Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

I grew up with my mother making cornbread and fried potatoes in a cast iron skillet.   Oh they were so good!!  So I decided to purchase a cast iron skillet to add to my collection.   Fried potatoes are the best in a cast iron skillet, but I didn’t stop there.  I went looking for other cast iron skillet recipes.  I found a recipe for a Pineapple Upside Down Cake.  I would like to share with you a recipe that has become a family favorite.

Topping:

1/4 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1 (1-pound, 4 ounce) can sliced pineapple
Maraschino Cherries
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a 10-inch cast-iron frying pan or a 9×2-inch cake pan over low heat, melt butter or margarine. Stir in brown sugar until blended. Remove from heat. Drain pineapple, reserving 2 tablespoons syrup. Arrange pineapple slices onto top of sugar mixture. Place a maraschino cherry in center of each slice. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add egg, milk, and vegetable shortening; beat 2 minutes. Add reserved pineapple syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract; beat 2 minutes. Pour over pineapple slices in frying pan, spreading evenly.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes on a wire rack. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen; cover with a cake plate and invert. Serve warm.

Makes 8 servings.

You can find more recipes and tips for cooking with cast iron at http://whatscookingamerica.net.