This AIP pineapple upside-down cake is moist, covered in a lovely caramel sauce, and bursting with flavor. Many AIP/grain-free cakes and breads tend to be a little stretchy, gooey, or overly dense. I'm thrilled to say that this cake is none of those things- it almost tastes like a regular cake. It's made with a relatively new product, Beth-Blends grain-free flour blend. You can make this recipe as a whole cake or just a single serving if you'd prefer cake for one.
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*This post is sponsored by Beth Blends.
Ingredients in AIP Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Beth Blends Grain-Free Flour Blend (pink bag)- This is a relatively new AIP baking product made from a blend of tapioca flour, cassava flour, and coconut flour.
- Sea Salt - Any sea salt is fine- preferably fine-grain.
- Coconut Oil - Measure this melted.
- Maple Syrup
- Pineapple Juice- You’ll need a can of pineapple rings for this cake. Be sure to buy the kind that comes in pineapple juice, not syrup.
- Vanilla Extract
Caramel Sauce
Fruit for Lining the Dish
- Frozen Cherries- Thaw these before adding them to the cake. Normally maraschino cherries would be used but I use frozen cherries because they’re AIP compliant and easy. You can use fresh cherries if you want- just make sure they’re pitted.
- Pineapple Rings- As mentioned above, be sure to get the ones in juice (not syrup). If you really prefer to use fresh pineapple, that’s fine too but you’ll have to get or make some pineapple juice.
How to Make AIP Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine the flour and salt (dry ingredients) in one bowl. Combine the next 4 ingredients (wet ingredients)in another bowl.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredient bowl and stir with a spatula, mixer, or whisk until well-combined. Set aside.
- Make the caramel sauce by mixing 1/3 cup melted coconut oil with 1/3 cup coconut sugar. Pour the sauce into the bottom of a 9 inch round glass pie dish.
- Top the caramel sauce with one layer of pineapple rings distributed evenly to cover the bottom. Place one cherry in the middle of each ring.
- Pour the cake batter/mixture over the top of the fruit (it will be pretty thick). Gently press it down and distribute it evenly in the dish.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow it to cool for at least 10-15 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the cake to be sure it's free from the sides of the dish.
- Place a plate upside-down over the top of the pie dish. Hold the plate securely against the pie dish as you flip the cake over. Once it's flipped, tap on the bottom of the dish a few times to help the cake come free. It should pretty easily come out onto the plate.
AIP Pineapple Upside Down Cake for One
If you don’t want to make a full-size cake, there’s also a single-serving recipe included in the notes section of the recipe card.
Can You Freeze This?
Sure! Just store it in an airtight container or tightly covered in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge and serve. I would recommend warming the cake up slightly before serving either in the microwave or oven.
Notes
- Try to Follow the Recipe as Closely as Possible- I know it’s tempting to make adjustments to recipes where they seem needed. Try to resist that temptation for this recipe if possible. I tested this recipe in a ton of different ratios and ingredients and most of them failed. Haha, sigh. Grain-free baking is a delicate process. The slightest adjustment can drastically change the outcome- especially when it comes to texture.
- This Cake Browns Very Easily which is why I recommend coving it with foil starting about 20 minutes into baking. It will still be pretty dark with it finishes cooking simply d/t the composition of the cake batter. No need to worry- it is expected and will not hurt the flavor of the cake. In fact, it probably enhances- yum..caramelization.
- On Maraschino Cherries- Maraschino cherries are of course typically used for pineapple upside-down cake but since this recipe is AIP, I went with frozen dark cherries since they have no added sugars or dyes and they're easily accessible. If you prefer to use fresh cherries, that's fine too- just be sure to remove the pits.
- Fresh vs Canned Pineapple- For the pineapple, I just used canned for sake of ease but also for the pineapple juice which is needed for the recipe. You can of course use fresh but will need to make or buy some pineapple juice as well.
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Conclusion:
I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you tried it, I'd love to hear your feedback. Leave me a comment below!
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @foodcourage for the latest AIP/Paleo recipes, autoimmune nutrition info, and Food Courage happenings!
AIP Pineapple Upside Down Cake (Paleo, Gluten-Free, Vegan)
This AIP pineapple upside-down cake is made with Beth Blends grain-free flour blend. It's moist, indulgent, and very easy to make. Plus you can make it as a whole cake or single-serve.
