Store cupboard pineapple upside down cake

Of course, this cake only is a store cupboard staple if you actually have the ingredients stashed in your kitchen somewhere…

That said, I bet many people will have a rogue tin of pineapple and are more likely to have some olive oil to hand than butter, which is much more widely used in cake baking.

During these crazy times of lockdown baking, many people are finding it difficult to get hold of eggs and flour, which are non-negotiable for this recipe, so bookmark and come back to this recipe once the stocks replenish in the supermarket (and they will soon of course). However, the tin of pineapple could actually be a tin of peaches or orange segments or grapefruit… quite easily. The use of olive oil not only makes a lovely cake, it’s better for your heart and it’s been easier to get hold of olive oil more so than butter.

Normally a pineapple upside down cake is a “marvel” of 1970s bake presentation, with glace cherries in between whole rings of pineapple. Let’s be honest your mum or grandmother would probably have used tinned pineapple anyway.

It’s also a recipe that uses all that’s in the tin – don’t throw away the sugary-juice as that’s reduced down as a glaze.

Equipment

• 20cm x 20cm square cake tin
• Large bowl
• Sieve or colander
• Small saucepan
• Hand held electric whisk, stand mixer or balloon whisk
• Knife, chopping board, scales, large spoon
• Baking paper and a little oil/butter/margarine to line the tin

Ingredients

• Tin of pineapple pieces/chunks/rings, c 540g
• 4 medium eggs (or 3 large eggs)
• 195g soft brown or caster sugar
• 275g plain flour
• 195g olive oil – I used Filippo Berio Mild & Light for this
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Method

• Prepare your cake tin by lining it with the baking paper (it’s easier to ‘stick’ if you grease the tin first with a little oil/buter/margerine)
• Turn your oven on to 180C fan oven / 200C conventional oven
• Drain the can of pineapple over your saucepan to catch the syrup
• Place roughly 75% of the pineapple in the bottom of the cake tin, arranging it as you wish
• Dice the remaining pineapple into small pieces
• Whisk the oil and sugar together first in the bowl until it lightens a little in colour
• Add the flour, baking powder and eggs and mix thoroughly
• Finally add in the reserved chopped pineapple and stir this in gently, rather than vigorous whisking
• Pour into the cake tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 45-50 minutes
• Test the middle of the cake with a skewer: if it comes out clean it is baked, if there is a little wet cake mix still on it continue to bake for another 4-5 mins and test again
• Leave the cake to cool in the tin
• Now reduce the pineapple syrup by heating it over a medium-high flame. It should bubble a little but not be fully boiling on the heat (or it will brown). Reduce down until it is the consistency of a runny honey
• Invert your cake out onto a plate or serving dish
• Drizzle the warm syrup over the cake
• You can eat while still fairly warm, or leave to cool fully. This is also lovely as a dessert with custard, cream or ice cream
• Will last up to three days if kept in a lidded container

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