Pineapple Upside Down Cake

It's been a while since I last posted, but that doesn't mean I haven't still been trying out some new recipes!  I decided to try pineapple upside down cake since I'd never made one before (or eaten one for that matter) so I looked one up and picked up a tin of pineapple rings.

Ingredients:

For the topping

120g butter

200g soft brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 pineapple rings (a 430g tin should have enough in it)

6 maraschino cherries

For the cake

170g butter (room temperature)

150g caster sugar

2 eggs

150g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

To make the topping: melt the butter in a pan and stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla extract.  Heat until the sugar has melted then add in 50ml of pineapple juice from the tin (just be careful in case it starts to splash).  Simmer on lowest heat for another 5 minutes.  Arrange your pineapple slices in a 23cm cake tin and place a maraschino cherry in the centre of each ring.  Pour the majority of the topping into the cake tin (keep some of the topping for a glaze later).  Let this stand while you mix the cake ingredients.

To make the cake: preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas Mark 4.  Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl, add the vanilla extract.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time and then sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl and fold in well.  Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a cake tester or tooth pick comes out clean when inserted into the cake.  Allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes then turn out onto a plate so that the pineapple is now on top.  Glaze with the remaining syrup.  Serve with ice cream or custard.