Upside Down It

DEAR SOS: My husband loves pineapple upside-down cake. His mother used to make it for him from scratch. I have a ton of cookbooks, but I cannot find a recipe in any of them. Is it possible to get an authentic recipe? It would mean a lot to be able to make this for him.

MARILYN VANDERMARK

Redondo Beach

DEAR MARILYN: That is so sweet.

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Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour

1 (81/4-ounce) can sliced pineapple in syrup

3 tablespoons butter, divided, 1 tablespoon softened

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

4 maraschino cherries, drained

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Drain the pineapple, reserving 2 tablespoons of syrup.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a 6-inch oven-proof skillet. Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat. Place the pineapple slices on top of the sugar mixture. Fill the center of each pineapple with 1 cherry.

Combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and allspice in a bowl. Blend the orange zest with the milk in a separate bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon soft butter, egg and the reserved 2 tablespoons of syrup. Beat until blended. Add the flour mixture and stir to make a batter.

Pour the batter over the pineapple in the skillet, being careful not to disturb the slices. Bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched, 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Loosen the edges from the sides of the pan and invert the cake onto a platter.

6 servings. Each serving: 270 calories; 233 mg sodium; 51 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.76 gram fiber.