Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.

My Grandma J was a big influence in my life and she taught me a lot about cooking, especially southern cooking. I spent more hours than I can count in the kitchen with her. Then we would sit on her couch, eating whatever we had prepared, watching her “stories” on tv. I love it that I have so many wonderful memories of her and any time I find myself missing her I can go to the kitchen and make something for my family that she taught me how to make. I know she would love that.

My grandma had a sweet tooth. I’m pretty sure she ate a bowl of ice cream every single night or at least that is how I remember it. Even though my grandma loved sweets, she didn’t make too many desserts.

One of the first things that I remember learning to make with her was pineapple upside-down cake. That was her go-to dessert for any occasion. And I was constantly requesting it.

Grandma J’s food was delicious, although not always completely from scratch, which is another thing I loved about her. And I don’t think I will ever change the way I make pineapple upside-down cake.

This cake is a favorite of my husband so I make it for him a couple of times a year. We usually enjoy ours with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Pineapple Upside-down Cake

1 yellow cake mix + ingredients needed for the mix

1 stick butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 can pineapple tidbits and the juice

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Open the can of pineapples and separate the pineapple from the juice. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Once melted, add in brown sugar and stir until combined. Pour into a 9x13 cake pan. Top with the pineapple.

Now it’s time to mix up the cake. Follow the directions on the cake mix, except that you will substitute the pineapple juice for the water. If there isn’t enough, use water to make up the difference. Once the cake batter is ready, pour the batter into the cake pan and spread the cake batter out so that all of the brown sugar/pineapple mixture is covered. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.