It’s an adult version to your favorite dessert! Pineapple Rum Upside Down Cake is soft, buttery and boozy. Soaked in spiced rum, this pineapple flavored sponge cake is topped with brown sugar caramelized pineapples and cherries. It’s a crowd favorite, so
Brown Sugar Caramelized Pineapples + Cherries
Pineapple Rum Upside Down Cake starts like the classic recipe with a brown sugar caramel topping. The topping initially starts as a base with a mixture of melted butter and brown sugar. Since the adult twist on this recipe is soaking it in rum, I was inspired by the flavors in a spiced rum cake.
To merge those two recipes together, I sprinkled some warm spices of cinnamon, ginger, clove and all-spice into the brown sugar caramel. Next, I topped it with the pineapples rounds and cherries.
Pineapple Sponge Cake
The cake part of this recipe is a classic yellow sponge cake infused with pineapple juice. Instead of using the standard milk or water in this cake, substituting it with pineapple juice gives it an extra sweetness and boost of pineapple flavor.
Smooth the batter over the brown sugar caramelized pineapples and cherries, then bake until golden brown.
Spiced Rum Glaze
The fun, adult part of this Pineapple Rum Upside Down Cake is the delicious rum glaze. After our sponge cake is done baking, it is super important to soak the cake with our spiced rum mixture. I chose a spiced dark rum to compliment the brown sugar and warm notes in our caramel topping.
For a more tropical spin on this Pineapple Rum Upside Down Cake, a coconut flavored rum like Malibu, would also work really well. Consider it like a Pina Colada-inspired cake!
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Pineapple Rum Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Caramel Topping
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, all-spice, clove)
Pineapple Sponge Cake
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (soften)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
Spiced Rum Glaze
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup spiced rum
- 2 tablespoons salted butter (melted)
Instructions
- In a baking dish, add melted butter and brown sugar. Loosely combine and press mixture into the baking dish.
- Sprinkle warm spices on the brown sugar caramel mixture and place aside.
- Begin working on the wet ingredients, by whisking eggs and soften butter until fluffy and light yellow.
- Next add vanilla extract and eggs (one at a time, until well incorporated).
- In a separate bowl, work on the dry ingredients. Add flour, baking powder, salt and whisk until smooth with no clumps.
- With a spatula, slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, in small batches. Loosely fold the batter until it resembles somewhat of a crumbly dough.
- Add pineapple juice into the crumbly dough. Slowly mix in until the dough now resembles a wet cake batter. Dollop the cake batter onto the brown sugar caramel mixture and smooth it out.
- Bake for 40 minutes in 360 degree (f) oven or until golden brown.
- While the cake is baking, combine water, rum, sugar and melted butter. This mixture will become the spiced rum glaze.
- Remove cake from oven, and rest for 15 minutes until slightly warm. Invert cake upside down and poke shallow holes in the surface. Brush rum glaze onto surface and allow it to soak for at least 10 minutes. Cut, serve and enjoy!
