Summers are getting hotter and hotter and it’s becoming hard to have picnics somewhere in nature, the dessert part being the hardest (what do we do without ice cream?). I’m here to save the dessert part with this perfect-for-hot-summer pineapple upside down cake.
This recipe was created for Spar Slovenija.
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It was love at first sight
One of my roommates in the first flat I lived in while at uni was obsessed with pineapples. So much so that she got a tattoo of one! Anyways, that year when we lived together she celebrated her birthday with all her friends and her best friend made her a pineapple upside down cake. I can’t remember what exactly it tasted like, but I remember seeing it and thinking, “Waw, I wanna make that!”
It’s been years since then and it was a time when Little Kitchen Vibes didn’t exist yet. I wasn’t creating recipes yet, wasn’t photographing food, and wasn’t even thinking of working with food in any way. But the idea of a pineapple upside-down cake stuck with me through all these years.
Creating Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Although I fell in love with the sight of pineapple upside down cake back in 2016, I wasn’t necessarily daydreaming about it all the time. If I was I would make it much earlier.
But this year, while working with Spar, the idea of a vegan upside down cake emerged from within – I gave them the idea for a vegan pineapple upside down cake recipe and they were happy to take it.
As always I approached it from the perspective of someone who loves healthy food but also loves to indulge in food. Not much sugar was a must and another must was including wholemeal flour. Not wasting food is another guideline so instead of using just milk for cake batter, I used pineapple juice from the compote. I was slowly getting somewhere with the recipe. The first upside down cake I ate was not vegan, but then again I also didn’t have the recipe. I was on my own journey of creating an upside down cake vegan.
The things I love about this cake
-> it’s a no-melt cake a.k.a. perfect for summer picnics
-> healthier version of an upside-down cake
-> fluffy cake, but still moist from the pineapple slices
-> sweet but not too sweet
-> did someone say piña colada? Yup, that’s the taste!
What ingredients do I need for this cake?
Not too many, lucky you! Apart from the fact that there’s no cream and no frosting that could melt in the summer heat, there’s also no other complication whatsoever. Make a batter, add pineapple et voilá – your cake is done!
Now seriously, here are the ingredients.
Dry ingredients
Flour: I used 2/3 of wholemeal flour and 1/3 of white flour. I added some white flour for the fluffiness, but you could easily go with 100% wholemeal. Or try with 100% white flour, that will work, too. But keep in mind that wholemeal flour is a healthier option.
Sugar: brown, of course. You could use coconut sugar if you’re used to the taste and the colour. Using a sugar substitute like erythritol could work, too. If you’re using a syrup like an agave syrup or maple syrup then keep in mind that it is in a liquid state therefore you’ll need a little less milk.
Vanilla: I don’t know about your country, but in Slovenia, we usually use vanilla sugar. It’s vanilla-flavoured sugar that we add to desserts. You could use vanilla essence as well – just know how strong it is before adding it to the batter.
Baking powder: in this case, you could easily use baking soda, too. The pineapple compote water is slightly sour so baking soda would do its thing just as well.
Coconut: we’re using ground coconut and not coconut flour. Ground coconut will give this cake the flavour but also some texture.
Wet ingredients
Oil: you could actually use any plant oil or even plant-based butter, but I’m using coconut oil. First of all, the unrefined version will give this cake even more coconut taste; and second of all, it’s a pretty healthy option. You could use any unrefined oil for this matter, like sunflower seed oil.
Pineapple compote: I always use a compote with slices for this cake. It gives me the option to use whole slices or to cut them up into pieces. Which is exactly what I do for this cake. I use up all the slices and also use the compote water – the pineapple juice – for the cake batter. You can drink the rest and avoid unnecessary food waste. If you can’t find a pineapple compote with slices of pineapple, just use the one with pieces of pineapple. It will work the same but you won’t get the pretty pattern once you turn your cake upside-down.
Plant milk: I’m always using oat milk, as you might have noticed already. For this recipe, it doesn’t really matter what kind of milk you use. At the end of the day you could also use 300 ml of pineapple juice from the compote, but I like to add some milk for the creaminess and fuller taste. That’s also why I love using oat milk, but almond or soy would be good, too. I don’t recommend using hazelnut or walnut milk or any flavoured milks as they will change the taste of the cake.
If we’re being honest, this upside down cake can be made with pineapple or any other fruit. Wanna make an upside down cake the peach version? Sure! Apple? Go for it. Blueberries? Give it a try! Just make sure to use enough moisture if you’re not using compote – either use enough milk or add juice.
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If you’re looking for another simple fruit cake recipe, check out this strawberry rhubarb shortcake. In case you just want another delicious cake recipe, then definitely try this vegan coffee cake or go for a healthy vegan carrot cake. If you’re in need of a refreshing recipe, this grandma’s vegan apple pie straight from the fridge will be right for you. And if you want to try my grandma’s rhubarb compote, here’s the recipe.
Are you recreating any of my recipes? Don’t forget to take a photo and tag me on Instagram @littlekitchenvibes
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients
- 100 g white flour
- 200 g wholemeal flour
- 1 pack vanilla sugar
- ½ pack baking powder
- pinch salt
- 40 g brown sugar
- 30 g grated coconut
- 1 can pineapple compote
- 70 g coconut oil
- 200 ml pineapple compote water from the compote
- 100 ml oat milk
Instructions
- Add all of the dry ingredients - both flours, vanilla-flavoured sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and grated coconut - to a large bowl. Mix it with a whisk so that all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Melt coconut oil in a microwave oven or on the stovetop.
- Pour milk into a separate bowl and add melted coconut oil.
- Open a can of pineapple compote and take all of the slices of pineapple out. Pour 200 ml of the juice into the milk and oil mixture. Mix the mixture well.
- Prepare the cake tin - grease it or line it with parchment paper.
- Place a few slices of pineapple into the cake tin, creating the desired pattern.
- Cut the remaining pineapple slices into pieces.
- Pour the milk-oil-juice mixture into the bowl with wet ingredients and gently mix so there are no dry pieces left.
- Add pineapple pieces to the batter and fold them in.
- Then add the cake batter to the tin little by little to cover all the pineapple slices. Even out the batter with a spoon.
- Bake the cake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 25-30 minutes. Test if it's baked with a toothpick.
- Once the cake is baked, take it out of the oven and let it cool down a bit. Then remove the rim from the cake tin. Place a cake holder, a plate, or a serving dish on top of the cake and turn it upside-down so the bottom of the cake is turned upwards and you can see the pretty pattern you created with the pineapple slices.
- Serve it as it is, add some ice cream or whipped cream or sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
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