serves
8-10
prep
15 minutes
cook
1:20 hour
difficulty
Easy
serves
8-10
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
1:20
hour
difficulty
Easy
level
The best part is, this cake could be adapted to any fruit really: plums, nectarines, peaches, apricots, strawberries, blueberries, or, in this case, my favourite of all the upside-down cakes, pineapple. The ginger adds a spicy note that works well with the pineapple, but it doesn’t overpower. The cake element for an upside-down cake is very tricky, and this one took me a while to get right. Not enough air, or support, and the cake batter mixes with the fruit juices too quickly and becomes soggy. But, thanks to the combination of baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and whipped egg whites, this batter lifts beautifully from the beginning, leaving a perfect, fluffy, buttery crumb.
You must start with ripe fruit. Yes, the sugar and the cooking of the fruit will improve things, but if you want this to be a fabulous cake as opposed to an alright cake, make sure the fruit is fabulous to start.
Ingredients
- 225 g (8 oz) soft butter, plus extra for greasing
- 200 g (7 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
- 4 eggs, separated
- 20 g (¾ oz) grated fresh ginger
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 220 g (8 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 100 ml (3½ fl oz) full-cream (whole) milk
- ice cream, to serve
Topping
- 25 g (1 oz) butter
- 80 g (2¾ oz/⅓ cup) brown sugar
- ½ pineapple, peeled, cored, sliced and cut into pieces
Instructions
1. Grease and line a round 22–25 cm (8¾–10 in) round cake tin with baking paper.
2. Start by making the topping. Melt the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar crystals have melted and the mix is bubbling. Simmer for 1 minute, then pour this molten mix into the prepared tin. Arrange the pineapple pieces on top of this caramel in any pattern you like. Try to cover as much surface area as possible so you can have a lot of fruit in each slice.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
4. Cream together the butter and sugar in a freestanding electric mixer until light and fluffy, then add the egg yolks, ginger and vanilla and mix until well incorporated. Separately, whip the egg whites in a clean bowl, either by hand or with an electric whisk, until soft peaks form. Set aside.
5. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together. Add half the dry ingredients to the butter and gently mix, then, with the machine still running, add all the milk and mix. Carefully add the remaining dry ingredients and finish mixing with a spatula. Fold in the whipped egg whites. Pour this on top of the pineapple in the tin and spread it out evenly. Gently tap the tin on your work surface to ensure the cake batter has dropped
into place. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before flipping the cake out. To flip it over, place a flat plate or cake tray on top of the tin, then, holding the plate in place with your hand, flip the cake over quickly and carefully. Once flipped, simply pull the tin off and peel back the baking paper.
6. Serve warm or when completely cooled.
Images and text from by Danielle Alvarez. Photography by Benito Martin. Hardie Grant RRP $50.00
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
The best part is, this cake could be adapted to any fruit really: plums, nectarines, peaches, apricots, strawberries, blueberries, or, in this case, my favourite of all the upside-down cakes, pineapple. The ginger adds a spicy note that works well with the pineapple, but it doesn’t overpower. The cake element for an upside-down cake is very tricky, and this one took me a while to get right. Not enough air, or support, and the cake batter mixes with the fruit juices too quickly and becomes soggy. But, thanks to the combination of baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and whipped egg whites, this batter lifts beautifully from the beginning, leaving a perfect, fluffy, buttery crumb.
You must start with ripe fruit. Yes, the sugar and the cooking of the fruit will improve things, but if you want this to be a fabulous cake as opposed to an alright cake, make sure the fruit is fabulous to start.
