Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

Pineapple Upsidedown cake is my brother's favorite cake and he always gets one for his birthday. This year, since he was turning 30 and having a party, I decided that I'd put a twist on this traditional classic. I decided to make individual cupcakes for each guest. This recipe is great because it's easy to double, is moist and delicious, and keeps people coming back for more!

For the cupcakes, adding the pineapple juice really makes a difference because it incorporates the flavors of the topping. As a side note, I played around with the pineapple I used. Originally, the recipe called for crushed pineapple. I found that this made the topping stick to the cupcake pans and didn't come out looking quite so clean and pretty. The tidbits are small enough to fit on the cupcake and really made a difference. That being said, if your topping happens to stick slightly to the cupcake pan - DON'T PANIC! You can just scrape it off with a spoon and carefully arrange it atop the cupcake. No one will ever know! :)

Also, adding the sour cream to the batter makes this cake ultra moist and creamy - the cupcakes can sit out at a party without you having to worry they are getting dry. Once you make these, you can set them out and kick back and enjoy the party!

Ingredients:

Topping:

1 stick butter, melted
3/4 C. brown sugar, packed

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple tidbits in pineapple juice- drained, juice reserved

12 maraschino cherries - drained and halved

Cupcakes:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 C. sour cream

1/2 C. pineapple juice (reserved from pineapple tidbits)
1/3 C. vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

flour for dusting pans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist 24 cupcake cups with cooking spray and dust with flour.

For the topping, measure 1 tsp. of melted butter into each cupcake cup. Sprinkle with 1 heaping teaspoon of brown sugar on the melted butter. Spread about 1 T of the pineapple tidbits on top of the brown sugar. Gently place a cherry half in the center and push it down so the cherry is at the bottom, touching the pan.

For the cupcakes, blend cake mix, sour cream, pineapple juice, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl. Blend on medium speed until the batter is smooth and light, about 2 minutes. Spoon about 1/3 C of batter into each cupcake cup.

Bake at 350 degrees until the cupcakes are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger - about 20 - 22 minutes. Immediately run a knife around the edges of the cupcakes to loosen and invert onto a platter. Cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Lattice - Top Cherry Pie

I have to admit, they're a pain sometimes, but I LOVE pie. There's just something about pie that feels so fun and summery. This pie is perfect for a Memorial Day barbeque or any summer party. I made this cherry pie using fresh, hand-picked cherries from my husband's Aunt Jan's house. They were fresh and a little tart - just perfect!! When the pie is finished, the filling is just a little tart, sweet, juicy, and screams summer sunshine. The almond extract gives a depth of flavor and uniqueness to the pie, but if you don't have any on hand, just use double the amount of vanilla (it will still taste great!).

Cherry Pie

(Adapted from America's Test Kitchen)
1 to 1 1/4 C. plus 1 Tb. sugar (more or less depending on the tartness of the cherries)
1/4 C. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
6 C. fresh or jarred sour cherries
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 recipe Lattice - Top Pie Dough (below)
1 egg, lightly beaten

Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat oven to 500 degrees. Mix 1 cup of the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the cherries and almond extract. Add up to 4 more tablespoons of sugar if the cherries still taste tart. If using fresh cherries, let the mixture sit about 20 minutes. Then spread the cherry filling in the unbaked pie crust bottom.
Weave the lattice strips over the top of the pie. Seal and crimp the edges. Lightly brush the lattice top with egg wash. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Place the pie of the heated baking sheet and lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Bake until the top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature again to 375 degrees and continue to bake until the filling is bubbling and the crust is a golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Cool to room temperature before serving.


Lattice - Top Pie Dough
(America's Test Kitchen)
3 C. all purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
2 Tb. sugar
1 tsp. salt
7 Tb. vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, chilled
10 Tb. butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces, chilled
8 to 10 Tb. ice water

Process the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter the shortening over the top and continue to process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a bowl.

Sprinkle 8 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture. Stir and press the dough together, using a rubber spatula, until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, add the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Divide dough into two even pieces and flatten one piece into a 4-inch disk (for the crust bottom). Flatten the other into a 4 by 3-inch rectangle (or the lattice strips). Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Roll the bottom crust out and fit to a 9 inch pie plate. Roll the lattice strips to form a 10 ½ by 13 ½ - inch rectangle. Using a pizza cutter or knife and a ruler, cut lattice strips. Freeze the strips slightly to make them easier to weave on your pie.