Easy and Delicious Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes (Print version)
Buttery pineapple upside-down cupcakes with brown sugar caramel, tender yellow cake, and a cherry on top.
# Ingredients:
For the topping
01 -
1 can (20 oz / 565 g) pineapple chunks in juice, drained with 1/2 cup juice reserved
02 -
1/3 cup (75 g) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
03 -
2/3 cup (135 g) packed light brown sugar
04 -
12 maraschino cherries, halved
For the cupcakes
05 -
1 box (15.25 oz / 432 g) yellow cake mix
06 -
3 large eggs
07 -
1/2 cup (120 ml) reserved pineapple juice
08 -
1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable oil
09 -
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 -
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
# Instructions:
01 -
Heat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan very well, coating the cups and top edges so the caramel topping releases cleanly.
02 -
Stir the melted butter and brown sugar together. Spoon about 1 tablespoon into each muffin cup, then add one cherry half and 2-3 pineapple chunks.
03 -
Beat the cake mix, eggs, pineapple juice, oil, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl once so no dry mix remains.
04 -
Spoon batter over the fruit until each cup is about two-thirds full. Do not overfill, since the topping can bubble up as the cupcakes bake.
05 -
Bake for 20-22 minutes, until the tops spring back lightly and a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean.
06 -
Cool in the pan for 5-8 minutes. Run a thin knife around each cupcake, place a sheet pan over the muffin pan, and flip carefully. Let the cupcakes finish cooling before serving or adding liners.
# Good to know:
01 -
Makes 12 standard cupcakes.
02 -
Best flipped while warm so the brown sugar topping releases.
03 -
Store refrigerated in a single layer for up to 4 days.