Chef John's Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients

• 0.25 cups butter
• 0.75 cups light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon pineapple juice
• 1 tablespoon dark rum , Optional
• 0.5 small fresh pineapple - peeled , cored, and sliced
• 0.5 cups butter
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 0.13 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 0.5 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 0.5 cups white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 0.5 cups cold milk

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. 2

   Melt 1/4 cup butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in brown sugar, pineapple juice, and dark rum. Cook over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is bubbling, about 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Remove from heat and spread pineapple slices in a layer over the brown sugar mixture, completely covering the mixture. Set skillet aside.

4. 4

   Melt 1/2 cup butter in small skillet over low heat until the butter begins to brown and release a nutty fragrance, about 5 minutes. Watch carefully, butter burns easily. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

5. 5

   Whisk together flour, cardamom, salt, baking powder, and white sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in egg and cold milk until just combined. Pour in melted butter and stir to mix thoroughly.

6. 6

   Pour batter over the pineapple slices in the skillet; spread evenly to cover.

7. 7

   Bake in preheated oven until the cake begins to bubble around the edges, the top is browned, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the skillet for 10 minutes.

8. 8

   Loosen the cake from the skillet by running a knife around the inside edge of the cake. Invert a large plate over the top of the skillet and flip over, releasing the cake to show the pineapple slices on top.