Small Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This small pineapple upside-down cake has a soft, tender vanilla cake topped with buttery brown sugar, juicy pineapple rings, and bright maraschino cherries. It’s baked in a 9×5-inch loaf pan, giving you all the nostalgic flavor of a classic pineapple upside-down cake in a smaller size.

 

I love pineapple upside-down cake, but a full-size cake can be a lot when you’re only baking for a few people. So I scaled it down to fit in a loaf pan, which makes it much more manageable while still giving you that beautiful caramelized pineapple topping.

For the cake itself, I use a combination of melted butter and oil. The butter adds flavor, while the oil helps keep the cake moist and tender even after it cools. I also use cake flour and buttermilk to give the cake a softer, more delicate crumb.

And don’t let that pretty pineapple topping intimidate you. The whole thing is assembled right in the loaf pan, and the best part comes when you flip it over and reveal all that buttery brown sugar, pineapple, and cherries on top.

Why This Recipe Works

• It’s made in a loaf pan. You get a smaller pineapple upside-down cake without needing a specialty cake pan.
• Butter and oil give you the best of both worlds. Butter adds flavor while oil helps the cake stay soft and moist.
• Cake flour keeps the crumb tender. Its lower protein content helps create a softer cake that pairs perfectly with the fruit topping.
• The pineapple is blotted dry before baking. Removing excess moisture keeps the brown sugar topping from becoming watery.
• You don’t need a mixer. Both the topping and cake batter come together easily by hand.

Ingredients Needed

For The Pineapple Topping

• Pineapple slices: Drain the pineapple very well and blot the slices dry before arranging them in the pan. Canned pineapple works best here because the slices are evenly sized.
• Maraschino cherries: Blot these dry along with the pineapple so they don’t add unnecessary liquid to the topping.
• Unsalted butter: Salted butter also works.
• Light brown sugar: Dark brown sugar will also work. If you run out try making your own homemade brown sugar. Read How To Make Brown Sugar.

For The Cake

• Cake flour: For the most accurate measurement, weigh your flour with a kitchen scale or spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off. If you don’t have any you can make your own. Read How To Make Cake Flour.
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Unsalted butter: Salted butter also works, just omit the added salt.
• Canola oil: Another neutral-tasting oil, such as avocado or vegetable oil, can also be used.
• Granulated sugar
• Egg: Let the egg come to room temperature so it combines more easily with the other ingredients. I place mine in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes. Read How To Get Room Temperature Eggs Fast.
• Vanilla extract
• Buttermilk: Bring the buttermilk to room temperature before mixing the batter. If you don’t have any, make your own homemade buttermilk. Read How To Make Homemade Buttermilk.

How To Make Small Batch Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

1. Prepare the oven and loaf pan.

Position an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

For easier release, you can also place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan.

2. Dry the pineapple and cherries.

Drain the pineapple slices thoroughly, then place them on a paper towel-lined plate along with the maraschino cherries. Gently blot everything dry with additional paper towels.

Don’t skip this step. Pineapple and maraschino cherries hold quite a bit of liquid, and too much moisture can make the brown sugar topping thin and watery instead of buttery and caramelized.

3. Assemble the pineapple topping.

Pour the melted butter into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Tilt the pan until the butter evenly coats the bottom.

Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the melted butter.

Arrange the pineapple slices over the brown sugar. I like to place three rings down the middle. You may need to tuck the slices together a bit to make them fit. Then I cut the last ring into smaller pieces and tucked them in around the rings around the edges. 

Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring and tuck additional cherries into any open spaces.

Take your time with the arrangement because whatever you put against the bottom of the pan will become the top of your finished cake.

4. Combine the dry ingredients.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

Whisking these ingredients separately helps distribute the baking powder evenly throughout the flour before it’s added to the wet ingredients.

5. Combine the wet ingredients.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, oil, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla, and buttermilk until smooth and well combined.

Make sure your melted butter has cooled slightly before adding it. Very hot butter can warm the egg and buttermilk and prevent the ingredients from combining smoothly.

Note: This step by step photo is from my full batch pineapple upside down cake so there is two eggs shown. For this small version we are only using ONE egg.

6. Make the cake batter.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk just until the flour is incorporated.

Once you no longer see streaks of flour, stop mixing. Overmixing develops more gluten and can make your finished cake tougher instead of soft and tender.

7. Add the batter to the loaf pan.

Carefully pour the cake batter over the arranged pineapple and cherries.

Spread the batter gently into an even layer without moving the fruit underneath. I like to pour slowly and distribute the batter over several areas of the pan rather than pouring everything directly into the center.

8. Bake.

Bake at 350°F for about 35 to 45 minutes.

The cake is ready when the top is golden brown and springs back when lightly touched. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Be careful not to push the toothpick all the way through the cake into the brown sugar layer. The topping underneath will naturally be wet and can make it look like the cake isn’t finished baking.

9. Cool briefly and flip.

Let the cake cool in the loaf pan for just 5 minutes.

This is one cake you don’t want to leave in the pan until it’s completely cool. As the butter and brown sugar topping cools, the caramelized sugar can firm up and cause the pineapple to stick to the pan.

After 5 minutes, carefully run a thin knife around the edges of the cake.

Place your serving plate upside down over the loaf pan. Holding the plate and pan securely together, quickly flip them over. Slowly lift away the loaf pan to reveal the pineapple topping.

If a piece of pineapple happens to stick to the pan, don’t panic. Carefully lift it out and place it back onto the cake while everything is still warm.

10. Cool and serve.

Let the cake cool slightly before slicing.

You can serve this cake slightly warm or let it cool completely. The pineapple topping will be soft and caramelized, while the cake underneath stays moist and tender.

Recipe Tips

• Blot the pineapple and cherries very well. Excess juice can make the brown sugar topping watery instead of thick and caramelized.
• Arrange your fruit before adding the cake batter. Once the batter goes into the pan, you won’t be able to reposition the pineapple without making a mess.
• Don’t overmix the batter. Stop mixing as soon as the flour is incorporated to keep the cake soft and tender.
• Don’t let the cake cool completely in the pan. Flip it after about 5 minutes while the brown sugar topping is still warm. If it cools too long, the caramelized sugar can stick to the pan.
• Use a plate larger than your loaf pan when flipping the cake. Some of the warm brown sugar topping may run slightly when you invert it.

How To Store

Because of the moist fruit topping, I recommend keeping this pineapple upside-down cake at room temperature for no longer than 1 day. Keep it tightly covered so the cake doesn’t dry out.

For longer storage, cover the cake and refrigerate it for up to 4 days. You can let individual slices come to room temperature before serving or warm them briefly in the microwave.

You can also freeze the baked cake. Let it cool completely, then wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Label the container with the recipe name and date and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Recipe FAQs

More Small Batch Cakes To Try

If you love baking smaller cakes, try my mini chocolate cake next. It’s baked in a 6-inch cake pan and makes just a few servings.

And if you want more loaf pan desserts, try my mini apple coffee cake, mini pumpkin coffee cake, or small batch cheesecake. 

They’re all an easy way to make dessert when you don’t need a full-size recipe.