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    Home » Cakes

    Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

    Published: Jul 22, 2020 · Modified: Jun 9, 2022 by Jere Cassidy · This post may contain affiliate links. · 37 Comments

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    Pineapple Upside Down Cake is so retro but always a favorite. Today I am putting the One Hot Oven twist on this classic dessert and making Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cakes.

    Sweetly delicious

    grilled pineapple upside down cake

    This page may contain affiliate links, please see my full disclosure for policy details. I earn commissions if you shop through the links on this page.

    This cake was my mother's favorite dessert so she made it all the time. 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.

    So why the grill?  The main reason is I just wanted to try to see what I could grill for dessert, especially when the days are hot and baking just isn't happening. Plus, if you are going camping, you can prepare these cakes ahead of time, put in the cooler, and then after the hot dogs come off the campfire you can cook these cakes for dessert.

    Why I love to grill these cakes

    • 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 back to the middle ages when cakes were topped with fruit and 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 the 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.

    Ingredients

    • Pineapple
    • Brown Sugar
    • Butter
    • Pre-made dessert sponge cakes
    • Maraschino Cherries
    pineapple, brown sugar, butter, cakelets and cherrier

    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.

    Let's Grill A Cake

    All grills are totally different so you have to judge how hot your grill gets and adjusting your burners. I am using a Weber Genesis three burner grill which gets really hot, so I do have to adjust the burners to low, and sometimes I only grill with just two burners.

    If you are using charcoal you may have to adjust the bricks for heat control or set the cakes to one side of the grill.

    These cakes take about 10 minutes and you will be able to hear the butter and brown sugar sizzling inside the foil packets.  You can pull one of the packets off the grill and carefully open it up to see if the cake has heated up and cooked.

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

    Step 2 - Tear off some sheets of foil to fit the cake.  I cut my foil in squares about 8" x 8" that fits the cake well.

    Step 3 - Place a tablespoon of butter in the center of one piece of foil, then place 1 tablespoon of brown sugar on top of the butter.

    Step 4. Place a whole slice of pineapple on top of the brown sugar, then put the cherry into the center of the pineapple.

    Step 5. Place the sponge cake upside-down over the pineapple slice.

    making an upside down cake on foil

    Step 6.  Next, put the second piece of foil over the cake and crimp the edges to seal. You don't want a snug fit, you should end up with a pillow.

    Step 7. Lay the foil packets on the grill so the pineapple side is on the bottom. With the grill on low,  grill for 10 - 12 minutes.   You will hear a little sizzling inside the packets as they are grilling, this is the butter and brown sugar melting along with the juice in the pineapple.

    putting cakes in foil

    Step 8. - 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 you can serve the cake 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.

    Just like a pineapple upside-down cake from a big skillet or cake pan, these individual grilled cakes are a real crowd-pleasing dessert especially when you pull the foil packets off the grill and everyone can smell the sweet cooked pineapple.

    Served in foil

    cake baked in foil

    Served on a plate

    plated pineapple cake

    Pin to your dessert boards

    Pineapple Upside Down Cake

    Yes, you can grill a dessert

    Try these other One Hot Oven grilled dessert - Grilled Cherry Pie made in a pandowdy style has a delightfully flaky crust with juicy cherries. Or you might like these Grilled Strawberry Poundcake Sandwiches filled with juicy strawberries, lemon curd, and mascarpone cheese.

    More upside-down cake flavors

    These individual cake 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

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


    Try these other One Hot Oven desserts

    Bake these buttery Peach Raspberry Crumble Bars for a fast and easy dessert

    This Orange Caramel Creme is deliciously smooth and creamy with the wonderful taste of mandarin

    If you are not into baking these Strawberry Shortcakes use frozen poundcake and juicy strawberries

    Baked Apples with Cranberries and Pecans are baked in apple cider

    If you like cake and pie you definitely need to make this Lemon Cake Pie for your next dessert

    Pineapple upside down cake.

    Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

    Jere' Cassidy
    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.
    5 from 26 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Cake, Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 93 kcal

    Equipment

    • BBQ Grill
    • Aluminum Foil
    • Tongs

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 ounces can sliced pineapple
    • 1 package pre-made dessert sponge cakes 6 to a pack
    • 6 Maraschino cherries
    • 6 tablespoons Butter
    • 6 tablespoons brown sugar

    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 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 lightly press around the cake then 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 and grill for 10 to 12 minutes or until you can hear the butter and brown sugar sizzling. Move the packets around occasionally to avoid any hot spots.
    • Remove the cake packets from the grill with tongs and let cool about 10 minutes.
    • Turn the foil pack over and carefully open to reveal your cake. You can serve the cake in the foil or serve on a plate.

