Grease your baking pan with a thin layer of butter all over.
Now, let us make our Caramel first! Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Once the mixture has turned into a uniform liquid, you have to stop stirring or mixing. Let it sit on the heat until you see the syrup just about bubbling at the sides. This is the sign of sugar caramelizing. Remove from heat, and pour into your prepared cake pan. When your caramel pours silkily into the cake tin in shiny folds, you would know that you have nailed the caramel. You will be able to smell it too! Smells very toffee-like.
Spread your caramel evenly in the baking tin while it is hot.
Arrange the pineapple rings and cherries on top of the warm caramel, in any pattern that you like.This will form the pretty top layer of our cake when its ready. Set aside.
Now let us prepare the batter for the cake!
Put your oven to pre-heat at 185 degrees C.
In a bowl, mix butter and sugar and beat till sugar dissolves and butter looks white and creamy. Use a hand blender if u have one!
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs very well. Set aside.
Whisk your dry flour with the baking powder so that it’s mixed well.
Now mix some of this flour in the butter & sugar mixture- beat well! Then add some beaten egg in the butter & sugar mixture- beat well! Continue this alternate cycle till u run out of flour and eggs.
After that, add the pineapple extract, vanilla essence and the pineapple syrup to your batter. Fold in everything gently.
Time to assemble the caramel and the batter..... Pour in the batter slowly and carefully over the caramel and pineapple layer in the baking tin, careful not to move the cherries or pineapple out of the places. Pour evenly so that the whole surface is covered uniformly with the batter.
Bake for 30-35 mins at 185 degrees C or till the tooth-pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not open the door to check before 20-25 minutes at all. If the middle still seems soft and uncooked, keep baking till done, checking every 5-6 minutes with the toothpick.
Let the cake sit in warm oven for 10 mins but with its door open.
When your cake has cooled down, run a knife around the edge of the pan. Then, keep a plate on top of your tin and invert the cake onto it carefully.
Tadaaaa!! Your gorgeous Pineapple Upside down cake is ready!! Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or simply as it is. Enjoy!
