upside-down

i have to say that my first attempt at pineapple upside-down cake was a success! i will admit though that there was a moment of nervousness as i was lifting up the pan, waiting to see what i would find under there…especially since i thought it was starting to smell like the pineapple and brown sugar were burning! thank goodness, there was certainly no burning!

these mini cakes were for my friend from work, melissa, the one who is an amazing cake decorator; her husband had let me know that this is her favorite… which of course put a little pressure on me! she is super sweet, so i knew no matter how it turned out she would appreciate the effort, but i still wanted her to enjoy it. i considered making a full cake, but given her affinity for cupcakes and convenience of sharing at work, i went with miniature versions.

i should mention that these cakes are not the only thing that has been turned upside-down. for those of you who dont know me, i have ocd and anxiety in general. when people enter my home, they are amazed at how clean and organized it is; i recall one time a few years ago i was cleaning out a closet (which for me means taking everything out, spread out in the room, throwing half of it out, and putting the other half back in there in a very organized manner) and she thought she was in the wrong house because she has never seen a mess in my home. i think something snapped in my head during the work conference though because it took me a full week to unpack my suitcase, put away my laundry that had been sitting out, wash all my dishes, clean my floors, wash my sheets, etc… i was incredibly busy at work all week and baking just about every night, but somehow not stressed by any of it. i think sometimes it helps me to stay busy/occupied enough that i don’t think about things, but not so much that i am frazzled. i can’t say i am rid of ocd though, as i did listen to b.o.b’s “airplanes” on repeat for a few hours. i hope my neighbors couldn’t hear me belting it out! i also booked my first vacation in years– if there are any so-cal experts out there, i appreciate your suggestions!

oh…a word of advice about this recipe: i highly recommend lining the cooling rack with parchment paper, or maybe even a paper towel, or just use a big serving tray, so that this doesn’t happen to you–

Recipe, adapted from a couple different ones on AllRecipes and Betty Crocker:

Melt butter and brown sugar in microwave or on stove; spoon in to 12 greased wells of cupcake pan, topping each with pineapple. If you enjoy cherries and/or nuts in your pineapple upside-down cake, throw them on in, but if you are doing that, you may want to use rings rather than the crushed pineapple.

In medium bowl, beat shortening and sugar, add egg, milk, then dry ingredients, beating for 3 minutes or until very smooth. Pour over pineapple, and bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until cake is golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Invert onto rack to cool immediately.