Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Desserts that are refreshing pair best with BBQ. Especially in the summer time. My Granny made Pineapple Upside Down Cake for me all the time growing up. I love cooking this easy dessert outside on a pellet grill because everything tastes better when you cook it outside. This dessert is so easy, as all you have to do is be able to read the instructions on the store bought cake mix.

Pro tip: You can use pineapple juice or some bourbon for the liquid in the cake mix. 

• Yellow Cake Mix
• Ingredients for the specific cake mix you purchases. in this case:
• 1 1/2 C milk (we substituted 1/2 C of the milk with bourbon)
• 4 large eggs
• 10 T melted butter

• 1 can of pineapple slices 
• 7 marashino cherries
• 1/3 C unsalted butter, melted
• 1 C light brown sugar

Tools

• 9" cast iron pan
• board or pan to flip the cake on.

Prepare your pellet grill
Prepare your smoker at 350 degrees. We used a Traeger Timberline XL with cherry pellets for the cook in this video. I prefer lighter smoking woods for desserts such as fruit woods, maple or alder. 

Prepare the pan
Melt 1/3 C butter (2/3 stick) in a # 9 size cast iron skillet. Add 1 C light brown sugar and spread it evenly throughout the bottom of the pan. Feel free to add extra butter or brown sugar, because after the cake it cooked and you flip it, that mixture will seep down into the cake.

Place pineapple rings evenly throughout the pan. This typically takes 7 full rings.

Place a cherry in each ring. 

Prepare the cake
Follow the directions on the yellow cake mix that you purchase. In this case we whisked the following in a medium bowl.

• Cake Mix
• 1 1/2 C milk (we substituted 1/2 C of the milk with bourbon or pineapple juice)
• 4 large eggs
• 10 T melted butter

Pour the cake mix in the pan. 

Cook the cake 
Place the pan inside the pellet grill. Cook per the cake mix instructions. In this video the cook time was 40 minutes.

Remove the pan from the grill. Run a butter knife around the edge of the cake to help separate it from the pan.

Place a board or plate on top of the cake. Flip the cake to create an upside down cake.

Wait 5 minutes. Remove the pan.

Slice and enjoy!