Pineapple Upside Down Cake Doughnuts
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Doughnuts – transform the ultimate retro Pineapple Upside Down Cake into baked doughnuts, sweet bites of nostalgia!
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Doughnuts – transform the ultimate retro Pineapple Upside Down Cake into baked doughnuts, sweet bites of nostalgia!
Note: This post was originally published on April 4, 2013. The recipe has been updated from the archives with updated content and photographs, as well as improved kitchen notes and recipe annotation. I hope you enjoy this favorite from my kitchen.
Every so often I pull out a little black folder tucked in the bottom of my desk drawer. I take it to the couch or into my bed, and with the same sense of calm as reading a novel, I sift through the hodgepodge of papers…recipes…from my mother. Some are laminated index cards with her handwriting in blue ink, cleanly written. Some are torn scraps of paper, franticly scribbled, as though she were in a rush. I imagine her taking these notes as she watched The Frugal Gourmet or Julia or Martin Yan. Then there are the magazine clippings, the newspaper food sections, yellowed with age.
I stopped at one the other night. On one side, ads for the local grocer, where you could buy fillet mignon for $2.38 a pound and cucumbers were 5 for 49 cents. A rotisserie chicken was $1.99 each. Each. On the other side, were several recipes for Pineapple Upside Down Cake. There was a version from 1925, another from Dole, and another for the skillet.
It brought me back to her Pineapple Upside Down Cakes. She favored crushed pineapples over slices, and the cake itself always had a lovely crumb. I’ve often wondered which of these versions she liked best.
As I reminisced, I had a vision of Pineapple Upside Down Cake Doughnuts. The little canned slices seem to be begging for it, don’t you think?
I baked a batch yesterday, and was so excited I just had to share them right away. Between nostalgia and sweet euphoria, I couldn’t resist.
How to Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake Doughnuts
Ever since I first shared this recipe, it has become a family favorite. I like to think of these doughnuts as individual servings of the classic pineapple upside down cake!
A simple brown sugar butter mixture is melted on the stove and placed in the bottom of each doughnut well.
I like to take each pineapple ring and slice them in half into thinner rings — this is critical not just for fitting into the pan, but also to provide the right pineapple to cake ratio in each bite. Just use a knife to carefully slice them in half!
Spread the batter on top of the pineapples and bake! The hard part is allowing the bake doughnuts to cool just enough so that it pops out of the pan easily. They’re especially delicious when eaten still warm, or can be cooled to room temperature and then enjoyed. I highly recommend enjoying them freshly baked!
More Doughnut Recipes
Baked Coconut Doughnuts
Coffee-Glazed Baked Chocolate Doughnuts
Churro Doughnut Holes with Ice Cream and Cherry Chipotle Sauce
Nutella Filled Mini Doughnuts
Blueberry Lemon Glazed Baked Donuts
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Doughnuts
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 15-oz can sliced pineapple drained
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar until it is moist. Spread in the bottom of your doughnut pan.
- Sliced the drained pineapples in half into thinner rings. Place the rings in the doughnut pan and press into the brown sugar.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until it is creamy. Add the sugar and continue beating until fluffy. Add the egg and beat until it is fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a measuring cup, stir in the vanilla into the buttermilk. Add the flour mixture in increments to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk. Beat until just combined.
- Fill the doughnut pan about 2/3 full. Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Gently remove the doughnuts from the pan by inverting onto a plate.
- Let it cool on a wire rack…or enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Canned pineapple rings need to be sliced in half into thinner rings — this is critical not just for fitting into the pan, but also to provide the right pineapple to cake ratio in each bite. Just use a knife to carefully slice them in half!
- Allowing the bake doughnuts for about 8 minutes, or until they easily pop out of the pan without breaking apart.
- The doughnuts are delicious when eaten still warm, or can be cooled to room temperature and then enjoyed.
- I highly recommend enjoying them freshly baked, but cooled doughnuts can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Nutrition
Comments
COOKBOOK
what a fun recipe, love the nostalgia aspect and that it’s not a whole upside down cake! Good tips too about thinner slices so that the pineapple taste isn’t too overwhelming, thank you
I love that they’re single serve this way! Thanks, Sabrina!
codes are awesome as they can be redeemed at the store for free .
Saw these, made them, LOVE THEM! My kids devoured them and they are delicious. Thanks so much for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed them, Jenn!! :)
OMG, these look amazing. Beautiful recipe!
What a great recipe! I WILL try this recipe real soon!
so delicious. what a great idea. i wish i had one (or three) of these tomorrow morning
These donuts are incredible looking. What a great idea to put pineapples over donuts. Love to try them.
These are fabulous! What a clever idea and love that they’re a baked, no yeast, no fuss donut recipe. Pinning to my donut board!
mmmm Pineapple, moist sweet pineapple. I LOVE anything with pineapple. Seems like a recipe to try when in the mood for something sweet.
Great blog you got there. Definitely gonna check back regularly.
Yay I finally got around to making some, making adjustments to reduce some of the butter in the doughnut batter! This is such a ridiculously great idea- the caramel sauce soaking into the doughnuts makes it super moist and a delish sweet treat! Thanks for the inspiration :)
My mother used to make pineapple upside down cake every year for my dad’s birthday. She wasn’t fancy and used boxed cake and canned pineapples but it was still good and now it’s forever a flavor of my childhood :)
This is seriously the cutest idea for a doughnut ever! Love it!
Such a fun idea. I pinned this one to try.
We love pineapple upside down cake, and when I saw it in donuts shape, I got so excited. I’ve been meaning to check this recipe but haven’t had the chance till now. I have to save this, these look so good!! I probably need to make double batch considering how everyone in my family loves pineapples. :)
Gosh you are a clever one! I never would have thought of doing this but, seeing your lovely mouthwatering photos now, it makes so much sense!
I love looking through family recipes! This is such a fun idea for donuts!
This is such a great idea…love it!!
I had a feeling this was coming next and I am so glad you didn’t wait log. LOVE how neat they look and even though I am not a huge fan of pineapple upside down cake, I am gonna give this a try. So pretty :)
What precious donuts are these!!
You don’t need to apologize. In fact, thank you so much for sharing this recipe from your mom’s treasured collection :) xo
I meant to say: and I am sure these taste even more fantastic! not but I am sure :)
Adorableness! When I saw them I thought they were upside down cakelettes. But doughnuts? Such a brilliant idea Liren! but I am sure these taste fantastic!
Oh and I remember those “Yan Can Cook, So can you!” episodes too! Was so excited to see him on Top Chef recently :)
I love family memories so much, they’re the greatest! …and Liren, these doughnuts are positively incredible!! Adore them!!!
My mom loved to make Pineapple Upside Down Cake in her cast iron skillet. Your post evoked such sweet memories of Sunday dinners! The doughnuts are just sublime, a scrumptious post!
These are just genius! I just love pineapple upside down cake, and this donut version is such a nice, single serving way to make and eat it!
Absolutely love these beauties, Liren! So glad they turned out :). Love your story about your mother’s recipes!
I can’t resist clicking on your post when I read the first few lines from my reading list. What a heartwarming post… one of the greatest joys of cooking is being able to keep the memories of our dearly departed come to life again! Hugs Liren, I know your mom could smell what you just made … and I know she’s smiling in heaven!
xoxo,
Malou
Beautiful story, Liren! I love nothing more than my mother’s and grandmother’s handwritten recipe cards. And pineapple upside down cake is one of them – my grandpa’s favorite and my grandma also uses crushed pineapple instead of rings. The rings are perfect for the doughnuts though. I love this!