Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a classic dessert that’s pretty, delicious, and easy when you use a cake mix!
Did you have a good weekend? Yesterday was my dad’s birthday so we had a family day. It started out pouring but luckily it cleared up and we went to Belle Isle (for non-Detroiters, it’s a state park in Detroit). We visited the aquarium, conservatory, and a giant playground that Julia loved. Afterwards, we went to my parents house for some of this pineapple upside down birthday cake.
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
A local woman who sells Avon contacted me last week about their new products. I hadn’t seen an Avon catalog in years and I was pleasantly surprised. The new stuff is really cute!
She dropped off their pineapple corer for me to try and I was so impressed. I used to cut pineapple as part of my first job at the retirement home so I consider myself pretty savvy but this was so much easier. Perfect spirals in seconds.
A gadget I never knew I needed.
I used it to make fresh pineapple spirals for this cake. You can use canned pineapple if you want, but you’re already using the cake mix for a short cut so why not fresh pineapple?
Here’s a quick Instagram pic from when I was putting it together so you can see how I did the sides.
Everyone liked it so I’ll call it a success!
I used pineapple-orange juice in the cake batter because I knew my dad would like it but you can use plain pineapple juice or even just water if you don’t have juice.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- 1 fresh pineapple cored and sliced (10 rings) (or 20 oz can)
- 1/2 cup 1 stick butter, melted
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 5 maraschino cherries halved
- walnut halves
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 box 3.5 oz instant vanilla pudding
- 1 cup pineapple-orange juice or just pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Add in the brown sugar and mix until combined. Pour into a springform pan.
- Lay out 7 pineapple rings across the bottom of the pan and slice the remaining rings in half and line across the sides of the pan. Place a half of a cherry into the center of each half with walnut halves in the remaining spaces.
- In a large bowl add the cake mix, pudding mix, cup of pineapple-orange juice, vegetable oil, and eggs. Mix with a hand mixer on medium for approximately 2 minutes.
- Pour into the prepared springform pan.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once slightly cooled, flip the cake onto a cake plate and open the springform pan.
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying/pasting and/or screenshots of full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Content and photographs are copyright protected.
Things you may need…
Pineapple Corer
Springform Pan
Or maybe you’ll like…
Share Your Thoughts