This easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe is an classic dessert made with yellow cake mix, buttery brown sugar topping, juicy pineapple rings, and cherries. It’s soft, moist, and perfect for holidays, potlucks, or anytime you need an impressive dessert without a lot of work.
Using a cake mix keeps this recipe simple and budget-friendly while still delivering that homemade flavor everyone loves.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
This is one of those classic desserts that looks impressive but is actually so simple to make. I love that it starts with a cake mix, so it saves time, but the buttery brown sugar topping, pineapple, and cherries still give it that homemade flavor everyone expects from this delicious cake.
- Easy shortcut dessert – Using a cake mix keeps prep simple without sacrificing flavor.
- Perfect for gatherings – This cake is great for holidays, potlucks, Sunday dinner, or family celebrations.
- Budget-friendly ingredients – Canned pineapple, cake mix, brown sugar, and cherries keep this dessert affordable.
- Beautiful presentation – The pineapple rings and cherries make this cake look special with very little extra work.
- Family-tested favorite – It is sweet, moist, buttery, and always a crowd-pleaser.
The delicious pineapple flavor makes this cake taste amazing. You can easily make this Best Vanilla Cake Recipe but using a cake mix makes this cake even easier. If you love this cake, try my Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes.
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter – You can also use margarine
- Brown Sugar – Learn How to Make How to Make Brown Sugar
- Can of Pineapple Slices – Use canned pineapple rings in juice drained. Reserve juice for cake mix. You can use fresh pineapple if you prefer.
- Maraschino Cherries – Use without stems and drain
- Yellow Cake Mix – You will need to add vegetable oil and eggs to the cake mix
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.
How to Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Step 1 – Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan).
Step 2 – Place the butter in a 13X9 baking dish. Please it in the oven until the butter is fully melted.
Step 3 – Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter.
Step 4 – Arrange pineapple slices on brown sugar, next place a cherry in center of each pineapple slice, and arrange remaining cherries around slices; press gently into brown sugar. Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 1 cup.
Step 5 – Mix cake batter as directed on box with large eggs and oil, substituting pineapple juice mixture for the water in a large bowl.
Step 6 – Pour batter over pineapple and cherries. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Step 7 – Immediately run knife around side of pan to loosen cake from the pan. Place heatproof serving platter upside down onto pan; turn plate and pan over.
Step 8 – Leave pan over cake 5 minutes so brown sugar topping can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Cool 30 minutes.
Step 9 – Serve warm or cool and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Drain the pineapple well – Too much extra liquid can make the topping watery or the cake soggy.
- Reserve the pineapple juice – Use the juice in place of water when mixing the cake batter for more pineapple flavor.
- Spread the brown sugar evenly – This helps create that sweet, buttery topping across the entire cake.
- Do not grease the pan – The melted butter in the baking dish helps prevent sticking and adds flavor.
- Run a knife around the edges – Loosen the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven so it flips easier.
- Flip while warm – Do not let the cake cool completely in the pan, or the topping may stick.
- Let the pan sit upside down for 5 minutes – This gives the brown sugar topping time to drizzle over the cake before removing the pan.
Variations & Substitutions
- Use crushed pineapple instead of rings
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts
- Swap yellow cake mix for pineapple cake mix
- Add coconut flakes for tropical flavor
- Use fresh pineapple when in season
What is the Trick to Flipping the Cake?
- Prepare Area – Make sure that you have an area large enough to flip the cake by sizing it with you empty cake pan. You want the size of the area to be bigger than your cake pan.
- Loosen Cake – After baking the cake, run a knife around the size of the pan to loosen the cake from the sides.
- Place Platter – Place the platter on top of the cake pan. With one hand on top of the platter and the other under the cake pan, flip the pan. It is recommended to use oven mits as the cake pan will be hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend making this cake the day that you are serving it. If make it to far in advance it could change the texture of the cake.
We like using a 13×9 glass baking dish to make this dessert.
Make sure to use the right amount of liquid when making the cake. You are substituting the pineapple juice for the water which enhances the pineapple flavor. Also, make sure to bake cake fully. Use a toothpick to ensure the center is baked. If toothpick comes out clean then the cake is finished cooking.
Store any leftover cake, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
More Easy Pineapple Recipes
I hope you give this cake a try for your next family gathering or holiday dessert. It is such an easy classic recipe with simple ingredients and delicious buttery pineapple flavor in every bite. If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating to let us know how it turned out!
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter or margarine
- 1 cup Brown Sugar packed
- 20 oz pineapple slices in juice drained juice reserved
- 6 oz maraschino cherries without stems drained
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan).
- Place ¼ cup butter or margarine in a 13×9 baking dish. Place the baking dish in the oven until the butter is fully melted.
- Sprinkle 1 cup packed brown sugar evenly over the melted butter.
- Arrange 20 ounces drained pineapple slices over the brown sugar. Place a drained maraschino cherry from the 6-ounce jar in the center of each pineapple slice, then arrange the remaining cherries around the pineapple slices. Press gently into the brown sugar.
- Add enough water to the reserved pineapple juice to measure 1 cup total liquid.
- Make 1 box yellow cake mix as directed on the box, using the 1 cup pineapple juice mixture in place of the water. Add the vegetable oil and eggs called for on the cake mix box.
- Pour batter over pineapple and cherries.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Immediately run knife around side of pan to loosen cake from the pan.
- Place heatproof serving plate upside down onto pan; turn plate and pan over.
- Leave pan over cake 5 minutes so brown sugar topping can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Cool 30 minutes.
- Serve warm or cool and enjoy!
- Store any leftover cake, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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