Pineapple-Zucchini Upside-Down Cake

Upside-down cakes are humble cakes masquerading as fancy desserts thanks to their stunning presentation. They are made up of layers of melted butter, brown sugar and fruit, all covered with a simple cake batter. In the oven the butter, sugar and fruit caramelize to create a beautiful topping once the cake is flipped over. No need for frosting or any other accompaniments for this cake, it has plenty of flavor all on its own.

Pineapple upside-down cake is a classic we all know and love, but this pineapple and zucchini variation will shake things up. The two flavors go together surprisingly well, as evidenced in this top-rated quick bread, and the addition of nuts and cinnamon only makes the cake more irresistible.

To start, pour the melted butter into your cake pan and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Next, place the pineapples in the pan. With the traditional pineapple upside-down cake design I feel like there’s not enough pineapple, so I prefer instead to place one pineapple ring in the center with half rings fanning out around it. Put a walnut or pecan half in the center of each ring and set the cake pan aside. (If you’re not a fan of nuts in your baked goods, feel free to omit them!)

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients: buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg and shredded zucchini.

Add the wet ingredient to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan, on top of the pineapple rings.

Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown and center springs back when lightly touched.

At this point the cake won’t look like much, though it will smell absolutely divine! Let it cool and then invert it onto a cake stand, plate or platter to reveal the beautiful design underneath. Upside-down cakes are super forgiving, so don’t fret it some of the pineapple sticks to the pan! Simply scrape it out with a knife and place it back on the cake. No one will ever know.