Quick and easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Cake Mix, featuring sweet pineapple, caramelized brown sugar, and a moist, buttery cake. Perfect for any occasion.
This Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Cake Mix is a quick and delicious twist on a classic dessert. Juicy pineapple slices and a rich brown sugar glaze top a moist, buttery cake, making it perfect for family dinners, potlucks, or any time you want a sweet, crowd-pleasing treat.
It looks impressive but it’s actually an easy cake recipe and one of our favorite 35 Pineapple Desserts. We love the flavor so much that also make Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes and Pineapple Upside Down Dump Cake.
Table of contents
Why We Love this Recipe
- Quick and easy. Uses a cake mix for a fast, stress-free dessert.
- Classic flavors. Juicy pineapple and caramelized brown sugar in every bite.
- Moist and buttery. Cake mix ensures a soft, tender texture.
- Perfect for gatherings. Ideal for family dinners, holidays, or potlucks.
- Crowd-pleasing. Loved by kids and adults alike.
Ingredients
- Butter or margarine. For the caramelized topping.
- Brown sugar. Adds sweetness and rich caramel flavor.
- Pineapple slices in juice, drained (juice reserved). Juicy pineapple for the topping.
- Maraschino cherries, drained. Adds color and a sweet pop in the topping.
- Yellow cake mix. Makes a moist, buttery cake base.
- Vegetable oil and eggs. Use as directed on the cake mix box.
Step By Step Instructions
- Step 1. First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2. Next melt the butter in the oven using your 13×9 pan. This also saves you from dirtying up another pan.
Step 3. Then sprinkle brown sugar all over the butter as evenly as possible.
Step 4. Arrange canned pineapple slices on top of the brown sugar.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Storage
Room temperature. Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Refrigerator. Keep covered for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
Freezer. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil; freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Serving tip. Bring to room temperature before slicing for the best texture and flavor. You might like this classic pineapple upside down cake served with No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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.
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.
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 More Easy Cake Recipes
- Chocolate Cherry Cake Recipe
- Peach Dump Cake Recipe
- Crock Pot Apple Pie Dump Cake
- Punch Bowl Cake
- Easy Homemade Zucchini Cake Recipe
Try These Other Pineapple Desserts
- Upside Down Pineapple Cupcakes
- Pineapple Dream Dessert
- Pineapple Poke Cake Recipe
- Dole Whip Recipe
- 65 Easy Pineapple Dessert Recipes
Make this Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe today and enjoy a sweet, caramelized treat everyone will love! Don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating to share how it turned out.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Cake Mix
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
See how we calculate recipe costs.
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.
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