Homemade Pineapple Upside Down Sundae Food

OLD FASHIONED PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a 10-inch heavy skillet with a heat-resistant handle (I use a cast iron skillet), melt 1/2 cup butter over very low heat. Remove from heat, and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over pan. Arrange pineapple slices to cover bottom of skillet. Distribute cherries around pineapple; set aside.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Separate the eggs into two bowls. In a large bowl, beat egg whites just until soft peaks form. Add granulated sugar gradually, beating well after each addition. Beat until medium-stiff peaks form. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks at high speed until very thick and yellow. With a wire whisk or rubber scraper, using an over-and-under motion, gently fold egg yolks and flour mixture into whites until blended. Fold in 1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine and almond extract. Spread batter evenly over pineapple in skillet.
• Bake until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake with table knife. Cool the cake for 5 minutes before inverting onto serving plate.

PINEAPPLE SUNDAES

Steps:

• Combine the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat at 50 percent power for 2 minutes; stir, then microwave at 30-second intervals until completely melted. Whisk in the cocoa and 1 3/4 cups sugar until smooth. Microwave the mixture on full power for 5 minutes, stopping to whisk occasionally. (Don't worry if the mixture looks grainy; continue to cook and whisk until smooth.) Add 1 cup half-and-half and microwave on full power until smooth and slightly fudgy, 2 minutes. Transfer to a thermos to keep warm.
• Fold the remaining 2 tablespoons half-and-half and 2 tablespoons sugar into the mascarpone in a bowl; cover and refrigerate.
• Preheat a grill to medium. Brush the cake slices lightly with oil and grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Brush the pineapple lightly with oil and grill until marked, about 1 minute per side.
• Top the cake with pineapple, a scoop of mascarpone cream and hot fudge. Garnish with coconut and/or nuts, if desired.

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Topping: Melt butter in a small skillet on direct heat.
• Add brown sugar and stir until well blended and bubbly.
• Pour into a 9" square baking dish, spreading to cover the bottom.
• (Alternately, microwave butter and brown sugar in a 9" square glass baking dish till well blended and bubbly).
• Arrange pineapple spears and maraschino cherry halves on top of the brown sugar in a sun-burst pattern.
• Chill in refrigerator while preparing batter.
• Batter: Sift together flour, salt and baking powder.
• Cream shortening/butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
• Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.
• At low speed, and in alternate additions, add in the flour and orange juice, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
• Beat only until smooth.
• Remove cake pan from the refrigerator and spread batter over topping.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.
• Remove from oven, let stand for 5-10 minutes.
• Invert on a plate and serve warm.

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN MUFFINS

Steps:

• Position your oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F Prepare the muffin pans by spraying the cups and rims with nonstick spray. If using the silicon pans, spray as directed and put on a cookie sheet.
• In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter until well combined. Into the muffin cups, place one candied cherry and one pecan half. Then divide the brown sugar mixture even among the 12 cups placing about 1 teaspoon in the bottom of each. Top the brown sugar mixture in each cup with 1 teaspoon of crushed pineapple. Set aside.
• Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well mixed. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Whisk in the buttermilk, the almond extract, the remaining 6 tablespoons of melted butter and the remaining crushed pineapple. Gently stir in the prepared flour mixture with a wooden spoon until moistened.
• Take care not to disturb the sugar and pineapple in the bottom of the cups, fill them three quarters full with batter. Reserve leftover batter for a second baking. Bake for 22 minutes, or until the muffins are lightly browned with rounded tops. A toothpick inserted into one of the centers should come out with moist crumbs attached to it.
• Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Gently tip each muffin to one side, being careful to keep the pineapple bottom attached. If it comes loose, simply scrape it out, and gently press it back onto the muffin top once the muffin has been removed from the pan. Remove all the muffins, serve them upside down. Cool completely before before sealing them in an airtight container, where they will stay fresh for up to two days. These muffins do not freeze well.

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE FROM A MIX

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt margarine and put in a 13 x 9 inch pan. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted margarine. Arrange pineapple and maraschino cherries over top, press gently into margarine and brown sugar. Take reserved pineapple juice, add enough water to it to make 1 1/4 cups. Make cake batter as directed on package, except use pineapple juice mixture instead of the water. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Immediately turn the pan upside down onto a heatproof plate. Leave pan over cake for one minute. Serve warm or cool.