Cast Iron Skillet Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

     Dessert is something we haven’t tackled much on the Big Green Egg. Not because we are intimidated, but because Mrs. G doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth and I know I shouldn’t bake a whole cake or pie for myself. Pineapple upside down cake is one of my favorites and ever since I saw the recipe for this one, I knew that someday I would try my hand at it. Yesterday was that day. Mrs. G had to work and I had no plans and nothing to do all day. I’d like to thank Colleen (Lake Conroe Egger’s wife on the Egg Forums) for sharing this recipe. The recipe has been modified a bit from her original recipe.

     I know what you are probably thinking. You’re going to bake a cake on the Egg? Why? To answer your question…why not? I’ve said it before, if you can cook it in your oven, than you can cook it on your Egg.  And it won’t heat up the house. Will is come out OK? Yep…it certainly did. People used to use wood burning stoves and ovens after all. Won’t it be smokey? Not if you use a clean burning lump charcoal and don’t use wood chips or chunks. I actually used a mesquite lump and there wasn’t a smokey flavor at all. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 can crushed pineapples, drained (reserve juices for cake mix)
• Marashino cherries (if desired)
• 1 package Betty Crocker Super Moist Butter Recipe Cake Mix
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup water (or use some pineapple juice from the can to replace part of the water)
• 3 whole eggs
  

  Preparing Bottom Layer of Cake

Directions

1. Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a 10″ cast iron skillet (a deep one is best). Add brown sugar and stir until it dissolves. Add chopped pecans to the mixture just before taking off the heat. (This step can, as was, done inside on the stove)
2. Set skillet off heat and then add pineapple and Marashcino cherries if desired. (I did not add the whole can of pineapple, maybe about 1/2 to 3/4, however much you like)
   

   Pour cake mix on top of pineapple mixture

3. Prepare cake mix per directions on the box. You may substitute some of the pineapple juice instead of the one cup of water. Stir thoroughly and pour on top of pineapple mixtures.
   

   Pineapple Upside Down Cake on the Egg

4. Place skillet in Big Green Egg at 350 on top of placesetter on top of little green feet. Check every 20 minutes and rotate to ensure even cooking. Bake time is about 1 hour, but check with toothpick for doneness.
   

   20 minutes in

5. Let cake cool for at least 10 minutes. Run knife around cake to loosen from sides of skillet. Invert onto serving plate.
   

   Done at 1 hour

     The cake turned out amazing (better than the pictures did, that’s for sure). It was light and moist, with a little crunchy, sugary crust from the brown sugar butter mixture. The flavor of the pineapple really popped out. This is the first time I’ve had one with pecans in it, but it was a nice touch. It added some texture and the flavors really worked together. I was really impressed with how it came out.

Finished

     I really need to get a serving plate for cakes if we are going to start making them. The cookie sheet really just doesn’t do it, but I had to work with what we had.

Slice of Pineapple Upside Down Cake

     One thing I would change next time is the pineapple. I’ve never really bought canned pineapple, but there were no fresh ones at the store. I wasn’t sure what the difference was between crushed pineapple and chunked, so I just grabbed one. I think next time I will go with chunks or even get the slices and cut them into smaller pieces. Not because there was a problem with the taste. There was plenty of pineapple taste in it, but you really couldn’t see the crushed pineapple. More of an appearance issue than anything, but I think it would have more appeal if you could see the pineapple.

     I will definitely make more desserts on the Egg after this experiment. Hmmmm….what should I try next? Anybody got a good pecan pie recipe they want to share?

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