Pineapple Upside Down Cake in the Possible Cooker Pro
This easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake is made entirely in the Ninja Possible Cooker Pro, no oven required! A homemade vanilla cake batter sits on top of caramelized brown sugar, butter, sweet pineapple slices, and maraschino cherries for a classic dessert with a tender crumb and a gorgeous caramel topping. It's a fun, foolproof, dump-style cake that comes together in about an hour and delivers all the nostalgic flavor of the classic recipe.
1cupreserved pineapple juicefrom the canned pineapple slices; add water to make up the difference if you don't get a full cup
½cupsalted butter1 stick or 8 tablespoons; unsalted butter can be substituted with a pinch of added salt
1¼cupslight brown sugar, packeddark brown sugar can be substituted
¼cupwater
1(20 oz) canpineapple slices in juiceapproximately 10 slices; do not use pineapple in heavy syrup
10maraschino cherries, stems removedhave 1 or 2 extras on hand in case one is misplaced
Instructions
Drain the can of pineapple slices over a 4-cup liquid measuring cup and reserve the juice. You need 1 full cup of juice for the cake batter; if you get less, add water to make up the difference. Remove the stems from 10 maraschino cherries and set aside. Have 1 or 2 extra cherries ready in case one falls in the wrong spot.
In a small mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt, and ¾ cup granulated sugar. Stir with a spatula to disperse the baking powder and salt evenly through the flour.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine ½ cup of neutral oil, 3 large eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Use a fork to break up the egg yolks and lightly combine with the oil. Do not whisk or over-beat.
Add about half of the egg and oil mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula. The fat will coat the flour, which helps prevent lumps. Next, add about ⅓ of the pineapple juice and fold to combine. Continue alternating the remaining egg/oil mixture and pineapple juice in small additions, folding gently between each. Stop folding as soon as the flour is incorporated. A few small lumps are fine. Do not overmix. Set the batter aside to rest while you make the caramel base.
Set the Possible Cooker Pro to Sear/Sauté on High and press Start. If you have the Pro Plus model, set the temperature to 400℉/200℃ on the Sear/Sauté function. Add ½ cup of salted butter to the pot and let it begin melting.
Once the butter is mostly melted, add 1¼ cups of packed light brown sugar and ¼ cup of water. Stir gently with a spatula to combine the butter, sugar, and water. Let the mixture come to a boil on its own while you prepare the pineapple.
Have a cake tester, thin skewer, or similar heat-safe tool ready. Once the brown sugar mixture is boiling, carefully drop a pineapple slice into the center of the pot. Immediately drop a maraschino cherry into the center hole of the pineapple slice. Use the tool to nudge the cherry into the center if needed. Continue with the remaining pineapple slices and cherries, arranging them in the pot in a pattern that will look good when flipped.
Press each pineapple slice down so it's submerged in the boiling brown sugar syrup. Let the syrup bubble up over the top of the pineapple for a few seconds to help lock everything in place.
Starting in the center, slowly pour the prepared cake batter over the pineapple slices, working your way out to cover everything in an even layer. If any pineapple slices float up, gently press them back down into the batter so they stay near the bottom of the pan.
Place the lid on the pot and seal it. Turn the Possible Cooker Pro off, then turn it back on and switch to the Bake function. Set the temperature to 250℉/120℃ and the time to 30 minutes. Press Start. Do not remove the lid during baking as the steam is needed for a tender cake.
When the 30 minutes is up, remove the pot from the base and place it on a heat-resistant surface or cooling rack. Take the lid off and let the cake rest for 5 minutes. The top may look slightly uneven but will settle as it cools.
After the 5-minute rest, run a silicone or heat-safe tool around the edge of the pot to release the cake from the sides. Let the cake cool at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Do not let it cool much longer than 30 minutes or the brown sugar mixture can begin to stick to the bottom of the pot.
Place a sheet of parchment paper over the top of the pot, followed by a sheet of aluminum foil for extra support. Gently shake the pot back and forth to make sure the cake has released. Place your hand flat on top of the parchment and foil, carefully invert the pot, and let the cake drop onto a serving platter or large plate. Remove the foil and parchment. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
PREP TIPS
• Drain the pineapple slices well and reserve every drop of juice. If you end up with less than 1 cup, top it off with water so the batter has the correct liquid ratio.
• Remove the cherry stems before you start cooking. Things move quickly once the brown sugar mixture is boiling, and you don't want to be fishing stems out of syrup.
• Mix the cake batter before you turn the Possible Cooker Pro on. This gives the baking powder time to activate and keeps the caramel base from boiling too long before the batter goes in.BATTER TIPS
• Use a spatula and fold the batter, do not whisk or beat it. Overmixing develops gluten and leads to a tough cake.
• Adding the fat (eggs and oil) to the flour first coats the flour and prevents clumps when the pineapple juice is added.
• Alternate the wet ingredients in small additions rather than dumping everything in at once. This helps the batter come together smoothly with minimal mixing.
• A few small lumps in the finished batter are fine. The batter will continue to hydrate as it rests while the caramel base cooks.CARAMEL BASE TIPS
• Let the butter start melting before adding the brown sugar and water. Adding everything at once can cause the sugar to seize up.
• Let the mixture come to a boil naturally. Stirring too often or cranking the heat too high can cause the sugar to crystallize.
• For a lighter topping, you can reduce the butter to 6 tablespoons and the brown sugar to 1 cup. You'll have less of the caramel goodness on top of the flipped cake but it will still be delicious.
• Dark brown sugar can be used in place of light brown sugar for a deeper molasses flavor.COOKING TIPS
• Arrange the pineapple and cherries quickly but have fun with the placement. Remember, what you see now will be on top of the finished cake.
• Press each pineapple slice down into the boiling syrup before adding the batter. This helps them stay in place.
• Always bake at 250℉/120℃ for exactly 30 minutes. Do not lift the lid during baking or you'll lose the steam the cake needs to bake evenly.
• The cake is done when the top springs back lightly to the touch and no wet batter is visible.VARIATIONS
• Use fresh pineapple slices in place of canned. You'll need to supplement with water or another liquid for the batter since you won't have reserved juice.
• Swap maraschino cherries for fresh or frozen cherries, halved and pitted.
• Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon or a splash of rum to the brown sugar base for extra flavor.
• Add 2 tablespoons of crushed toasted pecans or walnuts to the top of the caramel base before adding the pineapple for a nutty twist.SERVING SUGGESTIONS
• Serve slices warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
• Drizzle any extra caramel goop from the pot over the top of each slice.
• If you don't want to flip the cake, simply scoop servings directly from the pot. It's a delicious, rustic way to serve it.STORAGE
• Refrigerator: Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
• Reheating: Warm individual slices in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds to bring back that just-baked tenderness.NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER
Nutritional information provided is an estimate based on typical ingredient values and standard portion sizes. Actual nutritional content may vary significantly depending on specific brands used, ingredient substitutions, preparation methods, portion sizes, and individual cooking techniques. For precise nutritional information tailored to your specific ingredients and preparation, please consult with a registered dietitian or use laboratory analysis. This information should not be used for medical nutrition therapy or to manage medical conditions without professional guidance.