Chocolate Chip Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Add something to your pineapple upside down cake recipe that will make it unforgettable - chocolate chips! This ooey-gooey chocolaty delight is baked to perfection with a glazed sugary top. Having just one slice seems impossible.
Ingredients
- 5 canned pineapple rings in juice, well-drained (reserve juice)
- pecan halves, optional
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into slices
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, graded
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup corn oil
Instructions
- Adjust rack to center of oven; preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Use a 9-inch round layer pan for this cake, at least 1-3/4 inches deep (do not grease the pan).
- Slice 4 of the pineapple rings in half to make 8 half-circles.
- Place the whole pineapple slice in the center of the pan, then place the 8 half-circles pinwheel-fashion around the whole slice. If desired, place some pecan halves between the "spokes" of the pinwheel, flat sides up.
- In 1 quart, heavy-bottomed, nonreactive pot, melt butter over low heat. Add brown sugar; increase heat to medium.
- Stir mixture over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping pot sides and bottom with rubber spatula occasionally; mixture will resemble wet sand.
- Add pineapple juice and stir in; continue stirring just until mixture reaches a simmer. Remove from heat.
- Slowly pour on top of pineapple arrangement in pan bottom; topping may not cover pineapple slices entirely.
- Into medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend well.
- Remove about a tablespoon (no need to measure) to a small bowl; add chocolate chips and stir well to coat with flour mixture. Set chips aside.
- Add sugar to flour mixture in medium bowl.
- In another small bowl, beat together with fork eggs and oil until well-combined; gradually beat in milk.
- All at once, add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients. With whisk or hand-held mixer on a low speed, beat batter just until well-combined, about 30 to 60 seconds, scraping bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula.
- By hand, stir in chocolate chips and any remaining flour mixture with them until chips are evenly distributed.
- By small spoonfuls, place batter on top of topping and fruit in pan, making it as even a layer as possible. Bake in preheated oven about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Top of cake will be a light golden brown, and you may see some cracks in the top of the cake as well. Test for doneness by pressing top center of cake lightly with fingertip; if cake springs back, it's done. Do not overbake.
- Remove to cooling rack; allow to stand 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure your serving plate has shallow sides and a flat center portion at least 9-1/2 inches in diameter!
- Invert serving plate on top of cake, then carefully turn whole assembly over. Allow inverted cake pan to stand 1 or 2 minutes, then remove carefully (it's still hot).
- You'll have a chocolate chip cake layer topped with a caramel-like thick syrup and a pattern of pineapple slices over all. Serve slices warm, perhaps with a bit of lightly sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
