topic Re: looking for a certain pineapple upside-down cake recipe in Recipes

looking for a certain pineapple upside-down cake recipe

insomniac2 — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 17:23:03 GMT

I am looking for an upside-down cake recipe that was in a cookbook from the 40s. The key thing is that the cake part is very plain (more like a shortcake); the topping is prepared on the stove (combining butter and crushed pineapple).

If someone could give me a recipe similar to what I've specified, I'd be forever grateful!

Re: looking for a certain pineapple upside-down cake recipe

Zhills — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 17:44:28 GMT

I have this recipe. It is in my Betty Crocker cookbook. All of the Betty Crocker recipes online use a cakemix. Give me time to retype this and you'll have it.

Re: looking for a certain pineapple upside-down cake recipe

qualitygal — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 17:49:21 GMT

Wonder if it's on the BC website? I figured if it was from that long ago, it was a BC recipe or from a McCalls, Redbook or other magazine recipe. Of course, back then, newspapers did a lot of recipes. My grandmother got hers that way.

Re: looking for a certain pineapple upside-down cake recipe

IamMrsG — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 18:05:17 GMT

This is the recipe I have used. My source is not as old as the one you specified, circa 1980s, maybe. I thought I'd share it "just in case."

Old-Fashioned Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
McCall’s Cooking School | Cakes, Cookies, page 13
Servings: 8

3 (8 1/4 ounce) cans pineapple slices in syrup (12 slices)
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup pecan halves
1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
½ cup milk
1 egg
1 cup heavy cream, chilled (or 1 pint vanilla ice cream)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Drain pineapple slices, reserving 2 tablespoons of the syrup. In a very heavy or cast iron, 10-inch skillet with heat-resistant handle, melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar, stirring until sugar is melted.

Remove from heat.

Arrange 8 pineapple slices on sugar mixture, overlapping slices slightly around edge of pan. Put one slice in center. Fill centers with pecan halves. Halve three remaining pineapple slices. Arrange around inside edge of skillet. Put pecans in centers.

Into medium bowl, sift flour with granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Add shortening and milk. With electric mixer at high speed, beat 2 minutes, or until mixture is smooth. Add egg and reserved 2 tablespoons pineapple syrup; beat 2 minutes longer.

Gently pour cake batter over pineapple in skillet, spreading evenly, being careful not to disarrange pineapple. On rack in center of oven, bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden in color and surface of cake springs back when it's gently pressed with fingertip.

Let skillet stand on wire rack 5 minutes to cool just slightly. With rotary beater, beat cream until stiff. With small spatula, loosen cake from edge of skillet all around. Place serving platter over the cake, and turn upside down; shake gently; lift off skillet.

Serve cake warm, with the whipped cream or ice cream.

Re: looking for a certain pineapple upside-down cake recipe

lolakimono — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 18:29:27 GMT

@insomniac2

Check out this one-

https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/quick-pineapple-upside-down-cake/63e6819a-dc74-456d-8de6-bf4377fb33da

Re: looking for a certain pineapple upside-down cake recipe

Zhills — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 18:32:11 GMT

Re: looking for a certain pineapple upside-down cake recipe

sabatini — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 19:07:03 GMT

Wanna hear something dumb, @IamMrsG? It never occurred to me to use pecan halves. LOL!!

I've always gone out & bought maraschino cherries (which I hate), only because I used 'em in the pineapple ring's center.

No one ate them, just picked 'em out & tossed. LOL again!

And I love pecans!

Isn't it funny when something so obvious can elude you?

Like,...back when I was 19, & my 20 year old sis & I got our 1st apartment, we had a cat who'd always tip over the kitchen trash can.

Every night when we'd come home from work, there'd be trash strewn everywhere.

You wouldn't believe the measures we took: blocking the can w/ 'stuff', stacking albums on top of the trash can, & we even walked the city streets trying to find a rock or a brick to set atop the albums, to no avail.

One night as we sat in the kitchen, we both looked at the cabinet under the sink, & one of us stood up, placed the can inside & closed the door.

Problem solved.

Duh!

Pecan halves, it is!

Re: looking for a certain pineapple upside-down cake recipe

rrpell — Sun, 30 Apr 2017 01:40:04 GMT

This is from my Meta Given's "Encyclopedia of Cooking". I have the 1959 "revised edition ( 2 books). I think she taught me how to cook! Her first cookbook came out in the '40s.

Re: looking for a certain pineapple upside-down cake recipe

IamMrsG — Sun, 30 Apr 2017 02:48:18 GMT

Hi, @sabatini. I think maraschino cherries are the standard for this cake. Did you notice the photo in @lolakimono's recipe? It has both cherries and pecan halves--making a nice presentation.

Your telling about the cat and trash can literally had me laughing out loud. I wish I could deny it, but I can envision that light-bulb moment between you and your sister only too well. "Can't see the forest for the trees."

Re: looking for a certain pineapple upside-down cake recipe

ID2 — Sun, 30 Apr 2017 14:05:00 GMT

12 Tomatoes has a great recipe that I just happened to make yesterday. My dh said its the best cake I've ever made! It really is delicious!

Re: looking for a certain pineapple upside-down cake recipe

Poodlepet2 — Sun, 30 Apr 2017 15:09:02 GMT

If you are looking for vintage recipes, books pamphlets-anything-check out "The Guttenberg Project": it's free and it is a treasure trove of history: their goal is to make sure books are preserved for others to enjoy. If a copyright has expired, they probably have it!

Poodlepet2

Re: looking for a certain pineapple upside-down cake recipe

insomniac2 — Wed, 03 May 2017 04:49:15 GMT

Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions. I will be trying them out over the next couple months!

Re: looking for a certain pineapple upside-down cake recipe

Nomorebirthdays — Wed, 03 May 2017 13:24:50 GMT

@insomniac2. If you look at PA farm show recipes you can find winning pinnapple upside down cakes. Also chocolate cake, Apple pies, brownies and more.

Years ago I won a Hersey chocolate cake contest and an apple pie at at local fair and was invited to farm show, I placed high but did not win at farm show. Nerve wrecking, never again.

Re: looking for a certain pineapple upside-down cake recipe

insomniac2 — Thu, 04 May 2017 02:29:02 GMT

Nomorebirthdays, that PA website is a treasure trove! Thanks for the exciting link.

Re: looking for a certain pineapple upside-down cake recipe

Patriot3 — Sun, 07 May 2017 17:42:05 GMT

My Mom always made pineapple upside down cake in a cast iron skillet, starting on the stove top w/the butter and brown sugar and finishing it in the over. Best ever!!

She also made the best bean soup w/no recipe. Now that she's gone, I have yet to find any recipe that sounds like what might be hers. Sure wish I would have asked her!