Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

If you plan to use fresh pineapple for this recipe, I recommend that after peeling and cutting the pineapple into rings and removing the core, you give it a light cooking with a little sugar. This will allow you to extract the juice for the preparation. It is not necessary to add water for this step as the pineapple releases a lot of liquid.

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, and add a thin layer of brown sugar. Place the pineapple rings in the design you want for your upside-down cake. Do not discard the syrup from the canned pineapple, as we will use some of it later. Set the prepared mold aside until you have the cake batter ready.

To make the panetela, separate the egg whites from the yolks. Whip the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks and begin to add the sugar gradually while continuing to whip. A meringue should form. It doesn't matter if it doesn't have perfect peaks, but it should be firm. Add the yolks and continue whipping until well integrated.

Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) in a bowl, sifting them to prevent lumps later in the batter. Gradually incorporate them into the meringue with the egg yolks. In this step, do not use the blender. Use a sturdy spatula that allows you to make folding motions with the flour. If it’s your first time making a panetela, I suggest being patient and consistent, as everything will blend well.

When you finish incorporating all the flour, the mixture will be thick. To smooth it out and add a rich flavor, add half a cup of the previously reserved pineapple juice. Continue mixing without abandoning the folding movements, as they are what aerate the dough.

Place the mixture in the mold and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. In this recipe, a mold with a diameter of 26.5 cm was used. You can use any mold you like, making sure not to fill it more than 2/3 full. Remember that each oven has its own characteristics. Pay attention to the cooking point so that it doesn't remain raw or too dry. To check if the cake is ready, insert a toothpick in the center; it should come out dry. When it's ready, take it out of the oven and let it cool.

I suggest waiting for it to cool before flipping it. Although there are times when the urge to taste it doesn't allow for that. Place the dish or plate on which you will present the dessert and carefully flip it over. If you use parchment paper at the bottom, remove it slowly to avoid damaging the shape that has formed. If you are using a floured and sugared mold, make sure that the cake is well separated from all the walls of the mold before flipping it. Then place the plate and gently let the cake fall 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, so that each diner can soak the pineapple upside-down cake to their liking.

To finish decorating the pineapple upside-down cake, some people add cherries or some small piece of fruit that contrasts with the yellow tone of the pineapple. But this is up to your taste.

Enjoy this delicious and lovely recipe!! Bon appétit!!