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Pineapple and Ginger Upside-Down Cake

Delicious pineapple and ginger upside-down cake made in the glass Anyday dish, featuring caramelized pineapple slices atop a moist ginger-spiced cake. This quick and easy microwave recipe delivers a tropical and flavorful dessert, perfect for any occasion.
Pineapple and Ginger Upside-Down Cake
PT10M PT9M

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

9 mins

Free Time

to make a tropical cocktail

Festive and tropical, this retro dessert was a favorite in the 1950s and 60s. Sweet pineapple gets caramelized into a topping of sticky, deeply flavored sweetness that's juuust on the edge of burnt. It's proof that decadent taste and showstopping presentation never go out of style.

All of Anyday’s recipes are tested (and retested!) in many different microwave and home kitchens to make sure they work— and work well. Unless specified otherwise, all recipes should be cooked at full power.

American, Desserts, Vegetarian, Shallow Dish, Raspberries Desserts

What You’ll Need

What You’ll Need

The Medium Shallow Dish

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The Anyhand Mitts

Handle hot Anyday dishes with care with these microwave mitts that double as trivets!
Try Anyday

Select your serving size and microwave wattage in the dropdown. The recipe will change accordingly.

2-4
✕

Select your microwave wattage in the dropdown. The cook times in this recipe will automatically change accordingly.

[[video-wattage]]

To find your microwave’s wattage, look at the front panel, the side of the door, in the back, in the user manual, or Google the model number. If both an input and output wattage are listed, use the output.

Wattage translates to how powerful the microwave is. The higher the wattage, the faster your food will cook. The lower the wattage, the longer the cook time.

When in doubt, start with less time — you can always add more.

700w

Recommended 

Dish

The Medium Shallow Dish

Ingredients

For the caramelized pineapples

  • ¼ cup (30g) brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • ⅛  teaspoon salt 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or dark rum
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
  • 2-3 slices of canned pineapple, drained and dried
  • 5 maraschino cherries (optional)

For the batter

  • ¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ cup (60g) brown sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
  • 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅔ cup (75ml) whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) sour cream

Preparation

  1. Lightly spray the bottom and sides of the Anyday dish with cooking spray and line the bottom with a fitted cut-out piece of parchment paper. This will help release the cake when unmolded.
  2. For the caramelized pineapples: In a separate bowl, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, salt, vanilla or rum, and ginger just until incorporated and spread over the top of the fitted parchment paper lining the Anyday. Once evenly spread, place the Anyday in the fridge while you continue with the recipe.
  3. Cut the pineapple slices in half place them on paper towels and let them sit to dry a bit. Set aside.
  4. For the batter and cake assembly: Whisk all the batter ingredients until well incorporated and set aside.
  5. Arrange the pineapple slices neatly on top of the brown sugar spread in the lined Anyday dish. If you’d like, place some maraschino cherries between the slices for a classic look.
  6. Evenly spread the cake batter on top of the pineapple. Cook in the microwave uncovered for 9 minutes, or until the cake is bouncy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry.
  7. Once cooked, flip the cake over onto a plate to unmold and carefully remove the parchment paper, making sure the fruit is not stuck to the paper.
  8. Allow the cake to cool before serving.

Serving suggestions & tips

  • Pour caramel sauce and whipped cream over each slice for an even more decadent dessert.
  • Enjoy with coconut ice cream for a tropical touch.
  • Add candied ginger to the batter for extra texture and flavor.

Recipe notes

  • For a faster version, you can use a box-pound cake mix instead of making the batter from scratch.
  • Microwave ovens vary, even with the same wattages. Adjust cooking times as needed.