101 Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I have nothing to say to defend myself – few months without writing a word, that’s bad. I did keep in touch on Instagram and Facebook, but that’s not proper blogging, is it?
I’ve started pursuing a degree in food anthropology, and to be honest – I didn’t expect it to be that demanding. Currently, I am buried under a huge amount of coursework and readings to do, have very little or no time to actually spare. I have never been reading as much, as I am now. Good for me, I suppose?

I haven’t been cooking nor baking recently, either. Balancing school, work and commuting to London is quite an exhausting task, I have simply ran out of time to focus on anything else. Some people rest lying down all day, I rest in the kitchen. Do you know the feeling when everything becomes a part of a big plan for the day, and you take a great pleasure in making it all happen, step by step: the Big Plan is being put to use. The laundry is on (the silent humming of the washing machine instantly makes the flat feel more homely), the bed is made, grocery shopping done, fresh flowers in the vase, bathroom cleaned – now it’s time for the madness in the Kitchen Kingdom. Time to cut and chop, to peel and grate, to mix and whisk, and do million other things, all at the same time. Put the Polish radio on, sing along with a song or two, stress that the cake doesn’t seem to be rising. The house gradually fills up with sweet aromas of baking, life is good.

Believe it or not, but after the first term (requiring my presence in London Monday to Friday, every day), proceeding to the second term (with Mondays and Thursdays off) was a big relief. London, as much as it is a vibrant, buzzing and iconic city, it also is crowded, exhausting and far away. Having a day off (pretending that there is no coursework waiting to be done) and spend it in the kitchen – is like a dream come true.

Enough about me, let’s talk about The Cake. It’s arguable how and where the cake originated. Upside-down cakes have already been quite popular, probably due to their simplicity. In the past, cakes have often been baked in the iron skillets: arranging butter, sugar and fruit at the bottom of the skillet and pouring a simple batter on top, made it easy for the cook; the cake would brown nicely and the fruit wouldn’t burn. Also, simply flipping the cake upside down, revealed pretty fruit and let the juices run down through the cake.  If making the cake pretty doesn’t require long time, one can give up the stress related to the decorating.

PINEAPPLE USPIDE DOWN CAKE 

INGREDIENTS
for the fruit base 
110g butter (room temperature)
1 can of pineapple
1 cup brown sugar
10-15 maraschino cherries

for the batter 
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1tsp baking powder
5tbsp pineapple juice

HOW TO MAKE?
1. Mix butter and sugar with your electric mixer, until well combined. Spread at the bottom of a 27cm round cake tin. Arrange the pineapple rings on top of the butter and sugar mixture. Add some maraschino cherries.
2. Prepare the batter. Beat the egg yolks with your electric mixer, until fluffy. Add sugar, pineapple juice and flour mixed with baking powder. Mix until combined. Fold in beaten egg whites.
3. Pour the mixture over the arranged fruit in the baking tin. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown (wooden skewer should come out clean).
4. When baked, take it out of the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes. After that time, flip the cake onto the plate, so the pineapples and cherries are on top.
5. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Smacznego,
aho