Equipment
- Hand Mixer optional
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups Beth Blends Grain-Free Flour Blend (pink bag)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt fine-grain
- 1/3 cup coconut oil melted (measure it melted)
- 3/4 cup maple syrup (room temp, not cold)
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Caramel Sauce
- 1/3 cup coconut oil melted (measure it melted)
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
Fruit for Lining the Pan
- 6-8 frozen cherries thawed
- 1 20 oz can pineapple rings in juice (not syrup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine the flour and salt (dry ingredients) in one bowl. Combine the next 4 ingredients (wet ingredients) in another bowl.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredient bowl and stir with a spatula, mixer, or whisk until well-combined. A mixer will of course get it the smoothest. Set aside.
- Make the caramel sauce by mixing 1/3 cup melted coconut oil with 1/3 cup coconut sugar. Pour the sauce into the bottom of a 9 inch round glass pie dish.
- Top the caramel sauce with one layer of pineapple rings distributed evenly to cover the bottom. Place one cherry in the middle of each ring.
- Pour the cake batter/mixture over the top of the fruit (it will be pretty thick). Gently press it down and distribute it evenly in the dish using a spatula.
- Bake on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. *You will likely need to cover it with foil starting about 20 minutes into baking as it tends to brown easily. It will be pretty brown when it's done- this is completely fine and won't hurt the flavor of the cake.
- Allow it to cool for at least 10-15 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the cake to be sure it's free from the sides of the dish.
- Place a plate upside-down over the top of the pie dish. Hold the plate securely against the pie dish as you flip the cake over. Once it's flipped, tap on the bottom of the dish a few times to help the cake come free- it should pretty easily come out onto the plate.
Notes
*Maraschino cherries are of course typically used for pineapple upside-down cake but since this recipe is AIP, I went with frozen dark cherries since they have no added sugars or dyes and they're easily accessible. If you prefer to use fresh cherries, that's fine too- just be sure to remove the pits.
*For the pineapple, I just used canned for sake of ease but also for the pineapple juice which is needed for the recipe. You can use fresh but you'll need to buy or make pineapple juice as well.
*Make sure the maple syrup is not cold as it tends to make the coconut oil clump up when you go to mix the cake batter. If you store it in the fridge, just heat it in the microwave for about 15 seconds to warm it up a bit.
*Single-Serve Pineapple Upside Down Cake:
- 1/4 cup Beth Blends Grain-Free Flour (pink bag)
- 1.5 tsp melted coconut oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp pineapple juice
- 1/16 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- Caramel Sauce: 1 tbsp coconut sugar +1 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1 pineapple ring or a few small pineapple chunks
- 1 frozen cherry (thawed)
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine the flour and salt (dry ingredients) in one bowl. Combine the next 4 ingredients (wet ingredients)in another bowl.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredient bowl and stir until well-combined. Set aside.
- Make the caramel sauce by mixing the coconut sugar and coconut oil. Pour it into a ramekin or other small oven-safe dish.
- Place the pineapple ring on top of the caramel sauce and place the cherry in the middle of the pineapple ring.
- Pour the cake mixture on top of the fruit and gently press it down distributing it evenly.
- Bake at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. It will be fairly browned on top.
- Allow it to cool for at least 5-10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the cake to be sure it's free from the sides of the dish.
- Place a small plate upside-down over the top of the ramekin. Hold the plate securely against the ramekin as you flip it over. Once it's flipped, tap on the bottom of the dish a few times to help the cake come free- it should pretty come out onto the plate pretty easily.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
AIP Pineapple Upside Down Cake (Paleo, Gluten-Free, Vegan)
Serving Size
1 slice
Amount per Serving
Calories
262
% Daily Value*
Fat
12
g
18
%
Saturated Fat
10
g
63
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
1
g
Sodium
109
mg
5
%
Potassium
73
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
38
g
13
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
17
g
19
%
Protein
1
g
2
%
Vitamin A
3
IU
0
%
Vitamin C
2
mg
2
%
Calcium
58
mg
6
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Missouri Friends says
Hi Arika, my wife had thyroid cancer, so is on thyroid replacement. We are going full AIP to ward off the other issues that go with it. Going to try your pineapple upside down cake, will let you know how it goes!
Arika | FoodCourage says
Hi! I'm sorry to hear that. I wish you both the best of luck with AIP and I hope you like the cake!