Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A group I belong to had a themed luncheon today. Our goal was to recreate an Easter dinner as it would have been served in the 1950's. Those of you who came of age in the 50's would view the meal as retro. The canned ham and pineapple upside-down cake would be dead giveaways. Those of you who were not yet born would consider the meal to be REALLY retro. By luck of the draw, my contribution ended up being the upside-down cake. I used a Better Homes and Gardens recipe, well-known to housewives and young cooks of the time, and because I had made it before I considered the cake to be easy duty. I did depart a bit from the standard presentation. The cake is usually made in a cast iron skillet. I passed on that because there were twelve of us and most skillet cakes can't feed that number of people. The recipe I used is scaled to feed a larger group and it uses a standard baking pan. However, when the finished cake is sliced, it looks like the "real" thing. For those of you who have never sampled this, a pineapple upside-down cake consists of a mosaic layer of caramelized pineapple that is topped with a single layer of yellow cake. When the cake is inverted, the caramelized fruit layer ends up on top. These skillet cakes were popularized in the 20's and 30's and they are still regularly served in some areas of the country. There are also families that make them part of their Easter dinner for nostalgia's sake. This is an easy cake to make, and, if you do not already have a recipe for one, you might want to add this version to your files. Here is how the cake is made.

Skillet Sugar Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you have a sweet tooth that's on the wild side, I think you'll love this cake. It's almost effortless to make and while it tastes a bit like an angel food cake, it has more substance and a lovely crumb. Skillet cakes are Southern in origin, and the one I'm sharing with you tonight is just one of the many types that are served in that region. I found the recipe for the cake on a fabulous blog whose name says it all - Chocolate, Chocolate and More. The cake can be enjoyed as a stand alone for dessert or a snack, but I like to serve it as a base for macerated fruit. Do make sure your ingredients are at room temperature when you begin to mix the cake, as the creaming of the shortening and milk can be tricky if either are cold. If you are looking for a new snack cake or base for a short-less shortcake you might want to give this one a try. Here is how the cake is made.