Salted Caramel and Mezcal Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

An everyday cake doesn’t have to be boring. Inspired by a recipe from Jodi Moreno of What’s Cooking Good Looking, this classic cake gets the royal treatment with the addition of mezcal and a touch of salt for the best pineapple margarita in cake form.

Ingredients

Topping

• 1 small pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced into ¼” thick rounds
• ½ cup mezcal
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt

Cake

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup coconut milk, full fat
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Prepare the topping first

1. Arrange the sliced pineapple in a single-layer inside of a large casserole dish, and pour the mezcal over top. Marinate overnight or at least a couple of hours to infuse the fruit.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. If making the cake(s) in a cake pan, then prep the pan by coating the sides with a bit of softened butter. No additional steps if making in a cast iron skillet.
3. Melt the butter in a 9” cast iron skillet (if making a large 9” cake ), or a regular pan (if using a 9” cake pan or making the smaller cakes) over medium heat. Add the light brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, and cook while stirring constantly until the sugar has melted into the butter and the mixture is even and caramely, about five minutes.
4. Remove from the heat. If using a cast iron skillet, then arrange the pineapples directly in the pan in a single layer. Feel free to cut some pieces down to fit more in if you’d like. If you’re using a cake pan (or several) pour the caramel into each pan and arrange the pineapples over that. Set aside while you prepare the batter.

Instructions for batter and cake

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Stir to combine.
2. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the eggs, coconut milk, melted butter, orange juice, and vanilla. Stir gently to combine the liquids within the well, and then fold into the flour mixture until a smooth batter is formed.
3. Pour the batter into the skillet or pan(s) to cover the pineapples completely, and smooth the top.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes for a 9” cake or 20-25 minutes for a 6” cake, or until a cake tester comes out clean and the cake is nicely golden.
5. Allow the cake to rest for about 10 minutes or until it’s cool enough to handle, but still warm, and then flip onto a plate that’s at least slightly larger than the pan.

Cake is delicious warm or at room temperature, and would be lovely paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

*Notes: Feel free to replace mezcal with rum, or omit the salt in the topping, if that’s not your thing. You will also have some soaked pineapple left over, which is delicious blended with ice, a splash of coconut milk and a bit of freshly squeezed lime juice.