Pineapple Upside-Down Bundt Cake Recipe
This Pineapple Upside-Down Bundt Cake is a tropical twist on a classic dessert, featuring caramelized brown sugar and melted butter topped with juicy pineapple rings and maraschino cherries. The moist yellow cake enriched with instant vanilla pudding is baked in a bundt pan, creating a deliciously sweet and tangy cake perfect for any occasion.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Topping
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 tbsp softened for greasing pan; 4 tbsp melted for topping)
- Flour (for dusting pan)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 8 pineapple rings (from a 20-ounce can), drained (reserve the juice)
- 8 maraschino cherries (pitted)
Cake Batter
- 1 box yellow cake mix (15.25 ounces)
- 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice (use reserved juice and add water if needed)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven. Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) to prepare for baking the cake evenly.
- Prepare Pan. Grease a 10-inch bundt pan with 1 tablespoon of softened butter, then dust lightly with flour to ensure the cake releases easily after baking.
- Make Topping. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of melted butter evenly into the bottom of the bundt pan. Sprinkle 1 cup of packed light brown sugar over the melted butter to form a caramelized base.
- Arrange Pineapple and Cherries. Place 8 pineapple rings on top of the brown sugar layer evenly. Place one maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring.
- Mix Batter. In a large bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, 4 large eggs, instant vanilla pudding mix, whole milk, pineapple juice (adding water if needed to make 1/2 cup), vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined without overmixing to keep the batter light.
- Pour Batter. Slowly pour the batter over the pineapple and cherry topping in the bundt pan, spreading it evenly without disturbing the arrangement underneath.
- Bake Cake. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating the cake is fully baked.
- Cool and Invert. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully inverting it onto a serving plate. Let the caramelized topping drip over the cake for a beautiful presentation.
- Serve. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Ensure eggs are at room temperature for better batter consistency.
- Do not overmix the batter to avoid a dense cake.
- If reserved pineapple juice is insufficient, add water to reach 1/2 cup for the cake batter.
- Use a 10-inch bundt pan for the correct cake thickness and baking time.
- Letting the cake cool slightly before inverting prevents the topping from slipping.
Keywords: pineapple upside-down cake, bundt cake, pineapple dessert, tropical cake, brown sugar cake, maraschino cherries
