A retro Pineapple Upside Down Cake with a Middle Eastern Twist of added Medjool Dates. Flavoured with vanilla and a rich toffee sauce.
This recipe was first published in August 2018. But has since been updated in December 2019 with additional text and information.
Affiliate Link: I've adapted the recipe from the Clandestine Cake Club Cook Book. Which I had published in Feb 2013.
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What is an Upside Down Cake?
The upside down cake was traditionally made with glace cherries and slices of canned pineapple. They were all the rage during my childhood of the 1960's and '70's. Placing the cherries and pineapples neatly at the bottom of a tin. Spreading evenly with cake batter before baking, made a wonderful pudding on a Sunday Afternoon.
With so many fruits available to us today. Canned or otherwise. You can use almost any fruits for this recipe. Just remember to place the fruits the correct way up so that they look their best when you turn the upside down cake out of the tin.
If you love a good pudding. Try this Apple Sponge Eve's Pudding with stewed Apples topped with a vanilla sponge. Or this Coffee Pudding with Dates, Sultanas and a Rich Toffee Sauce for pouring.
List of Ingredients.
- Medjool Dates - Try to use this variety. They are larger than most other dates. And have a rich, caramel taste to them. With a soft chewy texture.
- Butter - Please use butter wherever you can. It has a much better flavour.
- Brown Sugar - This adds a nutty flavour to the toffee sauce and cake batter. More flavoursome than white sugar.
- Canned Pineapple - Or fresh Pineapple is fine.
- Honey - Although optional. Honey adds a nice additional, natural sweetness to this dessert when baked.
- Wholemeal and White flour - Using all white flour will be fine. But not all wholemeal as it may make the cake a little too dense and heavy.
- Eggs - Organic if possible.
- Vanilla Extract - Here's how to make your own Vanilla Extract
How to Make an Upside Down Cake
Grease an 18cm/7ins round cake tin or Tarte Tatin tin. DO NOT use a loose-bottomed cake tin or you will lose all the lovely Toffee Sauce during baking. If you wish, line the base of the tin with a circular disc of baking parchment.
Make the Toffee Sauce
- Melt the butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until all the butter and sugar have dissolved. When it starts to bubble, simmer for a few minutes. Then take off the heat to cool a little.
- Pour the sauce into the cake tin ensuring the base is evenly coated. Arrange the dates, cut side up, and the pineapple slices evenly on top.
Make the cake
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add the vanilla extract, then gradually add the eggs one at a time. Add a little flour between each egg to help prevent curdling. Mix until well combined.
- Fold in the remaining flours and chopped dates. It helps to toss the chopped dates in flour to help separate the pieces so that they spread evenly throughout the cake batter. Add the pineapple juice. Mix until well combined.
- Spoon the mixture evenly over the date and pineapple topping.
- Bake for 30 – 35 mins in the centre of the oven. Or until baked. Testing the centre of the cake with a skewer until it comes out clean. Place a baking tray underneath to catch any Toffee Sauce that may ooze out over the tin.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool a little before turning out onto a serving plate.
To remove the upside down cake from the pan. Invert the tin onto a large plate to catch any remaining hot Toffee Sauce. Carefully remove the tin.
If you wish, why not serve with a drizzle of runny honey while the cake is still warm.
Baker Tips
- It helps to toss the chopped dates in flour to help separate the pieces so that they spread evenly throughout the cake batter.
- Using butter and brown sugar gives a much better flavour to the sauce and sponge cake.
- This cake will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.
- You can freeze an upside down cake. Make sure it's completely cooled first. Wrap in cling film or suitable freezer bag before placing in the freezer. Remove the wrapping and place on a plate, in the fridge to defrost.
Keen to Bake More?
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Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Equipment
- Tart Tatin Pan or cake tin WITHOUT a loose bottom
Ingredients - Imperial /oz are approx weights which are calculated by a 3rd party app
For the Toffee Syrup
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 60 g light brown sugar
- 4 Medjool dates cut in half lengthways
- 3 canned pineapple rings
- 2 - 3 tablespoons runny honey optional serving
For the Cake
- 125 g unsalted butter softened
- 125 g dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs medium
- 75 g self raising wholemeal flour
- 50 g white self-raising flour
- 4 Medjool dates roughly chopped
- 1 tbs pineapple juice syrup from the canned pineapples
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 170C fan. Grease an 18cm/7ins round cake tin or Tarte Tatin tin. DO NOT use a loose-bottomed cake tin or you will lose all the lovely Toffee Sauce during baking. If you wish, line the base of the tin with a circular disc of baking parchment.
Make the Toffee Sauce
- Melt the butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until all the butter and sugar have dissolved. When it starts to bubble, simmer for a few minutes. Then take off the heat to cool a little.
- Pour the sauce into the cake tin ensuring the base is evenly coated. Arrange the dates, cut side up, and the pineapple slices evenly on top.
Make the Sponge Cake.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add the vanilla extract, then gradually add the eggs one at a time. Add a little flour between each egg to help prevent curdling. Mix until well combined.
- Fold in the remaining flours and chopped dates. It helps to toss the chopped dates in flour to help separate the pieces so that they spread evenly throughout the cake batter. Add the pineapple juice. Mix until well combined.
- Spoon the mixture evenly over the date and pineapple topping.
- Bake for 30 – 35 mins in the centre of the oven. Or until baked. Testing the centre of the cake until it comes out clean. Place a baking tray underneath to catch any Toffee Sauce that may ooze out over the tin.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool a little before turning out onto a serving plate.
To Serve
- To turn out an upside down cake. Invert the tin onto a large plate to catch any remaining hot Toffee Sauce. Carefully remove the tin. If you wish, why not serve with a drizzle of runny honey while the cake is still warm.
Notes
- It helps to toss the chopped dates in flour to help separate the pieces so that they spread evenly throughout the cake batter.
- Using butter and brown sugar gives a much better flavour to the sauce and sponge cake.
- This cake will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.
- You can freeze an upside down cake. Make sure it’s completely cooled first. Wrap in cling film or suitable freezer bag before placing in the freezer. Remove the wrapping and place on a plate, in the fridge to defrost.
I tried out a cake with the above recipe. The cake was very soft and tasty. Thank you.