Mini_Pineapple_Upside_Down_CakeWhat’s not to love about upside-down cake? That simple delicate cake topped with fruits and a sweet sugar glaze – yum! I’m not talking about the upside-down cakes of yesteryear, with their canned fruits and neon glazed cherries. No, I’m talking gluten-free layer cake topped with fresh fruits and a smidgen of brown sugar butter glaze to top it off. Today I’m offering a twist on the traditional one pan upside-down cake and making 12 mini pineapple upside-down cakes, perfect for your summer party and Luau.

Gluten-free layer cake recipes can be tricky to get right – not only are they often dense or gummy, the starches in gluten-free flour don’t absorb fat easily so they can be too greasy. By reducing the amount of butter and using sour cream as a replacement you are well on your way to making a light, fluffy gluten-free layer cake that tastes just yum! To add richness to this recipe I borrowed a trick from America’s Test Kitchen and added 6 ounces of white chocolate – great for depth of flavor without the grease!

The baking powder and baking soda will also help to give this layer cake the texture and fluffiness that we are all searching for in our gluten-free cakes. Use fresh pineapple in the bottom of your pan and  and always add a little more than you’d think – the fruit will shrink a little when it’s cooked. My other tip would be to use these brown paper baking cups as they make it so easy to remove and flip upside down with little mess once the little cakes have cooled. Come back tomorrow to see how we dressed them up with our pineapple cupcake wrappers and toppers, perfect mini desserts for a summer party of Luau. Enjoy! ~ Lia

Pineapple_Upside_Down_Cake_Ingredients Upside_Down_Cupcakes