If you love the tropical sweetness of pineapple and the nostalgia of a classic dessert, these mini pineapple upside-down cakes are for you! Made in a jumbo muffin tin, these individual cakes are perfectly portioned, bringing all the caramelized goodness of the original recipe into a fun and delicious treat. I love these for birthday parties, holiday dessert spreads, and Easter brunch!

Ingredients needed for Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes:

For the Topping:

• Melted Butter
• Brown sugar
• Canned pineapple rings (or chunks to fit as needed)
• Maraschino cherries

For the Cake:

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Unsalted butter, softened
• Granulated sugar
• Egg
• Vanilla extract
• Buttermilk (or substitute by mixing a little vinegar with regular milk.)

Supplies needed:

• Jumbo Muffin pan (See note below for other pan options.)
• Electric mixer
• Mixing bowls

How to make Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes:

1. 1. Preheat oven and grease jumbo muffin tin. 
   2. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter and brown sugar. Add 1 tablespoon to each muffin cup.
   3. Place a pineapple ring and cherry into the bottom of each spot of the pan.
   4. In a small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
   5. In a separate bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until fluffy.
   6. Add the egg and vanilla extract. 
   7. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the wet ingredients.
   8. Spoon the cake batter evenly over the pineapple topping in the muffin cups.
   9. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
   10. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then use a butter knife to gently loosen the mini cakes.
   11. Invert onto a cooling rack lined with parchment paper and allow to cool completely.

Serving and Storing

• Serve warm or room temperature- as is or with a dollop of whipped cream. 
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
• If freezing, wrap in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container for up to a month.

No jumbo muffin tin? 

• Use a regular muffin tins instead of a jumbo muffin tin for even smaller mini desserts. A pineapple ring won’t fit, but you can arrange pineapple pieces or chunks into the pan. You can also make this in a larger 9 inch cake pan and arrange pineapple along the bottom. (Adjust baking time as needed.)

These mini pineapple cakes are easy to make with simple ingredients, and they bring big flavors in little cakes! Be sure to save this recipe for future baking adventures. If you love great recipes, don’t forget to check out more cake recipes here:

• Clementine Cake
• Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake
• Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake

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Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

Yield: 6 mini cakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 23 minutes

Total Time: 43 minutes

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Ingredients

For the Topping:

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 6 pineapple rings (or chunks if needed to fit)
• 6 maraschino cherries

For the Cake:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup buttermilk (or substitute with 1/3 cup milk + 1 tsp vinegar, let sit 5 min)

Instructions

Preparing the Topping

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a jumbo muffin tin or regular-sized muffin tin generously.
2. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter and brown sugar. Divide evenly among the muffin cups, ensuring the mixture coats the bottom of each muffin tin.
3. Place a pineapple ring in each cup and press a maraschino cherry in the center of the cake.

Making the Cake Batter

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer on medium speed to cream the softened butter and sugar until fluffy.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix at low speed until combined.
4. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed until just combined.

Assembling and Baking

1. Spoon the cake batter evenly over the pineapple topping in the muffin cups.
2. Place the muffin pan on a cookie sheet to catch any drips.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
4. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then use a butter knife to gently loosen the mini cakes.
5. Invert onto a cooling rack lined with parchment paper and allow to cool completely.

Notes

If you don't have a jumbo muffin tin you can use a regular sized muffin tin. Use 12 cherries and pineapple chunks divided into the tins. Baking time will need to be adjusted to 18-20 mins.

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