Thursday, March 6, 2014

The Pineapple Upside Down Cake that Wasn't

On Monday, I asked Jeremy what he might want as a special dessert for Fat Tuesday.  He responded with Pineapple Upside Down Cake.  I almost barfed.  Well, not really, but I can't say that it's one of my favorites, and I've never made it.  In fact, my mom never made it growing up, and I think I had tried it once.

I love pineapple, yet I don't really like it in things. However, I asked Jeremy and wanted him to pick, so I didn't scoff at his request.  All I knew was that I wanted a recipe I could make in a cast iron skillet - I can't even tell you why.  I found a recipe from Pioneer Woman (how can you go wrong there), and got the ingredients for the next day.

So, right before lunch (so it would be hot for dessert), I whipped it together.  The recipe called for a 12" skillet.  I thought my #9 would work.  Mistake #1.  I also poured all of the batter in and saw there was only about a 1/4" of room left at the top.  Mistake #2.

Oh about 10 minutes into the cooking process, the kitchen started to get a little smokey.  So much so that little John Paul was blowing like a mad man (thinking something was really hot)!  I looked in the oven (already knowing what I'd see), and the skillet was overflowing on all sides.  I got out the grill spatula and hurriedly scraped the bottom of the oven, opened all the windows, turned on the oven fan, and to my surprise, avoided setting off the fire alarm.

I had to repeat the scraping process a few times and finally put a cookie sheet under it (I wasn't giving up on this special dessert).  Well, then it wouldn't cook (I think I was blocking the majority of the heat with that cookie sheet).  When I realized it, I put tin foil on the bottom of the oven, removed the cookie sheet, and let the cake finish up.

Surprisingly it was still edible.  However, I don't know how much more I'll be making it, as my oven will serve as a reminder of the disaster the next five or six times I use it!

Bits of the "drippings."


In the end, it did taste good, especially hot out of the oven with a little ice cream.  There isn't any pineapple (minus juice) in the cake part, and the top you can peel off easily.  Plus, I didn't do the cherries (don't like those cooked either).  Jeremy liked it (all that mattered at that point).  But, I think we've both agreed for next time we might pick another dessert, ha!

7 comments :

  1. Ah, my friend. Welcome to my life in the kitchen. This sounds just like me. Except the fire alarm would have gone off and I would probably have quit and thrown it in the trash!

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  2. I like that John Paul was blowing like something was really hot. Cutie.

    And the cake still looks really good. :) I'm glad it tasted yummy as well.

    -Amy

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    1. He was really trying to help out :) And, he might have been scared that the house would burn down :) By the grace of God it was still edible!

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  3. It looks good in the pictures! That's not something I make either though.

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  4. It looks so yummy!!! You would have never known the process of cooking it! haha. I hope that he enjoyed it!

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  5. I laughed so much at this, because my husband LOVES pineapple upside down cake and I am... how to put this graciously? ...not a fan of baked fruit of any kind for any reason EVER. ;) I'm glad that it turned out well despite the adventures while baking it, but I'm with you: Next time a brownie cheesecake, perhaps?

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    1. Okay, I'm so glad I'm not the only one!! I was hoping he would say something like a giant cookie skillet thing or a brownie with ice cream. No such luck! I hate baked fruit, too! Maybe I'll pick next time :)

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