Brenna's Mini Pineapple Upside Cakes

Ahh... Pineapple Upside Cake! This simple recipe is been one of my favorites since I was little. I think the first time I had it was when it was served as part of school lunch in elementary school.
I love the simplicity of it. Brenna is a big fan too. She specifically requested it and I was excited to make it.

I looked for a good recipe for it that didn't involve nuts or rum and eventually decided to wing it.
Mini Pineapple Upside Cakes

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup of oil
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream (I used full fat but low or non fat is fine)

1/2 cup of pineapple juice
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained, juice set aside
3/4 cup light brown sugar
24 maraschino cherries, halved

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly mist mini muffin tins with Pam for Baking (or prepare similarly).

Place one teaspoon of butter and brown sugar in the bottom of the tin. Mix together well. Add pineapple, and then invert a cherry so the smooth side is face down. Set aside.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Set aside. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Add sour cream. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture alternately with pineapple juice, beating well after each addition just until mixed.

Prepare mini-cakes: Add a tablespoon or so of batter to the tin. It should be about 75% filled. Bake for about 9-11 minutes (depending on your oven), until they are golden and a toothpick comes out clean when pricked into the center.

Remove them from the oven and run a small knife around the edges of the cupcakes to free any edges. Place a baking rack or large platter over the top of the muffin tin and quickly invert the pan. Set the rack and pan on the counter and gently tap on each well to remove the contents. Slowly remove the tin. Let cool for about 15 minutes and then serve.

Yield: 48 mini or 24 regular sized muffins
Would I Make This Again? Yes! This is a great dessert that everyone can't help but love. Plus they are so cute when they are tiny! 4.0 out of 5 stars.

Yolanda's Raspberry-Lemon Trifle

Yolanda was very specific with her request. Although she didn't say she wanted a trifle per se, she did say she wanted something that was cold, wet, and fruity. She also didn't want anything that contained chocolate. The choice was obvious; it had to be a trifle.

Since raspberries are in season this recipe jumped out to me. It seemed the epitome of summer to me and it tasted like it too with it's flavorful lemon curd, and bright, sweet taste of the raspberries, this dessert was everything I hoped it would be. My only problem was that I didn't buy enough pound cake (I bought a 10 oz instead of the 16 oz) so it was a little on the small side. It worked out fine though. Yolanda was thrilled.

Raspberry Lemon Trifle

Adapted from Bon Appétit, June 2001

Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water

Curd
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

Fruit and Topping
4 1/2-pint baskets fresh raspberries or 1 bag frozen raspberries
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

1 16-ounce frozen pound cake, thawed and trimmed of outside dark outer shell (save trimmings to be added to center of trifle later)

2 cups chilled whipping cream

For syrup: Combine sugar, lemon juice, and water in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 1 minute. Cover and chill.

For curd: Whisk eggs, sugar, and lemon juice in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Add butter and lemon peel. Stir over medium heat until curd thickens to pudding consistency, about 10 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface of curd. Chill until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 3 days ahead.)

For fruit and topping: Combine raspberries and 1/4 cup sugar in bowl. Mash berries coarsely with fork. Let stand until juices form, stirring occasionally for at least 30 minutes.

Cut cake crosswise into 8 pieces. Cut each piece into 3 strips. Line bottom of 3-quart trifle bowl with 8 cake strips, trimming to fit. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons syrup; spread with 2/3 cup curd, then half of mashed berries. Repeat layering. Top with remaining cake, syrup, and curd.

Beat cream and 3 tablespoons sugar in bowl until peaks form; spread over trifle. Cover; chill overnight.

Yield: This will serve several. With the 10oz loaf of pound cake I was able to make about 15 or so 1/2 cup servings, so I'm guessing with a 16 oz loaf, that would be streched to at least 20 or more similar sized servings. It's all in how you plate it.

Would I Make This Again? Yes! The lemon curd was so good! I'd make that by itself any day and will be my go-to recipe for curd for now on. Next time I'll try this with blueberries. 4.5 out of 5 stars.