Pineapple Upside Down Cake

V is for Variety and C is for Classic

Welcome to the Vegan Month of Food (VeganMoFo)  I intend to post 20 times during the month of September – all about vegan food. Check out the gals who organize the project here, and search out other fantastic vegan bloggers. I decided on the theme of “V is for Variety” because, honestly, once I quit the chicken breast – my food choices exploded! Join me!

Classic. Beige slacks and a black turtleneck. Gin and tonic with a twist of lime. Alfred Hitchcock movies. Cary Grant. New York City. Madison Avenue….Don Draper (oops….my mind just wandered a bit). Tuna Noodle Casserole. Marvin Gaye and Motown. Jackie Kennedy. Pepto-Bismol. Daytona Beach. Fondue. Wedgewood China. Cocktail parties. Houndstooth. Tomato soup and grilled cheese. Birthday parties. Hymn sings. Bobbed hair. Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

Here’s what you need (recipe from “The Vegan Table” by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, pg 258)

9 T Earth Balance or other non dairy butter, melted and divided

¾ C brown sugar

¾ C unsweetened pineapple juice, divided

(there’s just the perfect amount of juice in a can of sliced pineapple)

1 can sliced pineapple (20 ounces)

¼ C maraschino cheeries

1 ½ C all purpose flour

2 t baking powder

½ t salt

½ C granulated sugar

¼ C non dairy milk

6 oz non dairy plain or vanilla yogurt

½ t vanilla extract

Here’s what you do:

Melt 5 T butter, with brown sugar and ¼ C pineapple juice. Pout into a greased 9 inch spring-form pan. Arrange pineapple rings and cherries in syrup in a decorative manner.

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Pour in remaining ½ C pineapple juice, milk, yogurt, remaining 4 T melted butter, and vanilla. Don’t overmix. Pour cake batter over pineapple rings. Place spring form pan on a baking sheet to help catch any juices that escape. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Note: most of the juice leaked out of my pan onto the baking sheet, so I spooned it off and plopped it back on the top of the cake. I recommend lining the baking sheet with foil to help with sticky sugary clean up!

Cool cake for about 10 minutes, run knife carefully around the edge, release the spring and invert cake onto a plate so pineapple rings are facing up.

RAVE reviews! Thanks Colleen!