What's Cooking Wednesday

Week 2 of me actually being organized enough to participate in WCW!

Before I get into the recipe (for which I have no photo... again. Sorry), don't forget to read this post and enter to win 4 tickets to Disney on Ice Princess Classics in Toronto on December 18!

This week I whipped up a favourite cake of mine. It's totally retro but that's what makes it so great. No, there's no jello or pudding involved; it's just something people made more in the 80s than they do now but I think it deserves a huge comeback because it is so good and easy! That's the reason I don't have a photo - it was gone too fast!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
5-6 whole pineapple slices
6 maraschino cherries
12 pecan halves (optional)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk

1. In 10" round baking dish, melt butter, then add brown sugar. STir until smooth and evenly distributed in pan. (I do this in the oven with the brown sugar already in there.)

2. Arrange pineapple slices in brown sugar mixture. Place cherry in the centre of each pineapple slice. Arrange pecan halves between slices.

3. Cream 1/2 cup butter with sugar. Add eggs and beat well.

4. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in separate bowl. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk to creamed mixture. Pour gently over pineapple slices in pan.

5. Bake at 350F for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (in my oven I had to do it for only 40 minutes).

6. Remove from oven and turn upside down on plate immediately, scraping extra topping over pineapple slices.

7. Cool before serving.

You will LOVE this cake (unless you don't like pineapple, of course). It is really, really moist because the juice from the pineapple seeps into the cake while it bakes. An extra advantage to that is that it means the cake stays fresh and moist for a few days. Lovely.

It's a great dessert to make for company because it is easy to make but takes people back to their grandmother's kitchens. Enjoy!