Summer is almost here!! You know what that means?!? BBQ’s, backyard Luaus and parties at the park! I have a hard time showing up somewhere empty-handed. Even if it’s not a requirement to bring something. Add to that the pressure I put upon myself to bring something different. Something those I’m sharing with may not have had before. Something I didn’t bring to the last gathering. 😉
Last summer a friend casually and probably half jokingly mentioned I should make Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes. I love a good challenge. Especially when it’s cupcake related! I took that idea and ran with it! I was very pleased with the outcome and so were those who got to enjoy these little bites of heaven. They were a hit! 🙂 If you love Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, you’ll absolutely loooooove these!! You get all the tasty benefits of a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake in a smaller and might I add, damn cute, version! 🙂
Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes!
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 (20 ounce) cans sliced pineapple
1 package yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
12 maraschino cherries, halved
1. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and butter; mix well. Spoon into 24 greased muffin cups. Drain pineapple, reserving the juice. Trim pineapple to fit the muffin cups; place one ring in each cup*.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oil and 1 ¼ cups of the reserved pineapple juice; mix well. Spoon over pineapple, filling each cup two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
3. Immediately invert onto wire racks to cool. Place a cherry in the center of each pineapple ring.
*NOTE: I used silicon cupcake holders instead of foil or paper cups. Once the cupcakes cooled, I then placed them inside a standard cupcake tin for serving.
epicureantease 