Posh Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Step 1

First, preheat your oven to 160C/140C fan/Gas 2-3. Line the bottom of a 9-inch ‘springform’ tin (one of the ones with a detachable base) with some baking paper – that’s the non-stick stuff. Grease the sides with plenty of butter.

Step 2

Drizzle some golden syrup onto the bottom of your tin – it doesn’t need to coat the whole thing, but just be evenly distributed. You want to use it like glue to stick the pineapple down. Peel and chop the pineapple into rough slices and place them on the bottom of your tin, then fill in any of the gaps with your cherries.

Step 3 

Into a large bowl, weigh your soft butter and sugar. Using an electric whisk or wooden spoon if you’re brave, beat it for at least 5 minutes, until fluffy and nearly white in colour. Once you’ve reached this stage, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Do not worry if it curdles.

Step 4

Finally, add in your flour and baking powder – no need to sieve. Fold this in gently, using a large metal spoon if available. Once it is JUST combined, pour the mix onto your fruit and spread out carefully.

Step 5

Bake on your middle shelf for 40-45 minutes, checking after half an hour. Once done, it will be tempting to enjoy it hot. I’d wait, as when it’s cool and set, it’s far superior.

Top Tips:

• You’ve got to bake this cake at a fairly low temperature for a long time – there’s a lot of it and the pineapple tends to let out a lot of water into the cake. Conversely, this moistness of the baking batter can actually make the cake a little dry if overbaked, so check it often to make sure it’s only just done.
   
• In thick cakes, knives or skewers are needed to check when a cake is done. You cannot tell alone from pressing the top to see if it springs back. Insert it fully into the centre and assess for any raw cake mix – bits of fruit are fine! If there is any, bake another 10 minutes and check again.

Enjoy!