Pineapple upside-down cake is a classic. The combination of the soft and sweet cake paired with the tartness of the pineapple will make your taste buds sing 🎶 Pair it with ice cream to take it to the next level!
My dad's favorite cake is pineapple upside-down cake. When my brother and I were younger, and even now when we are home, my dad always cuts fruit every night for my whole family to eat. We would always have a large variety of fruit at home because of him. I thought this was normal, but once I started sleeping over at friends' houses, I realized a lot of people do not have a drawer in their fridge dedicated to just fruit.
My dad made sure that my brother and I were open to trying new things. When we would go to farmer's markets, he would let us pick out new fruits to try and he would always make sure we had our favorite fruits at home. When we wanted something sweet, instead of eating candy we would eat fruit!
This might seem small, but I think a lot of the "small" things our parents do end up being a lot more significant than we think. My dad has done so much for my brother and me, a lot of things that are way bigger than this. But making sure that we had the taste for fruit instilled healthy habits in us. We developed the taste for natural sweetness before our brains were corrupted by the artificial flavors and sweetness of candy. If we had grown up eating candy before eating fruit, fruit would probably seem boring to us. I think this is why a lot of children have trouble eating fruit because they are so used to the taste of candy. This ends up leading to unhealthy habits as these children grow up.
I think pineapple upside-down cake is one of my dad's favorite cakes because it has fruit in it. It has a fresh, natural taste (depending on how you make it), and he prefers natural flavors. This recipe is in some ways a symbol of him developing good habits in my brother and me. And as a child of two amazing parents, some advice to future parents: your child's taste develops at a young age, it is so important to first feed them natural foods before they start eating artificial flavors and processed foods. That way they are accustomed to natural flavors and know what real, healthy food is supposed to taste like.
Substitutions:
-coconut oil: can use butter instead, will give a richer flavor
-eggs: for vegans, you can use 2 bananas instead, will change results slightly. Can also use flaxseeds
-milk: can use milk alternatives or yogurt/sour cream for slightly different results
-apple cider vinegar: can use lemon juice if needed
-pineapple: can use other fruit as well. Would taste good with blueberries, strawberries, mango, and many others.
This recipe is simple but delicious. It is light and not too sweet. I like using fresh pineapple, but if using canned you can use 1/4 cup pineapple juice and 1/4 cup yogurt/sour cream, instead of 1/2 cup milk to add more pineapple flavor. I know a lot of people add Maraschino cherries to their pineapple upside-down cake, but I prefer leaving them out. My family loves eating this cake warm with vanilla ice cream! It is such a good combo! Let me know if you try this recipe and ENJOY!
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