Pineapple Upside-Down Cornmeal Cake

My maternal grandmother made an incredible Southern pineapple upside-down cake. The cake was less sweet than the traditional old-fashioned version, and the recipe included stone-ground cornmeal, which gave the cake an unusual and unique texture (closer to a sweet cornbread or sweet polenta than to a traditional cake). Her cake was one of my father's favorite desserts (he was never a big fan of sweets), and my mother would make it for him often. Once both my mother and grandmother had passed away, the recipe was lost. We could not find a written copy of it anywhere. This recipe is adapted from a recipe belonging to my favorite Food Network culinary personality, Alton Brown. Alton's cake is the closest I've found to my grandmother's recipe. I believe the only differences are that my grandmother added a little of the canned pineapple juice to the cake batter and she sometimes (but not always) added some dark rum or brandy to both the pineapple glaze as well as the cake batter. She would also occasionally lightly drizzle the finished cake with some additional dark rum or brandy. This homey cake is very simple to make, is very tasty with lots of wonderful flavor, and has a very interesting crunchy texture which I enjoy immensely.

Save
Pineapple Upside-Down Cornmeal Cake Save
Pineapple Upside-Down Cornmeal Cake

My maternal grandmother made an incredible Southern pineapple upside-down cake. The cake was less sweet than the traditional old-fashioned version, and the recipe included stone-ground cornmeal, which gave the cake an unusual and unique texture (closer to a sweet cornbread or sweet polenta than to a traditional cake). Her cake was one of my father's favorite desserts (he was never a big fan of sweets), and my mother would make it for him often. Once both my mother and grandmother had passed away, the recipe was lost. We could not find a written copy of it anywhere. This recipe is adapted from a recipe belonging to my favorite Food Network culinary personality, Alton Brown. Alton's cake is the closest I've found to my grandmother's recipe. I believe the only differences are that my grandmother added a little of the canned pineapple juice to the cake batter and she sometimes (but not always) added some dark rum or brandy to both the pineapple glaze as well as the cake batter. She would also occasionally lightly drizzle the finished cake with some additional dark rum or brandy. This homey cake is very simple to make, is very tasty with lots of wonderful flavor, and has a very interesting crunchy texture which I enjoy immensely.

  • Preparing Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
  • Served Person: 6
bake milk cornmeal butter brown sugar pineapple cherries pecans nuts eggs flour baking powdr salt sugar canola oil desserts brunch american south cake summer sweet vegetarian white meat free contains gluten red meat free shellfish free contains dairy contains eggs pescatarian
desserts

Step-by-step

  • Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl (or in a suacepan or medium-low heat), bring the milk to a boil. Remove the milk from the microwave (or turn off heat under saucepan). Slowly stir in the cornmeal with a whisk to avoid lumps. Set aside and let soak at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  • Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the 350 degree F oven, shaking the pan occasionally, until lightly golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  • For the topping: Using an ovenproof 10-inch heavy skillet (preferably well-seasoned cast-iron) over medium heat, melt butter until foam subsides. Add the brown sugar to the melted butter and stir until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully place 1 slice of pineapple in the center of the pan. Arrange the other 5-6 slices (depending on their size) around the center slice in a circle. Place the cherries in the centers of the pineapple slices and sprinkle the toasted nuts evenly over the fruit. Drizzle pineapple juice over top.
  • For the cake: Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium mixing bowl, whisking to combine. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the sugar to the eggs, whisking to combine. Add the canola oil and whisk to combine. Add the cornmeal and milk mixture to the egg mixture, whisking to combine. Add this to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Pour the batter over the fruit in the skillet. Using a spatula, spread the batter evenly over the fruit, building up the outside edges and leaving a shallower center so the cake will be level when baked. Place skillet on the lower-middle rack of the 350 degree oven and bake until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes in the skillet. Place an inverted serving platter over the skillet. Carefully invert skillet and platter together. Repositioning the fruit if necessary. Cut into pieces and serve as is, with sweetened whipped cream, or top each piece of warm cake with vanilla ice cream. Good hot, warm or at room temperature.

Requiring a heavy ten-inch skillet means thermal mass is the primary variable controlling whether your sugar burns or caramelizes evenly. Cast iron retains heat aggressively, which allows dark brown sugar and butter to melt into a cohesive syrup without seizing, provided the burner stays at a moderate setting for those critical five minutes. Using coarse stone-ground cornmeal introduces a distinct structural grittiness that standard pastry flour cannot mimic, but raw corn starch requires intensive hydration to soften during baking. Boiling milk and pouring it directly over the cornmeal initiates gelatinization early, softening the dense starches during the mandatory thirty-minute rest before the batter ever meets the oven.

The Science of the Skillet Bake

Chemical leavening relies on precision here. Sifting baking powder and salt directly into the flour ensures even distribution of sodium bicarbonate, preventing bitter pockets in the dense crumb. Whisking eggs with granulated sugar separately incorporates air, building a stable emulsion with canola oil before the heavy, hydrated cornmeal paste enters the bowl. Spreading the batter with a depressed center ensures the cake rises flat rather than doming as the lower-middle oven rack radiates heat at 350 degrees F.

  • Inverting the skillet too late causes the cooling sugar syrup to harden, gluing the pineapple slices permanently to the iron.
  • Skipping the milk-soaking step leaves the cornmeal ungelatinized, resulting in an unpleasantly sandy mouthfeel.
  • Overmixing the batter after adding the flour activates excess gluten, turning a tender cornbread-like crumb into a tough, rubbery sponge.
Waffles?
Brown Sugar Berry Cobbler?
Apple Turnovers Recipe?
Brie and Parmesan Polenta?
Privacy policy