Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This cake has a fascinating history: It was invented because several other convenience items were developed that gave the housewife time to make a cake pretty as well as delicious.

The idea of cooking a cake upside down is an old technique that started centuries ago when cakes were cooked in cast iron skillets. It was easy for the cook to add fruit, such as apples, and sugar in the bottom of the pan and a simple cake batter on top, and put it over the fire to cook. Then flipping it over onto a plate was a natural way to show the pretty fruit and let the juices run into the cake as well.

The idea of using pineapple came soon after 1911 when one of James Dole's engineers had invented a machine to cut his pineapples into nice rings. Soon the convenient and pretty rings were used in this age old technique of the skillet cake. Another popular new product of the time, syrup-packed maraschino cherries, were also commonly included in the cakes. Traditional maraschino cherries had been around since the turn of the century and were preserved in liqueur, but during the Prohibition the sugary variety quickly became the new norm.

The first recorded recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake:
According to John Mariani (The Dictionary of American Food and Drink, Revised Edition, 1994), "The first mention in print of such a cake was in 1930, and was so listed in the 1936 Sears Roebuck catalog, but the cake is somewhat older." In Fashionable Food: Seven Decades of Food Fads (1995), Sylvia Lovegren traces pineapple upside-down cake to a 1924 Seattle fund-raising cookbook..."While rooting around in old women's magazines I found a Gold Medal Flour ad with a full-page, four-color picture of Pineapple Upside-Down Cake--a round cake with six slices of pineapple, candied red cherries, and a brown sugar glaze. The date: November 1925."
--- American Century Cookbook: The Most Popular Recipes of the 20th Century, Jean Anderson (p. 432)

Pineapple Upside Down Cake hit peak popularity in the 1950's.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
from Betty Crocker Cookbook, 1950 edition

Make the cake batter: Beat the eggs until thick and lemon colored, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar. Add the juice and vanilla and beat in. Mix the dry ingredients together and beat in.

Ready the Topping: melt the butter and place in 10" skillet (used for baking) or a 10" round cake pan. Sprinkle with the brown sugar. Arrange the pineapple, cherries and pecan halves in a decorative pattern on top. Note: do not make this ahead or the pecans get soggy.

Pour the cake batter over top of the fruit in the baking pan, being careful not to disturb the fruit pattern. Bake in a 350° F. oven for 45 minutes until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Immediately turn the cake upside-down on a serving plate. Do not remove the pan for a few minutes; the brown sugar will run down over the cake.

Serve warm with whipped cream.