Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

If you plan to use fresh pineapple for this recipe, I recommend that after peeling and slicing the pineapple into rounds and removing the core, you lightly cook it with a little sugar. This will allow you to extract the juice for the preparation. There is no need to add water for this step, as the pineapple releases plenty of liquid on its own.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Prepare the mold by lining the bottom with parchment paper (baking paper). If you don't have any, grease the mold with butter and dust it with a thin layer of flour, removing any excess, then add a fine layer of brown sugar. Arrange the pineapple rings in the design you want for your upside-down cake. Do not discard the juice from the can, as we will use some of it later. Set the prepared mold aside until you have the panetela mixture ready.

To prepare the panetela, separate the egg whites from the yolks. Whip the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks, gradually adding the sugar while continuing to beat. A meringue should form; it doesn't need to be perfect, but it should be firm. Add the yolks and continue beating until well incorporated.

Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) in a bowl and sift them to prevent lumps from forming in the batter later. Gradually fold them into the meringue mixed with the egg yolks. At this stage, do not use a blender. Use a sturdy spatula to gently incorporate the flour with folding motions. If it's your first time making a sponge cake, I recommend being patient and consistent; everything will come together nicely.

Once you have incorporated all the flour, the mixture will be thick. To smooth it out and enhance its flavor, add half a cup of the previously reserved pineapple juice. Continue mixing while maintaining gentle folding movements, as these are what aerate the batter.

Pour the mixture into the mold and place it in the oven for 40 minutes. In this recipe, a 26.5 cm diameter mold was used. You can use any mold you like, but be careful not to fill it more than two-thirds full. Remember that every oven has its own characteristics. Keep an eye on the cooking point to ensure it is neither undercooked nor too dry. To check if the cake is ready, insert a toothpick in the center; it should come out clean. Once it is ready, remove it from the oven and let it cool.

I suggest waiting for it to cool before flipping it. However, there are times when the eagerness to taste it makes patience difficult. Place the serving dish or plate where you will present the dessert and carefully turn it over. If you're using parchment paper at the bottom, remove it gradually to avoid damaging the shape. If you’re using a greased and sugared mold, make sure the cake is fully detached from all sides of the mold before flipping it. Then place the plate underneath and gently drop the cake onto it.

Once you have flipped it over and the design with the pineapple wheels is exposed, you have two options:

a) Gently moisten the dough with a little of the syrup or juice from the preserve

b) Serve the syrup on the side, allowing each diner to drizzle the pineapple upside-down cake to their liking.

To complete the decoration of the pineapple upside-down cake, some people add cherries or a fruit ball that contrasts with the yellow tone of the pineapple. However, this is up to personal preference.

Enjoy this delicious and lovely recipe! Bon appétit!