Cornmeal Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1 cup whole pecan halves
• 10 whole pineapple rings
• 10 maraschino cherries
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Melt 1/3 cup of butter in a heavy, round 10 inch iron or other oven proof skillet (cast iron is best). Stir in the brown sugar and cook over medium heat until the sugar is almost melted, spreading it evenly over the bottom of the pan. Pour out about 2 Tbsp. of the juice from the crushed pineapple and spread the remaining juice and pineapple evenly over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the pecans over, then arrange the pineapple rings evenly all over. Put a cherry in the middle of each pineapple ring. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the remaining 2/3 cup of butter and the sugar until blended. Add the eggs and beat well. Stir together the dry ingredients. Add them to the butter-sugar mixture. Pour in half the milk and beat well. Add the remaining milk and continue beating until the batter is smooth and well blended. Beat in the 2 Tbsp. reserved pineapple juice. Spread the batter evenly over the pineapple mixture in the prepared pan.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the cake springs back when touched in the center. Remove from the oven and let stand about 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. If any of the brown-sugar mixture clings to the skillet, scrape it off and spread it over the cake. Serve warm or cold.

Source: The Fannie Farmer Baking Book, by Marion Cunningham.

By Free2B from North Royalton, OH