Name: Easy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 box yellow cake mix (or pineapple supreme cake mix); 1 can pineapple slices; 1 stick butter; 1 jar cherries (optional); 1 cup brown sugar

This Easy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Recipe uses just 5 ingredients to create a delightful treat that tastes just like the good old days. The pineapple juices seep into the cake, making it moist, fluffy, and perfectly buttery. It’s sweet, tangy, and crowned with beautiful caramelized pineapple rings and maraschino cherries – a true bite of sunshine!

Taking a slice of pineapple upside-down cake with a metal spatula with a glass of milk in the background.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Recipe Name: Easy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Ready In: 60 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 58.1 cal
Main Ingredients: 1 box yellow cake mix, 1 can pineapple slices, 1 stick butter, 1 jar cherries, 1 cup brown sugar
Why You'll Love It: You need only 5 ingredients to make my easy pineapple upside-down cake, which includes a super moist cake with juicy glazed pineapple slices and a cherry on top.

Perfectly Moist Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Pineapple upside down cake was a regular around most dinner tables when I was a girl. The brown sugar topping caramelizes the cake so each bite is fluffy, moist, and so deliciously sweet. The way I make this cake is as easy as they come and you can pull off a nostalgic showstopper in no time flat!

Folks usually ask me how I get it so super moist and the secret is a crazy trick I use. Today, I’m going to share my secret with you, along with the fact that it actually began as a mistake and led me to have the reputation of making the moistest pineapple upside-down cake around!

Once you’ve made this you are going to be craving all the different pineapple desserts so make sure you try our Pineapple Poke Cake or Pineapple Cobbler.

Ingredients for pineapple upside-down cake recipe on a white marble surface.

Ingredients for this Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe

Cake mix (yellow cake or pineapple supreme plus ingredients)
Maraschino cherries
Can of pineapple slices
Brown sugar
Unsalted butter

Can I use fresh pineapple?

While the recipe recommends using canned pineapple for its juice and convenience, you can also use fresh pineapple slices if preferred. Just make sure to capture any juice from cutting the fresh pineapple and incorporate it into the cake mix for added flavor.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

A fork digging into a slice of pineapple upside-down cake.

How To Make This Easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe

1. Preheat the Oven

Turn your oven to 350°F. Then place a stick of butter in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and place it in the preheating oven so it melts.

Note: Don’t wait for the oven to be fully preheated before adding the butter. If you do, the oven will be too hot and the butter might burn!

A stick of butter in a baking dish with ingredients for pineapple upside-down cake on the side.

2. Prepare Your Cake Mix

While the butter is melting, drain the pineapple juice from the can and set it aside to use as part of the water for the cake mix.

My can of pineapple yielded just over a ¾ cup of juice so according to my package, I’m going to add enough water to make 1 ⅓ cup of liquid (in place of plain water) to add.

From there, simply follow the directions on your box of cake mix to prepare the mix and set it aside. Adding in this pineapple juice is going to make our cake so moist and flavorful!

Pineapple juice in a plastic measuring cup.

3. Add Brown Sugar to the Butter

Once your batter is mixed, remove the pan from the oven. Your butter should be nice and melted like this:

Melted butter in a glass baking dish with ingredients on the side for pineapple upside-down cake.

Sprinkle about a cup of brown sugar over the melted butter in your cake pan. If you need to use more than a cup you sure can!

Sprinkling brown sugar in a glass baking dish with melted butter.

Brown sugar sprinkled over butter in a glass baking dish.

4. Assemble

Arrange pineapple slices in an even layer on top of the sugar, putting a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring.

Pro tip: If you don’t have cherries, don’t feel like you need to go buy them special just for this. Just make it with pineapple slices only and it will still be delicious.

Gently pour your cake batter over the canned pineapple slices.

Layers of butter, brown sugar, pineapple rings, and maraschino cherries in a glass baking dish.

Yellow cake batter in a glass baking dish.

5. Bake

Now place this in your oven for about 45 minutes.

Once your cake looks done, make sure you can press on the center and it springs back a bit before you remove it from the oven (or just use the toothpick trick. Insert a toothpick in the center, if it comes out clean your cake is done).

6. Let Rest & Flip

Now all that’s left to do is remove the cake from the oven, let it sit in the pan for 10 minutes, and then invert the cake onto your surface of choice.

Pro Tip: A cutting board is a perfect thing to serve this cake on if you don’t have a tray or cake holder big enough. I just go with the cutting board because it is sturdy enough for transport

Taking a slice of pineapple-upside down cake with a metal spatula.

How do you flip a pineapple upside-down cake?

The most important things are to use oven mitts and a plate that’s bigger than your cake pan to catch any runaway juices. Here’s how to do it:

Cool it down. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes. If any parts are stuck to the sides, run a knife around the edge to loosen them.
Plate it. Place a large plate or serving platter upside-down on top of the cake pan (I like to use a cutting board).
Get a good grip. Grab both the pan and the plate firmly with oven mitts.
Flip it fast. In one quick, careful motion, flip everything over. Set the plate down and lift the hot pan off.

That’s it! This cake is best served warm, so don’t wait too long to dig in!

Close-up of pineapple upside-down cake recipe with a glass of milk in the background.

My Secret for an Ultra-Moist Cake

Once you pull that golden beauty out of the oven, take a few toothpicks and poke ’em into the corners and the center. Now, here’s the magic part: cover it up tight with some plastic wrap or foil while it’s still piping hot. This little ol’ trick traps all that wonderful steam right in, making your cake so moist and tender it’ll just about melt in your mouth. Trust me, this will change everything!

Toothpicks sticking out of a sheet of pineapple upside-down cake.

Pineapple upside-down cake wrapped in plastic wrap.

What to Serve with Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

While this cake is delicious on its own, consider serving it with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream to take it to the next level. The contrast of the cold creaminess against the warm cake is delightful.

Enjoy your delicious and moist pineapple upside-down cake!

Two slices of pineapple upside-down cake on white plates.

How do I store pineapple upside down cake?

Store any leftover pineapple cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze individual slices for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight when you’re ready to enjoy them again.

More Delicious Pineapple Recipes: