Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I love my cast iron skillets! Most of them where my MeMa's, and that makes them even more special. Dark, dark black, perfectly seasoned.. wonderful things. I can remember this dessert from when I was a little girl, when my job was to place the rings of the pineapples in the bottom of the skillet, and to carefully place a marachino cherry in the center of each ring.

1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 can pineapple rings, drained, reserve 1/3 cup of the liquid from fruit
marachino cherries
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup sifted flour
1/3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Use a 14 inch cast iron skillet, or a regular round cake pan, and melt the butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top of the melted butter, and then arrange the pineapple rings on top of that. Place a cherry in the middle of each ring. (Grab a small child to help if you can, it will make their day).

In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat the eggs until thick and lemon colored, gradually adding the white sugar. Add the reserved fruit juice.  Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt, and add to the liquid ingredients.

Carefully pour the batter over the fruit, then bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Let the cake rest for about 5 or 10 minutes, then place your serving plate on top of the pan, and carefully flip the whole thing over, so that the fruit is on top. The butter and brown sugar make a terrific caramel-like topping over the fruit.

( It really doesn't need anything else to make it wonderful, but a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream wouldn't hurt either! )