Rosie Makes Pineapple Upside Down Pound Cake

Pineapples were on sale last week at the Teeter for $2 a pop so I went ahead and splurged. As it ripened on my counter top for several days, I mused about its final fate. This pineapple went out in a blaze of glory - in the form of Pineapple Upside Down Pound Cake. I'd been doing some Googling on PUD Cakes and hadn't really found what I wanted. On the way to our cooking class in Manteo the other afternoon, I asked Zelda if she had a good recipe for PUD Cake. Stupid question now that I think about it. Of course she did. She described it as containing a considerable amount of rum and I love the flavor of rum in desserts. She graciously emailed me the recipe. To give credit, the recipe is from Roberta and here it is. And here's my PUD Cake.

A big thank you to Zelda.

Ingredients for the sauce: 1 stick butter I always use LOLUB - Land o' Lakes Unsalted Butter. Today, I was OUT OF BUTTER. Yeah, imagine that. Had to run up to TJ's to get the only butter they had. It's salted. One must carry on. 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1 pineapple, cored and sliced 1/4 cup dark rum 1/2 cup heavy cream Maraschino cherries Combine butter and brown sugar in a large skillet and heat until bubbly. Add pineapple and caramelize to a deep golden brown, turning once. Remove pineapple to prepared pan. A 10 inch round spring form pan with removable sides works well. Butter and line with parchment paper. Set on a rimmed baking sheet to catch leaks. There will be leaks. Arrange pineapple to cover bottom of pan. Insert cherries. Here come the inevitable step by steps:

I melted the butter and added in the brown sugar.

Stir and heat until bubbly.

Add in pineapple slices and caramelize to golden brown.

Remove pineapple and set pieces in the bottom of a spring form pan. Set aside.

Add cream ...

... and rum to skillet.

Cook over low heat about 5 minutes until thickened.

I tucked in a few maraschino cherries among the pineapple.

Pour this mixture over top of pineapple.

I know. It's not the prettiest thing to look at.

Next step: the cake.

Ingredients for pound cake: 2 cups sifted cake flour 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup butter, room temperature 1 2/4 cups sugar 5 large eggs, room temperature 1 TB dark rum Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift together flour and salt. Set aside. Beat butter until light and creamy. Gradually add sugar and beat for 5 minutes, or until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add rum. Fold in dry ingredients, mixing just until batter is blended. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 325 for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.

Beat butter until light and fluffy.

Slowly add in sugar.

Eggs in one at a time. Beat after each addition.

Gently fold in flour.

Pour cake mixture into pan.

Smooth top. And bake. 325 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes. Next, prepare glaze:

Glaze:

4 TB butter 2 TB water 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 dark rum Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Add water and sugar, stirring. Increase heat to medium and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until thickened, 4 - 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Prick cake with skewer and slowly pour glaze mixture over warm cake, allowing it to seep into the holes. Let cake soak for a few minutes, then invert onto serving platter.

Melt butter.

Add in water ...

... and sugar.

Bring to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until thickened - about 4-5 minutes.

Remove from heat and pour in rum.

Prick cake with a skewer and pour glaze over top. Let soak in ...

... then invert cake onto platter.

I loved the pound cake texture - smooth and a nice, tight, fine crumb, moist, dense, velvety and tender. As for the flavor, it's rich, buttery, pineappley, and rummy. All this needs is one of those little paper umbrellas sticking out of it.