Pineapple Upside-Down Skillet Cake

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple rings in juice, drained
• 10 maraschino cherries, stemmed
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole buttermilk
• 1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice

Before you cook

• Drain the pineapple rings, saving a quarter cup of the juice, and pat the rings dry.
• Pat the cherries dry on paper towels.
• Set the eggs, buttermilk, and butter out to come to room temperature.

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Melt the six tablespoons of butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
3. Stir in the brown sugar and cook for two minutes, until it bubbles and looks like wet sand.
4. Take the skillet off the heat and spread the sugar mixture evenly across the bottom.
5. Arrange the pineapple rings in a single layer over the caramel, one in the center and the rest around it.
6. Set a cherry in the hole of each ring.
7. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
8. Beat the half cup of butter with the granulated sugar until light, about 3 minutes.
9. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
10. Stir the buttermilk together with the reserved pineapple juice.
11. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, mixing on low.
12. Spoon the batter over the fruit and spread it gently to the edges without disturbing the rings.
13. Bake for 40 to 48 minutes, until the cake is golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
14. Let the skillet cool on a rack for exactly 10 minutes.
15. Run a knife around the edge, set a large plate over the skillet, and invert the whole thing in one confident motion.
16. Lift off the skillet and replace any fruit that stuck, then serve warm.