Cast Iron Skillet Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Ingredients:
Pineapple layer-
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 (20 ounce) can sliced pineapple
7 maraschino cherries
Cake layer-
4 eggs
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Zest from 1 lemon
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 325* F
2. Zest 1 lemon. Set aside.
3. In a 10 inch cast iron skillet, melt 1/2 cup butter on the stove. Remove from heat, and whisk brown sugar into the melted butter. Make sure the butter/sugar mixture is spread around the skillet evenly. Arrange pineapple slices to cover bottom of skillet. Place a cherry inside each pineapple ring. Set aside.
4. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together.
5. Separate the eggs into two bowls. In a large bowl, beat egg whites just until soft peaks form. Add granulated sugar gradually, beating well after each addition. Beat until stiff peaks form.
6. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks at high speed until very thick and yellow. On low speed, slowly add sifted flour mixture into the beaten egg yolks.
7. Using a spatula, gently fold egg yolk and flour mixture into whites until blended. Fold in 1 tablespoon melted butter, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Spread batter evenly over pineapple in skillet.
8. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Loosen the edges of the cake with table knife. Cool the cake for 5 minutes before inverting onto serving plate.
Serve warm, chilled or room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Makes approximately 10 servings.