Food History: Pineapple Upside Down Cake

For as long as we can remember, cakes have been embedded in the food culture of various traditions as an ultimate sweet dish. For years, people, children and adults alike, have been enjoying a variety of cakes. The classic flavors like vanilla, buttercream, chocolate and butterscotch have been famous throughout the world. Consumption of fruit flavored cakes however, gained popularity much later. The interesting twist is that an age old tradition from centuries ago can be applied to create a delicious pineapple upside down cake.

Pineapple has been a favorite with fruit lovers for a while now. The tropical fruit is not only a sweet delicacy but is also credited with several health benefits. Pineapple flavors have been used in varied kinds of sweet dishes so a variation involving cake was not a surprise. The earliest bakers used cast iron skillets to cook cakes. Like any other invention, it made cooking a cake convenient. The fruits, sugar or flavors can be laid down on the base with a layer of cake batter above. The result would be a cake which reveals the wholesomeness of the flavors in the cake that can be displayed when flipped over.

After 1911, an appliance that could cut pineapple into rings made the idea of a pineapple upside down cake more tempting. The perfect pineapple upside down cake has rings of pineapple with candied cherries as the center of the rings. Most cake makers would prefer adding whipped cream for decoration. The cake is perfected with a brown sugar glaze. This cake recipe has been popular with professional chefs as well as home cooks. Its simple recipe, baking procedure and the many versatile occasions it can fit into makes it an added bonus on the taste.

You can now buy pineapple cakes online. Those who like to make their own cakes can buy cake pans that give cakes the perfect mold.