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Plated pineapple upside-down cake
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Meaningful Eats

Best Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake

8 people
If you’re looking for a gluten-free pineapple upside-down cake reminiscent of the original classic, this recipe is it!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Diet Gluten Free
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

Topping

  • 1/4 cup butter 60g (melted)
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 100g
  • 8 –10 pineapple slices patted dry
  • 15 –20 maraschino cherries patted dry

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons gluten-free 1:1 baking flour 175 grams
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Other Ingredients

  • 1 cups sugar 200 grams
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil 50 grams
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup sour cream 60 grams
  • 1/2 cup milk 125 grams (I use 2%)

Instructions

For the Topping:

  • Pour the melted butter into an ungreased 9×2 inch pie dish or round cake pan. (Make sure the pan is 2 inches deep. I recommend this pie dish, which is 1.8 inches deep but I never have an overflow issue.) Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter.
  • Pat the pineapple and cherries with paper towels until they’re very dry. (Wet fruit will make a soggy cake.) Arrange 6-7 pineapple slices and all the cherries on top of the brown sugar. Halve 3 pineapple rings and arrange them around the sides of the pan. (See my photo.) Place the pan in the fridge while you prepare the cake batter to help set the arrangement.

Make the Cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 375F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder and salt.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and sugar. Whip on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer running on low, slowly drizzle in the oil. (You want to do this slowly so you don't lose the air that you've mixed in.) Mix in the vanilla and lemon juice.
  • With the mixer on low, add ⅓ of the dry ingredients. Mix until incorporated. Add the sour cream and mix to combine. Add another ⅓ of the dry ingredients and continue to mix. Add ½ of the milk followed by the last ⅓ of the dry ingredients. Add the remaining milk and stir until totally combined. (You want to add the dry ingredients alternately with liquid ingredients so the flour absorbs into the batter.)
  • Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the center of the cake is cooked through. You can cover the top of the cake with foil towards the end of the bake time if it starts to brown too quickly.
  • Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for ONLY 20 minutes. Invert the slightly cooled cake onto a cake stand or serving plate. Cool the cake completely to room temperature before slicing and serving. (Do not refrigerate the cake to speed up the cooling or it will be dense.) Slice, top with whipped cream and enjoy!

Notes

Tips for Success
  • Important: Blot your pineapple and cherries dry before placing on the cake. Otherwise, your cake might be soggy!
  • I recommend using one 20-ounce can of pineapple slices for this cake. It’s the perfect amount for the fruit arrangement!
  • Let the cake cool for ONLY 20 minutes before turning it out onto the serving plate. Then let it cool completely before slicing.
  • Do not place this cake in the fridge while it’s cooling—otherwise, the cake will be dense.

Nutrition

Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 372mg | Potassium: 216mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 247IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 1mg