Pineapple Upside-down Cake

I’m still using the leftovers from my Luau last week, and I’ve been staring at this pineapple trying to figure out what to do with it. We don’t drink that many Mai-Tais, and I already made pineapple fried rice. But then I found a recipe for Pineapple Upside-down cake that used fresh pineapple (instead of canned), and decided to try it out with a couple of my own additions: rum and orgeat syrup. I’ve seen a number of pineapple cake recipes that use almonds and almond extract, but I didn’t have those—I did have the orgeat syrup though. --AnglophileLV

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 cups fresh pineapple - peeled, cored and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Adding up to 3/4 cups liquid, combine 1 Tb dark rum and 1 Tb Orgeat Syrup with milk

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a small bowl stir together the melted butter and the brown sugar; spread the mixture evenly in a well buttered 9 inch round cake pan. Pat the pineapple very dry between several sheets of paper towel, and arrange it evenly on top of the sugar mixture.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in three parts alternately with the milk mix, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat well after each addition. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Place the cake in the middle of the oven. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge, and invert the cake onto a plate. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature.