Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Cake Mix is the perfect dessert to impress friends and family. It looks fancy but is so simple to make and tastes delicious.

Slice of cake on plate.
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We love making desserts as you have probably noticed. This easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake does not disappoint and it is so tasty. It certainly looks impressive but it’s actually an easy cake recipe.


We love the flavor so much that also make Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes and Pineapple Upside Down Dump Cake.


Why We Love this Recipe

This Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Recipe is a showstopper without much work. It looks so pretty and tastes amazing. It is loaded with pineapple flavor and the classic pineapple upside down cake is so moist.

You might like it served with No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream.

Ingredients

Ingredients for recipe - brown sugar, pineapple slices, cherries, cake mix.

How to make pineapple upside down cake:

  • Step 1. First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melted butter in pan.

Step 2. Next melt the butter in the oven using your 13×9 pan. This also saves you from dirtying up another pan.

Brown sugar in dish.

Step 3. Then sprinkle brown sugar all over the butter as evenly as possible.

Pineapple on top of brown sugar.

Step 4. Arrange canned pineapple slices on top of the brown sugar.

Cherries on top of pineapple rings.

Step 5. Next, place cherry in the center of each pineapple slice. Take any remaining cherries and arrange them around the slices. Just gently press them down into the brown sugar so that it stays neatly arranged.

Batter in mixing bowl.

Step 6. Next, mix together the cake batter according to your box instructions in a mixing bowl. I used an electric mixer. The only thing that will be different is the water should be substituted for pineapple juice. The pineapple juice will give it really amazing flavor.

Batter in baking dish.

Step 7. Make sure the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together really well using a large bowl. Then pour all over the pineapple rings and cherries in the dish.

Cake baked and cooling.

Step 8. Finally, bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. As soon as it comes out of the oven, run a knife around the sides of pan to loosen it. Just make sure to do this immediately.

Cake on platter.

Step 9. Use a plate that is heat proof and place upside down on top of the cake pan. Turn the serving platter and flip the cake pan over.

Cake on platter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you let the cake cool before flipping?

I recommend leaving the pan over the cake for about 5 minutes before flipping. This will allow the brown sugar topping to run down and drizzle on the cake.

Then remove and let cool for 30 minutes.
Make sure to leave the pan as instructed because you want the topping to drizzle all over. This really makes it even more decadent. You definitely want all of that yummy brown sugar glaze on the cake.

Serve warm or cool. It is tasty either way so just serve it how your family enjoys it best. 

How long does pineapple upside down cake last?

The cake needs to be covered and stored in the refrigerator. If your pan has a lid, just use that or place inside an airtight container.

However, plastic wrap or foil work just fine. It will last up to 3 days if stored properly.

Although, our family eats this pretty fast. We all love it.

How do you keep the cake from sticking?

The melted butter in the bottom of the pan should help to prevent the cake from sticking. Just make sure the bottom of the pan is well coated.

You might need to swirl the butter around to make sure the pan is coated thoroughly.

As long as you do these steps, the cake should come out without any issues.

Can I make this cake the night before?

Yes, you can. Just make sure to refrigerate the cake.

We do this frequently and it helps to serve a great dessert for company or your family anytime you want. Make this ahead and have a great dessert to serve.

Try these other easy cake recipes

Try these other pineapple desserts

Go ahead and try this easy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Recipe. Don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating once you make it.

Cake on plate ready to enjoy.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Cake Mix

4.64 from 11 votes
Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Cake Mix is the perfect dessert to impress friends and family. It looks fancy but is so simple to make and tastes delicious.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Cool 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 16
Cuisine American
Course Dessert
Calories 345

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 20 oz pineapple slices in juice drained, juice reserved
  • 6 oz maraschino cherries without stems drained
  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
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Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan).
  • In 13×9-inch pan, melt butter in oven.
  • Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter.
  • Arrange pineapple slices on brown sugar, next place a cherry in center of each pineapple slice, and arrange remaining cherries around slices; press gently into brown sugar.
  • Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 1 cup.
  • Make cake batter as directed on box, substituting pineapple juice mixture for the water.
  • Pour batter over pineapple and cherries.
  • Bake 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  • Immediately run knife around side of pan to loosen cake.
  • Place heatproof serving plate upside down onto pan; turn plate and pan over.
  • Leave pan over cake 5 minutes so brown sugar topping can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Cool 30 minutes.
  • Serve warm or cool.
  • Store covered in refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 345kcal, Carbohydrates 49g, Protein 1g, Fat 17g, Saturated Fat 6g, Cholesterol 8mg, Sodium 266mg, Potassium 74mg, Fiber 1g, Sugar 35g, Vitamin A 114IU, Vitamin C 17mg, Calcium 91mg, Iron 1mg

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Desserts on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you create delicious desserts on a budget and do not require a ton of time. Together, we are going to make something sweet that the entire family will love!

4.64 from 11 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Jackie Thome says:

    5 stars
    ONE OF MY FAVORITES-I USE CRUSHED PINEAPPLE-A BIT OF PINEAPPLE IN EVERY BITE AND I USE THE PINEAPPLE JUICE ALSO AND ADD THE BALANCE OF WATER-SO REFRESHING IN THE SUMMER