Summer 2022Pineapple upside-down cake and piña colada

by Natasha Brown - owner of Brown’s Cakes

Ingredients

• Five tinned pineapple rings in juice not syrup (the tin I bought had nine rings in and enough juice for a cocktail for two. Keep the tin in the fridge so that the juice is cold for the cocktail)
• 60g melted butter
• 80g light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 210g self raising flour
• 170g caster sugar
• 170g Stork margarine
• 300ml double cream, plus extra for serving
• Strawberries to serve

For the piña colada

• Malibu
• Pineapple juice (there might be enough for a cocktail for two from the leftover juice in the can, it depends on the size of the can)
• Coconut milk (we used tinned but you can use a coconut alternative to milk)

There is a reason why a classic is a classic.

Pineapple upside-down cake is fabulous, and I can’t think of much that is more summery than a slice of pineapple upside-down cake served with cream and fresh strawberries washed down with a nice cold piña colada.

For the cake, start by preheating the oven to 180°C.

Drain the pineapple rings but keep the juice for the cocktail.

Dry the pineapple rings by blotting with kitchen roll.

Pour the melted butter in the bottom of an eight inch baking tin (the baking tin must have a solid base, don’t use a loose based tin or springform tin as the sticky syrup that you are making will all run out).

Sprinkle the light brown sugar over the melted butter and arrange five pineapple rings in the cake tin.

Put the eggs, vanilla extract, self-raising flour, caster sugar and margarine in a large bowl and beat well with an electric mixer. Beat this really well until the mixture goes pale and very soft. When well-beaten, spread the mixture over the pineapple and smooth down.

Bake in the centre of the oven for approx. 40 minutes. Check the cake is cooked by inserting a wooden skewer and checking that it comes out clean. If it is not baked, keep it in the oven and keep checking every five minutes until it is done.

Once the cake is cooked, take it out of the oven and place a plate over the top of the tin. Carefully turn the tin and plate over and gently tap the tin to release the cake. It should come out with a few taps and little shakes of the tin. Let the cake cool on a wire rack.

Pineapple upside-down cake can be served warm with custard, but I like this cooled with fresh cream.

If putting a layer of whipped cream inside the cake, just cut it in half horizontally and smooth whipped cream inside the layers and reassemble.

Even if it has got whipped cream inside, I still like a drizzle of cream poured over my slice when it is served with the fresh strawberries.

The leftover pineapple slices can be chopped up and served with the cake, or better still, make a lovely garnish for a cocktail.

You might have enough reserved pineapple juice to make a piña colada to serve two: if you want more, you can use ordinary pineapple juice.

To make a cocktail for two, blend 100ml Malibu with 150ml pineapple juice and 100ml coconut milk in a food blender, or shake well in a cocktail mixer.

Check the taste and add more pineapple juice, coconut milk or Malibu to your taste.

Pour into two glasses and garnish with pineapple rings and strawberries.

You can add a straw and cocktail umbrella too if you have them