Ode To Chef Keller

I must say, the weather in Tucson is absolutely superbly perfect right now. We are expecting sunny days in the mid-70s all week long. Today started with a lazy morning at the dog park, dim sum lunch, an afternoon lounging around the house and tidying up, and this evening I made a delicious butternut squash lasagna and an absolutely fantastic dessert. A friend was in a down mood, so I decided to whip up a pineapple upside-down cake. I've never made one before, but after tasting this one and realizing how incredibly easy it is, there might be one coming out of my kitchen at least once a week! This is a wonderful recipe (not to mention incredibly simple) that uses ingredients almost everyone has in their kitchen. The cake is so light and buttery and not too sweet. It's a beautiful soft, fluffy cake that works perfectly with the topping. The schmear is so gooey and sweet and creates a wonderful marriage with the pineapple. I must admit, I ended up using canned pineapple rings since I hate cutting up fresh pineapple. I'm sure it would taste amazing with fresh fruit, but the canned pineapple still tasted great (I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference). Also, the recipe calls for a bit of rum. Rum and I are not friends, so we don't have any in the house. Fortunately, I did have some imitation rum extract which worked great (have this on hand for any sort of tropical dessert so you don't have to have a bottle of the captain around). This is not your grandma's pineapple upside-down cake. It doesn't have those little red balls of sugary yuck stuck in between rings of pineapple. The quartered pineapple rings layered in circles are so pretty. This is probably one of the best desserts I have ever made, all thanks to the amazing Chef Keller.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

adapted from "Ad Hoc at Home" by Thomas Keller 

Pan Schmear

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick; 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon dark rum (or imitation rum extract)
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar*
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cans pineapple rings, cut in quarters

Cake 

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick; 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Combine the butter, honey, rum, brown sugar, and vanilla and beat until smooth and well blended. Spread 1/3 cup of the schmear over the bottom of a greased 9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle lightly with salt. (The remaining schmear can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 1 month; bring to room temperature before using.)
3. Beginning at the perimeter of the pan, make an overlapping ring of pineapple slices with the curved side facing out. Make a second ring inside the first one, overlapping the slices in the opposite direction, working toward the center of the pan. Reserve any extra pineapple for another use.
4. Sift the flour and baking powder together; set aside.
5. Combine the butter and sugar then beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Mix in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until the first one is incorporated before adding the second and scraping down the sides as necessary. Beat in the milk. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating until just combined.
6. Pour the batter into the pan and spread over the pineapple. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan for even browning and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 20 to 30 minutes.
7. Run a knife around the edges of the cake, invert onto a serving platter, and serve warm. (Leftover cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

*I hate how dark brown sugar turns rock hard. Here is my easy-peasy way of how to soften it. Place some pebbles of dark brown sugar in a microwave safe bowl and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 30 second increments until it softens up. Voila!