Take a short bit of time in the kitchen to make this decadent Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake. A tried and true recipe that's sure to come out perfect every time. No boxed mixes, just homemade vanilla, drenched in all the brown sugar, pineapple, and cherries you can handle.
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I had never thought much about baking when I was younger, and the steps it takes to create something magnificent and delicious. One thing that really helped me break out of my baking shell is my Vegan Upside Down Cake.
This cake was so fun to make and work with. It was challenging and fun and really invigorated me to try more things like this. I could not be happier with my results either. It is so soft and really reminds of you of a cake with all the bells and whistles you are used to, but it's completely cruelty-free!
I love cooking vegan because it challenges a lot of concepts. Baking can especially be challenging because of some of the "staple" ingredients. This upside down cake has quickly become one of my favorite dessert recipes to bake for the family. I especially love eating it after a Vegan Pasta Bake or some Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff. Whatever you decide to eat before dessert, make sure it is followed with my Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake!
And don't forget to grab a copy of my free vegan cheat sheet too! It's packed with my favorite easy substitutions to help you make just about any recipe vegan!
How to Make Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Prep - Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 cake pan.
- Make the brown sugar mix - Melt the butter in the microwave. Add the brown sugar to the bowl and mix well. Pour into the bottom of the cake pan and spread even.
- Add the pineapple and cherries - Place the 8 pineapple slices in the bottom of the pan, reserving the pineapple juice. Place a cherry in the middle of each slice.
- Make the batter - In a large bowl, cream together the vegan butter and sugars. Add in the rest of the ingredients except the flour and baking powder. Mix well. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder. Add it to the batter and mix well.
- Bake - Pour the batter gently over the brown sugar mixture in the cake pan and spread even. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Cool - Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 20-30 minutes. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Tips and Variations
- Storage - Store in a sealed container, in the fridge, for up to 1 week. Store in an airtight container, in the freezer, for up to 3 months. Do not store in the pantry as it does not keep.
- Reheating - Reheat using the microwave or even the oven.
- Be patient - It's very important that you're patient once pulling this cake from the oven. You can't flip it right away, or the ingredients will make a mess. Let it rest the full time allotted before moving on.
- Add other toppings - I personally like to eat this as-is. However, you can always add vegan whipped cream, coconut, or even chopped pecans, if preferred.
- Use all white sugar for the cake - If need be, when making the cake batter, you can swap out the brown sugar for more white sugar. Brown sugar adds a bit of a syrupy richness to the cake. This helps it match the sugar layer on the bottom of the pan. However, it's not necessary and just as delicious with all white sugar.
Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake FAQs
When Should I Flip My Pineapple Upside Down Cake?
Once you've pulled your pineapple upside down cake from the oven, it's tempting to finish the final steps right away. However, you need to be patient for all the ingredients you put on the bottom, to settle into the cake. This can take 20-30 minutes. If you don't let it settle, you'll flip it and the bottom ingredients will go everywhere.
If you want the smoothest flip of your life, wait the full 20-30 minutes, and it will be a dream when you flip it over.
Do You Eat Pineapple Upside Down Cake Warm?
I, personally, enjoy eating it warm. However, it's just as delicious when it's fully cooled as well. Now, I don't prefer it as cold as the fridge, but if it's no longer warm from the oven, it's still yummy. How you eat pineapple upside down cake is up to you. There's no rule that says you have to eat it a certain way. So, try it a few ways and find your favorite.
If you decided to give this Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake a try, please let me know in the comments below or on social media!
Other Vegan Cake Recipes You Might Like:
While you're here, be sure to grab our FREE 5-Day Meatless Meal Plan. It's packed with tasty recipes to make vegetarian cooking easy and delicious!
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
For the Bottom:
- 1 stick vegan butter, room temp
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 8 pineapple rings
- 8 maraschino cherries, without stems
For the Cake:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 stick vegan butter, room temp
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¾ cup pineapple juice, reserved from can
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup almond milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13 cake pan with nonstick spray.
- Place the butter for the bottom in a small bowl and melt in the microwave until no lumps remain.
- Stir in the brown sugar until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the brown sugar mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and spread even.
- Arrange the 8 pineapple rings evenly over the top of the brown sugar mixture and place a cherry in the middle of each ring.
- For the batter, in a large bowl, combine both sugars and the butter and cream together.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, except the flour and baking powder and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the baking powder and flour.
- Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix well.
- Pour over the top of the pineapple slices and carefully spread even.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 20-30 minutes.
- Invert, carefully, onto a flat surface such as a serving tray.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Lyka says
Made this cake for my dad as pineapple upside down cake is his favorite, he loved it! One thing, in the recipe it says to add "cream," whereas there is no cream in the ingredients list. I assumed this was a mistake and the recipe had been adapted from somewhere else, and the word "cream" was supposed to be replaced with "applesauce," but I'm not sure.
Meg says
In this case “cream” is an action not an ingredient. It is simply stating to “cream” the vegan butter and sugar together.
Kat Becraft says
Very good and easy! I didn’t have applesauce. I substituted vegan mayonnaise. Also used fresh pineapple so didn’t have juice from canned pineapple,used orange juice instead! It was very good!
Sally Pawloski says
This is really good, very moist! I screwed up and made mine in one of the pans where the bottom comes out (not sure why I thought that was a good idea LOL) - what a mess. But, the cake was still delicious and perfect.
Summer says
Nonvegan approved, too! Super yummy and simple! I had to bake an extra 15-20mins, though.
Joann says
I can’t find vegan butter in sticks. How many ounces is in the one stick in your recipe?
Nicole says
4 oz!