BAKING
A Little Piece of Sunshine
If you are feeling the least bit old fashioned, then is this the perfect solution to your meandering mind: Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Its golden, sunny demeanor draws you in, like a carefully spied gem amongst a crowd of nobodies. The smell is so exotic yet familiar that you’ll be inviting people over for no other reason that to eat this cake.
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
1 Fresh Pineapple, cored and sliced into 10 even slices (about ¼”)
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Whole Vanilla Bean, split
2 Tablespoons Coconut Rum
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Water
12 Maraschino Cherries
7 Tablespoons Butter
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
¾ Cup Sorghum Flour
¼ Cup Cornstarch Flour
½ Cup Tapioca Flour
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 Large Eggs
1 ½ Teaspoons Mexican Vanilla
¾ Cup Buttermilk
Preheat oven to 350°F and take an 8” cake pan and spray lightly with non-stick spray and set aside.
In a large heavy bottomed skillet, add the water, light brown sugar, and vanilla bean and bring to a gentle boil until the sugar is completely dissolved. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the pineapple slices and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the minute crevices of the slices begin to take on an amber glow. Carefully remove the slices and place on a plate. Set aside and allow to cool. Continue to cook down the sugar mixture until there is about 1/3 cup remaining in the pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the tablespoon of butter and the coconut rum. Discard the vanilla bean and set the syrup aside.
In a large mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the eggs and continue whipping until the mixture is airy, light and the color of pale beeswax.
Sift together all of the dry ingredients and add to the butter-egg mixture, mixing on a low speed so the dry ingredient don’t rise up in a mushroom cloud and end up on your counter rather than in your bowl. Slowly pour the buttermilk over the batter as if it were lily-white primer. Continue to mix until well incorporated. Finish off the batter with the Mexican vanilla and mix for 2 more minutes.
Now take up the pineapple slices and arrange four of them on the bottom of the pan. Take the remaining slices and cut in half. They should resemble half-moon arches. Arrange these arches along the edges of the pan with the flat edge down. Now take 4 whole maraschino cherries and place one in each hole of the four pineapple slices lining the bottom. Cut the remaining cherries in half. Place one half in each of the half moons until all of the arches are filled. Pour a very thin layer of the reserved syrup onto the pineapple slices lining the bottom of the pan. Do not use all of the syrup; you want to reserve some for serving with. Now quickly pour the batter over the pineapples and cherries. Smooth the surface with an offset spatula and immediately place in the oven to bake for 45-55 minutes (depending on how hot your oven runs). The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool for 2-3 minutes before inverting. Invert onto a pretty platter and allow to cool completely.
Serve with vanilla ice cream and your reserved coconut rum syrup.
Serves 6
1 Fresh Pineapple, cored and sliced into 10 even slices (about ¼”)
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Whole Vanilla Bean, split
2 Tablespoons Coconut Rum
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Water
12 Maraschino Cherries
7 Tablespoons Butter
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
¾ Cup Sorghum Flour
¼ Cup Cornstarch Flour
½ Cup Tapioca Flour
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 Large Eggs
1 ½ Teaspoons Mexican Vanilla
¾ Cup Buttermilk
Preheat oven to 350°F and take an 8” cake pan and spray lightly with non-stick spray and set aside.
In a large heavy bottomed skillet, add the water, light brown sugar, and vanilla bean and bring to a gentle boil until the sugar is completely dissolved. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the pineapple slices and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the minute crevices of the slices begin to take on an amber glow. Carefully remove the slices and place on a plate. Set aside and allow to cool. Continue to cook down the sugar mixture until there is about 1/3 cup remaining in the pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the tablespoon of butter and the coconut rum. Discard the vanilla bean and set the syrup aside.
In a large mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the eggs and continue whipping until the mixture is airy, light and the color of pale beeswax.
Sift together all of the dry ingredients and add to the butter-egg mixture, mixing on a low speed so the dry ingredient don’t rise up in a mushroom cloud and end up on your counter rather than in your bowl. Slowly pour the buttermilk over the batter as if it were lily-white primer. Continue to mix until well incorporated. Finish off the batter with the Mexican vanilla and mix for 2 more minutes.
Now take up the pineapple slices and arrange four of them on the bottom of the pan. Take the remaining slices and cut in half. They should resemble half-moon arches. Arrange these arches along the edges of the pan with the flat edge down. Now take 4 whole maraschino cherries and place one in each hole of the four pineapple slices lining the bottom. Cut the remaining cherries in half. Place one half in each of the half moons until all of the arches are filled. Pour a very thin layer of the reserved syrup onto the pineapple slices lining the bottom of the pan. Do not use all of the syrup; you want to reserve some for serving with. Now quickly pour the batter over the pineapples and cherries. Smooth the surface with an offset spatula and immediately place in the oven to bake for 45-55 minutes (depending on how hot your oven runs). The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool for 2-3 minutes before inverting. Invert onto a pretty platter and allow to cool completely.
Serve with vanilla ice cream and your reserved coconut rum syrup.
Serves 6
February 9th, 2007 — 9:45 am
0 comments | add comment
0 comments |
|
Write a CommentBlackbird Bakery reserves the right to restrict comments that do not contribute constructively to the conversation at hand, contain profanity, personal attacks or seek to promote a personal or unrelated business. |
ARCHIVES
ARCHIVES
ARCHIVES