The Cookbook Club: Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Joanne Tracey over at Brookford Kitchen Diaries has started up a monthly cookbook club and the rules such as they are are loose enough that it's easy to follow along and participate. This month we were asked to find a cookbook published in our own country.
I grew up reading Better Home and Garden magazines and trying so many of their recipes so when I saw that I would need a United States cookbook, I immediately thought of the first cookbook I ever bought for my own kitchen; this Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. I can assure you that it is no longer new. We have tried so many of the recipes in this book but for today's post I wanted something new.
My birthday was last month and I asked Alec to make me a pineapple upside down cake. We did modify the recipe a bit as the original called for pecans (I don't like nuts in most desserts) and pineapple tidbits but I wanted those perfect pineapple circles!
One thing I love about this book is the 3 ring binder format that allows it to lay flat and stay open while you work.
Alec, being a true culinary student, is a firm believer in measuring out your ingredients first and assembling everything one step at a time.
First he mixed the dry ingredients in the bowl and together we decided to add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon to the recipe.
While mixing the cake batter he put the cake pan in the oven with some butter to melt.
He added the wet ingredients to the dry in the mixing bowl and turned the mixer on low for a few minutes.
We served the cake warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was good but both Alec and I agreed that it was rather dense and would be better with a fluffier/traditional cake layer.
Linking up with:
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Looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteThank you; he did a great job!
DeleteThis cake looks incredible! So perfect for a summer dessert!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.kathrineeldridge.com
It really is a great summer dessert.
DeleteI believe this dessert to be an all time favorite for most families. Having a can of pineapple in the pantry was always insurance!
ReplyDeleteNo one else in my family had ever had pineapple upside down cake before!
DeleteWow! That looks so good and so much better with rounds. I don't like nuts at all so I approve of that choice! This reminds me of my dad as he loved this cake.
ReplyDeleteI weirdly do like most nuts but I really do not like them in any baked goods.
DeleteThis looks and sounds absolutely delicious! I might need to make it for a get together this weekend!
ReplyDeleteJill - Doused in Pink
Thank you!
DeleteMy husband loves pineapple upside down cake. I'm sure he'd love this! The three ring binder is a neat feature for a cook book. My mom had a BH&G cookbook. I don't know what happened to it.
ReplyDeleteI'm pleasantly surprised with how well the 3 rings have held up too and I love a book that lies flat while I'm trying to reference it.
DeleteYum. I love pineapple upside down cake, we stick glacé cherries in the pineapple holes.
ReplyDeleteI don't like cherries but Alec and I both were saying that the pop of color would have been so nice!
DeleteI love the look of that cookbook and what a delicious looking cake!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI have never made pineapple upside down cake. I think I've had a bite of one. This sounds so good though. Might need to try making one next time I need to bring something for a potluck.
ReplyDeleteWe wanted to try making them in muffin tins next time to see about making them individual sized since we all liked the outer edges of the cake much more than the middle.
DeleteOh my word, this looks delicious! That's too bad that it didn't turn out exactly how you expected, though. I've never tried to make a pineapple upside down cake, but I do think my kids would like it!
ReplyDeleteMine did; even the ones that don't like pineapple thought it was pretty good.
DeleteI don't count on the photos because I know they can be photoshopped. But humans are visual creatures, so I get it.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the pieces of pineapple and nuts would have incorporated more air into it?? It was beautiful for sure.
XOOX
Jodie
I doubt it since you don't mix the pecans or pineapple pieces; we knew it wasn't going to be like a cake when we didn't have to cream together the butter and the sugar. That's pretty standard in anything you want to be light and airy.
DeleteHow pretty is that cake!! Loved the step by step in-action photos. I have never tried making a Pineapple Upside down cake. Yours looks tempting! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeletePineapple upside down cake is one of my favorites! That looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteMine too; though I rarely think to make or eat it.
DeleteThis looks delicious, and I am a big fan of the BHG cookbook. It is what I still look to for the basics. I agree about seeing a photo of the recipe.
ReplyDeleteYes, they have some great basic recipes.
DeleteI'd switch for peaches but otherwise, yum! #WWWhimsy
ReplyDeleteOh that sounds like a great swap!
DeleteHi Joanne, that cake looks delicious! I love the cookbook being in a ring binder and able to lay flat. Also - I love nuts - in anything and everything! I don't think I've ever made a pineapple upside down cake but now I want to! Thanks for linking up with us at #WWWhimsy xo
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThat cake looks the business, and the binder is a great idea. I'm a reader of cookbooks, so even though I'm a visual person, I can usually imagine how something will look. I am, however, partial to an illustration or two...
ReplyDeleteI am definitely a browser of cookbooks and really only stop when a photo catches my attention.
DeleteI received a Betty Crocker cookbook as a bridal shower gift. It's the one I pull out over and over, and it shows! When I make pineapple upside down cake, I now use either chunks or crushed pineapple because it's so much easier to cut that way. I've never heard of it with nuts, though. Yours looks delicious!
ReplyDeletehttps://marshainthemiddle.com/
I bet that would make it much easier to cut!
DeleteI used to have a Betty Crocker Cookbook (not sure what happened to it). I love the three ring binder format too. The cake came out beautiful and looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI always forget how good pineappe upside down cake is until I see photos of one! I love the caramelized flavors but I think I'd appreciate a less dense cake, as well!
ReplyDeleteRight?! I'm the same way as well. It's not thinking I ever think of making or eating until I see it.
DeleteOh wowwww! This looks so delicious!! I love how crafty you are in the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteJoanne,
ReplyDeleteYou have no idea how many times I have kicked myself for getting rid of my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that I bought in 1978 when I first got married....Surely a vintage edition now!! Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind comment!!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
You're welcome! I love those old vintage cookbooks; I actually found this one while trying to find an edition of the cookbook my mom used when I was growing up. I loved all the "original" recipes in that book but could not find it anywhere.
Deleteyep i love a ring binder cookbook - so handy. I think i've only ever seen one or 2 cookbooks without photos of the end dish - it just helps to know what it should look like. This cake looks fabulous; gotta love an upside down cake.
ReplyDeletecheers
sherry
Yeah, I think having a picture really helps too.
DeleteI love pineapple and I have some pineapple every day. This upside down cake looks delicious! I like the idea of adding ice cream on top.
ReplyDeleteWe eat pineapple nearly every day too!
DeleteThat looks beautiful. I too love a spiral cookbook. I'm not a huge fan of pineapple in cooked things..lol.
ReplyDeleteI'm not usually a fan of warm fruit in general but for some things I don't mind; like pineapple upside down cake or apple pie.
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