    Notes

    All grills vary in how hot they get.  I am using a Weber Genesis grill which gets very hot. I turn my grill to low, but you may need to make adjustments to yours.
    If using a charcoal grill adjust the briquettes for the proper amount of heat.
    You can also bake these cakes at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.
    You will hear the butter, brown sugar, and pineapple juices sizzling in the packets as they cook.  It is helpful to move the packets around the grill so they aren't sitting on a hot spot.
    These foil packets will be very hot.  Use tongs and oven mitts to move from the grill when done cooking.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 6Calories: 93kcalCarbohydrates: 8.8gFat: 6.6gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 60mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    First Published: Aug.7, 2017... Last Updated: Aug. 15, 2019

    I have never had a really nice grill even though we grill all the time, that was until last Mother's Day and my hubby gifted me this amazing Weber Genesis grill. I must say that I love it.

    It's big and holds lots of burgers, slabs of ribs, a whole salmon, and these wonderful dessert cakes.

    This grill also gets hotter than any grill I have used before so I can put a pizza stone on the grill and grill pizza.

    With a small shelf inside and a side burner, I am able to cook whole meals without overcrowding the grill.


    A grilled pineapple upside down cake

    Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog.  Please leave a comment to say Hello or just let me know what you are baking these days, I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Have any questions or just want to chat about the recipe? My contact information is on my about page, and I’ll be happy to help.                                                                                                                                                     

    About Jere'              

    From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending.  Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Ronak Mehta

      October 02, 2020 at 1:38 am

      5 stars
      I tried out a cake with the above recipe. The cake was very soft and tasty. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Jere Cassidy

        October 03, 2020 at 6:07 pm

        Glad you tried the Pineapple Cakes, they are one of my favorites.

        Reply
    2. ronak mehta

      August 11, 2020 at 7:20 pm

      Baked this cake for my birthday and it was an absolute hit! So moist and tasty. Thank you for doing what you do

      Reply
    3. Dannii

      August 07, 2020 at 3:18 am

      5 stars
      This is such a classic dessert. Perfect for summer.

      Reply
    4. Beth Sachs

      August 07, 2020 at 2:41 am

      5 stars
      I LOVE pineapple upside down cake, it reminds me of my childhood. The cherries on top really make it!

      Reply
      • Jere Cassidy

        August 07, 2020 at 3:39 pm

        Yep, you gotta have the cherry on top!

        Reply
    5. Anjali

      August 07, 2020 at 12:48 am

      5 stars
      I love pineapple upside down cake, and your recipe recreated that childhood favorite of mine so easily and quickly!! It was perfect!

      Reply
    6. Alexandra

      August 06, 2020 at 9:48 pm

      5 stars
      So simple to make and absolutely delicious! We love that you use the grill! Extra flavour!!

      Reply
      • Jere Cassidy

        August 07, 2020 at 3:39 pm

        The grill certainly makes this a fun dessert to make

        Reply
    7. Alexandra

      August 06, 2020 at 9:47 pm

      5 stars
      So simple to make and absolutely delicious! We love that you use the grill! Extra flavour! 😀

      Reply
    8. nancy

      August 03, 2020 at 12:46 am

      yummy my favorite pineapple cakes.

      Reply
    9. Marthana Sharp

      November 04, 2019 at 12:43 pm

      5 stars
      I never thought of putting a dessert on the grill, I am so doing this. Plus, pineapple upside down cake is one of my favorites. You always have such good ideas.

      Reply
    10. Cindy @ A Uniquely Edible Magic

      August 29, 2019 at 9:45 pm

      This is the first time I'm hearing of grilled desserts—would love to try them at a BBQ party!

      Reply
    11. Irina

      August 29, 2019 at 8:57 pm

      5 stars
      I so love the idea of making pineapple upside down cakes on the grill. I am gonna make them during our BBQ party this weekend. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Jere Cassidy

        September 03, 2019 at 9:03 am

        I get requests from my family all the time for these upside-down cakes.

        Reply
    12. Sharon

      August 29, 2019 at 6:52 pm

      5 stars
      What a great dessert for around the campfire! So unique and easy clean up too.

      Reply
      • Jere Cassidy

        September 03, 2019 at 9:05 am

        These are the perfect desserts for a campfire. My kids would make the foil packets up before we left for camping.

        Reply
    13. Patty at Spoonabilities

      August 29, 2019 at 6:32 pm

      5 stars
      What a fabulous idea for this weekend's labor day grill party! Love this!

      Reply
    14. Zesty Olive

      August 15, 2017 at 3:32 pm

      Oh, these look so good! I totally remember Pineapple Upside Down Cake from my childhood - great retro recipe! And who doesn't like pineapple?! 😉

      Reply
      • OneHotOven

        August 18, 2017 at 4:45 am

        Yes, this was a childhood favorite of mine too.

        Reply
    15. Charity M.

      August 08, 2017 at 3:09 pm

      How yummy and quick! Can't wait to try these!

      Reply
    Newer Comments »

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    Jere Cassidy owner of One Hot Oven

    Welcome, I am Jerè. I love sharing recipes both sweet and savory that inspire you to bake at home. Food has a way of bringing us all together, from a simple batch of cookies to a three-tier cake.

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