a paper towel. Arrange 7 of the pineapples on top of the brown sugar, and add a cherry in the center of each. Cut the 3 remaining rings in half and arrange them around the edges of the pan, and add a cherry to the center of these as well. Place this in the fridge.

For the Cake:

  • Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl, including the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
  • Stir together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, including the vegetable oil, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, water, and vinegar.
  • Pour the wet mixture in with the dry and stir together vigorously, until you don't see clumps of flour.
  • Remove the pan from the fridge and spoon topping evenly over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. A tester inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean, but a few crumbs are ok.
  • When it's ready, remove the cake from the oven and set it on a rack to cool. Set your timer for 15 minutes. When the time is up, run a butter knife around the edges of the cake and the pan. Then invert the cake onto a serving dish. This cake will serve better if you let it cool completely before cutting.
  • Store leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Freezing will chang the texture of the pineapple, but it will still taste great.

Notes

*I also made a gluten-free version by using gluten-free baking flour mixture

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 234mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 550IU | Vitamin C: 3.9mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.6mg