Improving a Classic: Ultimate Upside-Down Cake

My mother had only one cookbook all the years I lived at home. It was a slim volume titled “Any One Can Bake,” written in 1937 and compiled by the Educational Department of the Royal Baking Powder Co. There were photographs of how to do the basic steps of each recipe and charming, mouth-watering drawings of cakes and cookies in color. To the best of my memory, my mother only baked one cake from the book: pineapple upside-down cake. I loved that cake. It was gooey, sweet and beautiful--and I never grew tired of it.

Over the years I have made many pineapple upside-down cakes, but I have never tried the one from my mother’s baking book until now. Sadly, it wasn’t the cake I remember. It was too sweet and too gooey, which tells you that you can’t go home again through recipes.

The recipe I’ve got here, however, is my idea of a perfect pineapple upside-down cake. I changed the topping to make it creamier and cut the pineapple slices in half, placing them in a circle around the edge of the pan so they are almost touching. I put a maraschino cherry into the half circle of each slice of pineapple and placed a whole slice--with a cherry--in the middle of the pan. This allows everyone a slice of cake with pineapple and a cherry.

A nice prelude to the pineapple upside-down cake is Lone Star chicken. It is another recipe that seems ordinary but cooks outstandingly. You can serve it hot or cold, and it’s a breeze to put together. It yields extra sauce that freezes well and is a good sauce over pasta.

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You need to use a 10-inch skillet, 2 inches deep, or a cake or pie pan, and they need to have a 2-quart capacity. It’s also a good idea to put a baking sheet under the pan or skillet to catch any juices that might bubble over the edge of the pan.

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

1/4 cup butter, cut into 4 pieces

3/4 cup light-brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

7 whole slices canned pineapple, 6 cut in half

13 maraschino cherries

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

Sweetened whipped cream, optional

Combine butter, brown sugar and heavy cream in 10-inch, 2-quart skillet or in small saucepan if using pie or cake pan to bake. Heat skillet or pan over low heat and stir until mixture is smooth and butter has completely melted, 1 to 2 minutes. If using pie or cake pan, pour sauce into pan and cool slightly.

Place half slices of pineapple, lengthwise, almost touching, around edge of pan or skillet and place whole slice in center. Fill each half and whole slice with maraschino cherry.

In large mixing bowl, beat shortening and sugar, using back of large spoon to press and smooth shortening and sugar together until well mixed. Add egg and vanilla and vigorously stir mixture until creamy and well mixed.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to shortening mixture. Stir vigorously to blend and smooth lumps. Add milk all at once and stir until batter is smooth and creamy.

Using spatula, spread batter over pineapple topping and gently spread to edges. Remember that batter, which becomes cake, will be on bottom and pineapple mixture will be on top when you finish baking and turn cake upside down.

Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes, or until top of cake is golden. Remove cake from oven and cool 15 minutes.

To remove cake from pan, put plate that is larger than cake on top of skillet or pan and quickly turn skillet upside-down, so cake lands on plate with pineapple slices on top. Serve with slightly sweetened whipped cream. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

347 calories; 313 mg sodium; 58 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 48 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.23 gram fiber.

LONE STAR CHICKEN

1 (18 3/4-ounce) can whole tomatoes

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled

2 tablespoons wine vinegar

Salt, pepper

1 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces

Put tomatoes with juice in large casserole and break tomatoes into bits. Add onion, garlic, bay leaves, cumin, oregano and vinegar. Stir to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer sauce on top of stove, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.

Add chicken parts, pushing down into sauce. Cover casserole and bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

359 calories; 395 mg sodium; 108 mg cholesterol; 22 grams fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 29 grams protein; 0.94 gram fiber.