Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Happy Birthday to me! My birthday was a couple weeks ago but I'm just now getting around to telling you about it. Well, for my birthday, as all moms probably know - you make your own cake. I've had a mix for pineapple cake for some time now and I knew for my birthday that is what IIII wanted! Growing up my mom and I LOVED making pineapple upside down cake - it was truly a treat! The only thing that frustrated us was that every recipe out there called for pineapple rings. Don't get me wrong we loved the rings, they were beautiful and fun, but it was so hard to eat because you always had to cut the pineapple ring to get a piece of fruit in every bite. It wasn't until MANY years of making this and running out of rings one day, we realized we didn't have to use pineapple rings, we could use tidbits, chunks etc. they're all the same fruit! HALLELUJAH! IT WAS AWESOME! So now, making this with pineapple chunks you get a piece of pineapple in every bite! This is our recipe! Perfected over many years! 

I hope you enjoy this with family and friends for the holidays!

It's moist and flavorful to perfection!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Preheat oven to 350

Melt 1/4 c. butter in a 9x13 glass pan in the oven as it is preheating

(why melt in the pan you ask? so you don't dirty another bowl and lose some of the butter)

1 Pineapple cake mix - yellow cake mix can also be substituted 

1 c. Brown sugar

1 20oz can Pineapple chunks - drained - JUICE RESERVED FOR NEXT INGREDIENT

1 c. Pineapple Juice- reserved from the can of pineapple chunks

1 3.4 oz pkg. instant Vanilla pudding and pie filling

4 eggs

1/2 c. Applesauce

In a large bowl combine cake mix, pineapple juice, vanilla pudding, eggs and applesauce. Mix well. Set cake batter aside.

Take your melted butter out of the oven and sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan. Place the drained pineapple chunks over the brown sugar.

Pour the cake batter over top of the brown sugar and pineapple chunks.

Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until poked with a toothpick and it comes out clean. 

When done - immediately take a butter knife and run it around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Take a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper and place over the cake. Hold the pan and cookie sheet together and FLIP OVER.Leave the cake pan on top for a few minutes before removing. Let cool, and eat! Cover and refrigerate leftovers!

*DELICIOUS!

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