Published: April 9, 2019 Modified: August 27, 2024 by Cathy Trochelman 8 Comments

Pineapple Upside Down Coffee Cake

Clock icon 1 hour 10 minutes

Pineapple Upside Down Coffee Cake is the ultimate breakfast treat! Moist, dense, and packed with delicious flavor, this coffee cake takes breakfast to the next level. Easy to make and guaranteed to impress…if you love pineapple, you’ll love this breakfast version of a classic!

Pineapple Upside Down Coffee Cake on a serving plateI partnered with Pick ‘n Save to bring you this recipe. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Lemon Tree Dwelling possible!

You guys. I’m such a sucker for coffee cake. I mean….cake that’s acceptable to eat for breakfast? Sign me up. And with Easter just around the corner, I’m pretty sure we’re ALL thinking coffee cake! Because an Easter brunch without it just isn’t the same. Amiright?

Well. You’ve come to the right place. Because this recipe was made for Easter brunch! Not only it is delicious and fresh and perfect for spring…but it seriously couldn’t be any prettier.

Between the pineapple rings and the maraschino cherries and that gooey brown sugar glaze? This cake is just begging to have place on your Easter table. 

And when you shop at Pick ‘n Save, it makes things that much easier! Because Pick ‘n Save is literally a one stop shop for all your Easter brunch needs…including the ingredients for this breakfast favorite.

From the Kroger sliced pineapple and maraschino cherries to the Roundy’s eggs and milk, I found everything I needed to make this recipe (as I always do when I shop at Pick ‘n Save)!

Slice of Pineapple Upside Down Coffee Cake with a fork

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS RECIPE?

  • 1/4 c. butter
  • 3/4 c. brown sugar
  • 1 can pineapple rings 
  • 7 maraschino cherries
  • 1/2 c. granulated sugar
  • 1/4 c. brown sugar
  • 1/4 c. butter, softened
  • 1/2 c. sour cream
  • 1/4 c. milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsp. pineapple juice, from can
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 c. all purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

HOW DO YOU MAKE PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN COFFEE CAKE?

  1. Preheat oven to 350°
  2. Make the sauce – in a small saucepan, melt 1/4 c. butter over medium heat. Stir in 3/4 c. brown sugar. Pour mixture into 9 inch round pan.
  3. Add the pineapple rings – place pineapple rings on top of brown sugar and place a maraschino cherry in the center of each ring.
  4. Make the batter – in a medium mixing bowl, cream 1/4 c. butter, 1/2 c. granulated sugar, and 1/4 c. brown sugar. Add sour cream, milk, egg, pineapple juice, and vanilla. Mix until blended. Use a food processor to grind reserved pineapple rings (or chop finely) and stir into batter. Stir in flour and baking powder just until moistened.
  5. Add the batter to the pan – pour batter over pineapple rings in pan; spread evenly.
  6. Bake – bake at 350° 50-55 minutes or until top is golden brown and edges begin separating from pan.
  7. Cool – use a knife to loosen edges; cool 10 minutes on a wire rack.
  8. Transfer – place a serving plate on top of pan and invert cake onto the plate.

Pineapple Upside Down Coffee cake ingredients

CAN YOU USE FRESH PINEAPPLE?

If you prefer to use fresh pineapple, you absolutely can. It may be easiest to buy a peeled & cored fresh pineapple, then simply slice it into rings. You can also buy a whole pineapple if that’s all that’s available.

WHAT CAN YOU USE IN PLACE OF MARASCHINO CHERRIES?

You can feel free to substitute a different type of cherry in this recipe, but maraschino cherries are traditionally used in Pineapple Upside Down Cake. They’re used more for color and appearance than they are for flavor, as you can easily avoid them when eating the coffee cake.

Overhead shot of Pineapple Upside Down Coffee Cake

CAN YOU USE A DIFFERENT SIZE/SHAPE PAN?

Yes. Feel free to use an 8 inch round pan, a 9 inch springform pan, or a square pan in either of these sizes. I found that the 9 inch round worked best for fitting the pineapple rings.

HOW DO YOU INVERT A CAKE?

Here are the steps to inverting a cake:

  1. Allow the cake to cool 10-15 minutes on a wire rack.
  2. Loosen the edges with a knife.
  3. Place a large plate face-side down on top of the cake pan, being sure the entire pan is covered.
  4. Hold the edges down tightly and quickly flip the cake pan over so the cake ends up on the plate.

HOW LONG DOES THIS COFFEE CAKE LAST?

This coffee cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. Be sure it is covered tightly to avoid drying out.

Close-up of Pineapple Upside Down Coffee Cake slice

Love Pineapple Upside Down recipes? Here are some more to try!

And if you’re looking for other coffee cake recipes, these are some of our favorites!

Pineapple Upside Down Coffee Cake

Pineapple Upside Down Coffee Cake is the ultimate breakfast treat! Moist, dense, and packed with delicious pineapple flavor, this coffee cake takes breakfast to the next level. Easy to make and guaranteed to impress...if you love pineapple, you'll love this breakfast version of a classic!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 180kcal
Author: Cathy Trochelman

Ingredients

  • 1/4 c. butter
  • 3/4 c. brown sugar
  • 1 can pineapple rings reserve extra pineapple rings & juice
  • 7 maraschino cherries
  • 1/2 c. granulated sugar
  • 1/4 c. brown sugar
  • 1/4 c. butter softened
  • 1/2 c. sour cream
  • 1/4 c. milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsp. pineapple juice from can
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 c. all purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. In a small saucepan, melt 1/4 c. butter over medium heat.
  3. Stir in 3/4 c. brown sugar.
  4. Pour mixture into 9 inch round pan.
  5. Place pineapple rings on top of brown sugar and place a maraschino cherry in the center of each ring.
  6. In a medium mixing bowl, cream 1/4 c. butter, 1/2 c. granulated sugar, and 1/4 c. brown sugar.
  7. Add sour cream, milk, egg, pineapple juice, and vanilla. Mix until blended.
  8. Use a food processor to grind reserved pineapple rings (or chop finely) and stir into batter.
  9. Stir in flour and baking powder just until moistened.
  10. Pour batter over pineapple rings in pan; spread evenly.
  11. Bake at 350° 50-55 minutes or until top is golden brown and edges begin separating from pan.
  12. Use a knife to loosen edges; cool 10 minutes on a wire rack.
  13. Place a serving plate on top of pan and invert cake onto the plate.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 77mg | Sugar: 22g
For more recipe inspiration, visit Pick ‘n Save on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube.
Collage image of Pineapple Upside Down Coffee Cake
Pineapple Upside Down Coffee Cake is the ultimate breakfast treat! Moist, dense, and packed with delicious pineapple flavor, this coffee cake takes breakfast to the next level. Easy to make and guaranteed to impress…if you love pineapple, you’ll love this breakfast version of a classic!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




8 Comments

  1. The ingredients list for the Pineapple Upside Down Cake shows 1/4 c. granulated sugar.
    At step 6, the instructions show “1/2 c. granulated sugar.”
    Just thought you’d like to know. 🙂