Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

5 from 3 votes

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

Transform a boxed cake mix into these delightful Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes. This easy recipe brings all the flavors of the classic dessert into individual-sized treats.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Cooling Time25

Total Time1 5

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 271kcal

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Equipment

Ingredients

⅓ cup butter
¾ cup brown sugar light or dark
12 pineapple slices in 100% juice from 3 (8-ounce) cans or 2 (20-ounce) cans), drained, juice reserved
12 maraschino cherries blotted dry and stems removed
13.25 ounce boxed yellow cake mix like Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix
1 cup reserved pineapple juice from canned pineapple
⅓ cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat 12 nonstick jumbo muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over LOW heat. Add the brown sugar, stir to combine, then remove the pan from the heat. Spoon and spread about 1 tablespoon (or slightly less) in the bottom of each muffin cup. Place 1 pineapple slice in each cup and press it down lightly to press it against the brown sugar mixture. Set 1 cherry in the center of each pineapple slice.
In a large bowl, beat the cake mix, 1 cup reserved pineapple juice, the oil, and eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Divide the batter evenly among muffin cups.
Bake for 24 to 26 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes.
Run a knife around the edges of the cakes to loosen them. Place a wire cooling rack over the top of the muffin pan and lift and flip both the rack and muffin pan over together. Set the rack down onto a cookie sheet to invert the cakes onto the rack. Lift and remove the muffin pan. Cool the cakes on the wire rack for an additional 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream.
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Moist cakes will mold quickly if stored at room temperature. See freezing instructions in the recipe below.

Notes

There are 10 slices of pineapple in a 20 ounce can so you’ll need two. Just refrigerate the extra slices and use for another purpose. Or, if you can locate 8 ounce cans, you can buy one of each size.

Be sure to use a nonstick muffin pan and coat both the bottom and sides of the wells generously with nonstick cooking spray.

Don’t allow the cakes to cool in pans for more than 10 minutes or they may stick when you try to invert them.

If any of the cakes don’t release from the muffin pan, lightly tap the back of the muffin well to help release it.

If some of the brown sugar mixture stays behind in the muffin wells, just scoop it out with a butter knife and spread it on to the top of the cakes, around the cherry.

If some of your cakes are a little wobbly or unstable because the cake dome is too high, let them cool then use a serrated knife to trim a bit of cake just from the tip of the dome on the bottom to create a flat surface.

Nutrition