"Please Let it Come Out!"

So that was my thought as I ever so carefully turned my Pineapple Upside Down Cake out of the skillet.  It came out beautifully.  The cake itself is very easy to make in regards to baking it...it is the turning it upside down part that is a bit scary for me.  You don't want it to stick or come out in chunks and as my husband will tell you I felt like I had completed a marathon I was so proud when it popped right out.  

Over our very scrumptious and moist slices, Nick and I began discussing the concept of the cake, where it came from, and the different fruit you could use.  After a quick google search I pieced together some basic facts that seem to match up.  

First the history of the cake is sketchy.  It can be dated back as early as 1925 when a little pineapple company in Hawaii (Dole:) ran an advertisement for pineapple recipes and the flood waters opened.  But here is my question.  They received so many upside down cake recipes that it was clear it was developed BEFORE this date.  Perhaps some Midwest housewife, wanting to be creative, developed the recipe shortly after sliced pineapple rings were available in 1911.   

So today I made mine in a traditional way with my cast iron skillet.  If you have not done this you need to!  I have seen my mom make this cake before but it was never in a skillet so I was bit skeptical.  I slowly melted the stick of butter and added the brown sugar.  Carefully, I placed my pineapple rings and the cherries before adding the batter and placing it in the oven. 

I always thought the pineapple upside down cake originated in the 1950s.  With the cherries and pineapple it just had that color and vibe to it.  So I was a bit surprised when I found out how early it may have been created.  But it makes sense.  The skillet is a great vessel for this cake and many people had skillets versus cake pans at the turn of the century.  I also read about skillet cakes and the different varieties you can make...perhaps this is next weekends adventure!  

Needless to say, the cake came out and we enjoyed every bite.  Recipe is on the "My Cravings Satisfied" page. I even turned it over on a cake platter owned my Nick's Grandmother Katie.  I was feeling a bit nostalgic.  Even though the cake is older than expected I still felt like running upstairs to put on a A line dress, pumps and pearls and serve it on some china! 

The blog is dedicated to the Pineapple Upside Down Cake!  May it last many more years in the Midwest Kitchen.