Pineapple Upside Down Cake With Yellow Cake Mix

Moist and flavorful pineapple upside down cake recipe using yellow cake mix! This simple recipe has a super quick prep time and has a wonderful flavor and texture.

Growing up, pineapple upside down cake was one of my mother’s specialties. And one of my favorite family desserts.

We liked it so much that it was a year round treat (and a holiday staple). While I love her recipe, made completely from scratch, I don’t always have the time for all that prep work.

And that’s where this wonderfully simple recipe comes to the rescue! By using a boxed, yellow cake mix we have a super quick recipe to put together.

While bake time still is the same amount of time, nothing beats spending a measly fifteen minutes to get your cake in the oven.

I’m confident this will become one of your new favorite recipes too, so make sure to bookmark or pin it so you can make it again and again!

How to Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake using a Yellow Cake Mix

Since prep time is right around fifteen minutes, the majority of time making this cake is in the oven. Bake time is just over forty minutes, so you can have your yummy pineapple upside down cake ready super quick.

For equipment, you will need a 13″x9″ baking pan, a medium mixing bowl, and a microwave safe bowl. For a baking pan, I recommend a clear glass pan. If you use a dark or non stick pan, you will need to decrease baking temperature 25 degrees and cook time will increase a few minutes.

And that’s all it takes to make this moist, flavor packed cake!

Related Recipe: Lemon cake from yellow cake mix

Ingredients

You’re going to love how easy this recipe is to make! It calls for common baking staples, so you may already have everything you need on hand.

It’s also quite inexpensive. Not many recipes with this much flavor cost so little! So double check you have the following ingredients before getting started.

When it comes to your cake mix, brand really doesn’t matter that much. I’ve made this recipe with everything from Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Krusteaz, Jiffy, and store brands.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake Ingredients List

• Yellow Cake Mix
• Brown Sugar
• Butter
• Canned Pineapple Slices
• Maraschino Cherries
• Cinnamon (optional)
• Nutmeg (optional)
• Additional ingredients called for on your cake mix box

Because the ingredients called for on each box of cake mix differs, double check that you have what it calls for before starting.

Related: Substitute for vegetable oil in cake mix

Instructions

This is without a doubt, one of the easiest recipes for making pineapple upside down cake. While I still make my from scratch recipe, the flavor and texture of this cake really can’t be beat.

The key to any pineapple upside down cake is the brown sugar and pineapple mixture. Once flipped, all those wonderful juices get absorbed by the cake creating a truly wonderful texture and mouth watering flavor.

Just follow these simple steps and you will be amazed by the flavor and texture too!

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Note: If using a dark pan, set to 325 degrees.

Step 2: Add butter to microwave safe bowl and melt. Make sure not to overheat your butter.

Step 3: Stir in your brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg and then pour mixture evenly in baking pan.

Step 4: Place pineapple slices on top of brown sugar mixture evenly spaced across pan.

Note: Keep pineapple juices.

Step 5: Set one maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple slice.

Step 6: Pour pineapple juice into a measuring cup and top off with water for a total of one cup.

Step 7: Mix yellow cake mix according to instructions on the box with one alteration. Use your pineapple juice mixture in place of called for water for your cake batter.

Step 8: Pour cake batter evenly over the top of your pineapples.

Step 9: Bake cake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes.

Note: Your cake is done when a fork is inserted and comes out clean.

Step 10: Remove cake from oven and run a butter knife along the entire edge of cake to separate it from your pan.

Step 11: Place a serving platter on top of your cake pan. Ensure it is large enough to hold your entire cake.

Step 12: Carefully flip your cake over, keeping your serving platter in place.

Step 13: Allow your cake to cool for 10 minutes with your baking pan still in place.

Step 14: Carefully remove baking pan and allow your cake to continue cooling.

Step 15: Serve and enjoy!

Related: Egg alternatives for cake

Recipe Notes

• Your cake can be served warm or cold.
• Nutmeg and cinnamon can be replaced with your favorite spice mix, or left out altogether.
• Flipping your cake and allowing it to cool upside down is very important! This allows all those wonderful flavors and moisture to spread throughout your cake.
• Store leftover cake covered in your refrigerator for up to three days.