Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

Pineapple Upside Down Cake is so retro.  This was my mother’s favorite dessert and I have fond memories of this cake coming out of the oven all hot and bubbly. The fun, but scary part was flipping a super hot iron skillet over on a plate to see caramelized pineapple and the sweet red cherry on top. Today I am putting the One Hot Oven twist on this classic dessert and making Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cakes.

Why the grill?  The main reason is I just wanted to try to see what I could grill for dessert, and guess what, there are lots of options, like Grilled Cherry Pandowdy or Grilled Cheese with Strawberries.

There are so many great things about this grilled pineapple dessert that makes it a go-to recipe

• This dessert uses 5 simple ingredients.
• You use foil to grill these cakes so there are no messy pans to clean up – oh yeah!
• Grilling these cakes takes 10-12 minutes, that’s it!  No heating your kitchen up.
• These are individual servings.

I bet you are wondering what if I don’t have a grill or maybe it’s raining outside or worse it’s snowing; so the grill thing is just not happening. No problem then, just bake in a 350 F, degree oven for 10-15 minutes until you can hear the brown sugar and butter sizzling inside the packets.

The story of Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Upside-down cakes have a long history, dating bake to the middle ages when cakes were topped with fruit then baked and flipped over when done. This is similar to the French Tarte Tatin which has a pastry crust or the American skillet cakes.

Thanks to James Dole and his pineapple canning business in Hawaii, canned pineapple became a household staple. Fresh pineapple wasn’t accessible to many people in the early 1900s, and canned pineapple started making its way into kitchens across the country.

Pineapple upside-down cake became a household dessert in 1925 thanks to Dole Pineapple.  Dole sponsored a recipe contest using Dole pineapple and out of  60,000 recipes submitted the pineapple upside-down cake was the winner.

The popularity of this cake has lasted through the years for good reason.  It’s simple to make with basic ingredients and it is hard to resist a tender buttery cake covered in juicy pineapple dripping in caramel.

The ingredient list for Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cakes is simple

1. Pineapple
2. Brown Sugar
3. Butter
4. Pre-made dessert sponge cakes
5. Maraschino Cherries

Making these Upside Down Cakes are perfect for a family bbq, a simple camping dessert or for I just want a great dessert.

Here’s the thing, you don’t have to be a super-duper baker to make these cakes because there is no mixing, measuring, rolling, kneading or frosting required.  It just can’t get any easier.

How to make Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cakes –

Step 1 – Preheat the grill and after it has heated up, turn the burners to low.

Step 2 – Gather all the ingredients

Step 3 -Tear off some sheets of foil to fit the cake and leave room on the sides.  I cut my foil in squares to make this procedure easier, and then put a pat of butter in the center of the foil with the pineapple, cherry and the cake on top.  Now put the second piece of foil on top and crimp the edges to seal. You don’t want a snug fit, you should end up with a pillow.

Step 4 -After you finish grilling your burgers or chicken, just clean the grates off and lay the foil packets on top so the pineapple side is on the bottom then turn the grill to low and grill for 10 – 12 minutes.  Even if you are not grilling your full meal you can just grill your dessert. You will hear a little sizzling inside the packets as they are grilling.

Step 5 – After the cakes are grilled let them sit to cool because I’m here to tell you they are hot!!  Flip the foil pouch over and cut it open and serve in the foil, or move the cake to serving plates. Either way, you will still get to enjoy this sweet little cake that has the same caramelized pineapple and red cherry on top just like the one that comes from your oven.

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5 from 4 votes

Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

These are super easy pineapple upside-down cakes cooked on the grill. Build these cakes with pineapple, sponge cakes, brown sugar, butter and a red cherry and seal in a foil packet for grilling.

Course Cake

Cuisine American

Keyword pineapple, upside down cake

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 93kcal

Author Jere@One Hot Oven

Ingredients

• 20 oz can sliced pineapple
• 1 package pre-made dessert sponge cakes 6 to a pack
• 6 Maraschino cherries
• 3-4 tbls Butter
• 3-4 tbls Brown Sugar
• Aluminum foil

Instructions

• Turn on the grill for preheat.
• Make foil squares that are 8" x 8" (approximately)
• In the middle of a foil square place a small pat of butter, about 1/2 a tablespoon
• Put a tablespoon of brown sugar on top of the butter
• Put one pineapple slice on top of the brown sugar
• Put a maraschino cherry in the center of the pineapple slice
• Place the sponge cake upside down over the pineapple slice.
• Take the 2nd pieces of foil and lay over the cake and crimp the edges of both pieces of foil to make a packet Try not to make the packet too little as this grills better with an airier packet.
• Turn the grill burners on low and place the packets on the grates
• Grill for 10 to 12 minutes or until you can hear the butter and brown sugar sizzling.
• Remove from the grill and let cool about 10 minutes.
• Turn the foil pack over and carefully open to reveal your cake.

Notes

These foil packets will be very hot.  Use tongs and oven mitts to move from the grill when done cooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 6g | Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.8g | Fat: 6.6g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 60mg

Yes, you can grill a dessert

These individual packets are not only fun to make but definitely fun and delicious to serve. But wait, I have other ideas for more delicious upside-down cakes. Try these other fruits too –

• Add an apple slice
• Raspberries, blackberries or blueberries
• Stone fruit like peaches, plums or nectarines
• Sweet red cherries

This is the 3rd recipe for the grilled dessert series with more to come.  Make sure to check out these other delicious grilled desserts.

Grilled Cherry Pandowdy         Grilled Cheese with Strawberries

Here are some items to help you make this grilled dessert a success.

Thanks for stopping by the One Hot Oven Blog and happy grilling!

Jere’