This beautiful pineapple upside down bundt cake starts with a cake mix and ends with a sweet caramelized crust topped with pineapple rings and maraschino cherries. This cake is moist, fruity, and a real show-stopper for parties!
Why this recipe works
A cross between pineapple upside down cake and bundt cake? Yes, please. This pineapple upside down bundt cake is slightly denser than the classic version as it takes on more of the bundt cake texture while still keeping the fruity, golden crust on top as we all know and love.
Don’t let the word dense put you off because this cake is moist with a tender crumb, plus, it’s made with a box mix which takes a lot of the extra prep work off the table for you.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
CAKE – Feel free to use a homemade bundt cake recipe in place of the boxed cake mix if desired. You can also substitute the pineapple juice called for in the recipe with either milk or water if needed. This particular recipe also calls for sour cream, which helps adds moisture and helps make it a little denser. You can omit the sour cream. If doing so, check the cake for doneness at the 35 minute mark.
How to Make Pineapple Upside Down Bundt Cake
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a standard bundt pan with nonstick baking spray or grease lightly with butter.
- Stir the melted butter and brown sugar together and drop in dollops around the inside of the bundt pan. Use a spatula or spoon to spread the mixture so it evenly coats the bottom of the pan.
- Place pineapple rings in the bottom of the pan on top of the butter/brown sugar mixture. Place a cherry in the center of each pineapple ring. You can also place a cherry outside each pineapple ring where each pair of rings meet.
- Measure the pineapple juice that was reserved from the can of pineapple rings. Add water to the pineapple juice to make 1 cup total liquid.
- Beat together the cake mix, eggs, oil, pineapple juice, and sour cream until combined using a handheld mixer.
- Spread batter evenly into the bundt pan, taking care to keep the pineapple rings and cherries in their arrangement.
- Bake 40-45 minutes or until the cake is cooked through and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs (but no wet batter).
- Allow cake to cool for a few minutes and then invert onto a cake stand or platter. Allow cake to cool the rest of the way.
- Slice and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Store the cooled cake in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Yes, you can use chunks in place of slices if desired. Arrange the pineapple chunks into circles/flowers or however you’d like to, placing a maraschino cherry in the center just as you would with the slices.
Yes. To freeze, place the cake on a baking sheet and flash freeze for about 45 minutes. Remove from freezer and wrap a few times in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Return to freezer for up to 3 months. Remove the cake from the freezer and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight the day before you plan on serving it.
Yes, you can prepare, bake, and cool the cake then store it wrapped with plastic wrap or in an air-tight container (such as a cake carrier) in the refrigerator a day in advance. Do note that making pineapple upside down bundt cake a day in advance may cause the topping to become slightly soggy. Your best bet is to prepare it the morning of the event or to properly store it in an air-tight container to help avoid this.
Serving Suggestions
Serve pineapple upside down bundt cake chilled or at room temperature with an optional scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. This cake is perfect for the holidays or for spring and summer parties of all kinds!
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Pineapple Upside Down Bundt Cake
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter melted
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 6 pineapple rings canned. Reserve the juices*
- 12 maraschino cherries
- 15.25 ounce yellow cake mix
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup pineapple juice or the amount reserved from the can of pineapples, see instructions below
- 1 cup sour cream
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- Substitutions may include using milk or water instead of the pineapple juice, adding cinnamon to the butter/brown sugar mixture, using a homemade vanilla pound cake recipe.
- The sour cream makes the pound cake a little denser and adds moisture. You can easily omit the sour cream – begin checking the cake for doneness after 35 minutes if the sour cream has been omitted.
- The cake will settle after being removed from the oven as it begins to cool. If it does not settle evenly, or if it is uneven, you may want to trim the higher area before inverting the cake so that it is resting flat on the platter. Because of the caramelized fruit topping, the top of the cake (once inverted) is rather delicate and may split if the base is not even.
- Store the cake in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, place the cake on a baking sheet and flash freeze for about 45 minutes. Remove from freezer and wrap a few times in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Return to freezer for up to 3 months. Remove the cake from the freezer and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight the day before you plan on serving it.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a standard bundt pan with nonstick baking spray or grease lightly with butter.
- Stir the melted butter and brown sugar together and drop in dollops around the inside of the bundt pan. Use a spatula or spoon to spread the mixture so it evenly coats the bottom of the pan.
- Place pineapple rings in the bottom of the pan on top of the butter/brown sugar mixture. Place a cherry in the center of each pineapple ring. You can also place a cherry outside each pineapple ring where each pair of rings meet.
- Measure the pineapple juice that was reserved from the can of pineapple rings. Add water to the pineapple juice to make 1 cup total liquid.
- With a mixer, beat together the cake mix, eggs, oil, pineapple juice, and sour cream until combined.
- Spread batter evenly into the bundt pan, taking care to keep the pineapple rings and cherries in their arrangement.
- Bake 40-45 minutes or until the cake is cooked through and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs (but no wet batter).
- Allow cake to cool for a few minutes and then invert onto a cake stand or platter. Allow cake to cool the rest of the way.
- Slice and serve.
Nutrition
Lindsay Formaro
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Sharon R says
Pineapple Upside Down Cake is my husband’s favorite but this was my first time trying it as a bundt cake. It was delicious and turned out perfectly. The recipe was so easy to follow. I will definitely make it again and won’t change a thing!
Sandra says
Your pineapple upside down Bundt cake recipe is excellent!!! I have made it twice and everyone loves it!!! This is now my desert when I host my Mah Jongg group! Also, when I need to take a desert to an event. Lovely presentation! Thank you Amanda!!!
Sue says
Absolutely beautiful! Never made one with sour cream. It is delicious and easy and I actually got it to come out of the Bundt pan perfect. Which doesn’t offer happen to me. Liked buttering the pan rather than spray. Yummie, thank you.
Sean says
I made a similar cake — but all my Bundt cakes are booze cakes.
But I used white cake mix, lemon pudding instant mix, 4 eggs, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup canola, 1/2 cup vodka, and 3/4 cup pineapple juice.
I made a pineapple/vodka simple syrup at the end and applied it to the hot cake while it was in the Bundt pan — waited an hour, then inverted it.
Abby says
Happy to see pineapple upside down cake making a comeback! I make it for my mother every year. A couple things I do differently are no sour cream, coconut oil instead of veg oil, and I’ve started making cupcakes instead of the cake! I use crushed pineapple around each of the cherries in each muffin tin and it’s so much easier to serve (though not as pretty as the whole thing). Just cut off the tops so they sit flat when flipped, and it’s perfect portions! Yours is beautiful!
naomi says
Can i use a 10′ Bundt pan ?
Kristen Formaro says
Yes, a 10-inch bundt pan works perfectly!