Celebrate the Topsy-Turvy World with Vegan Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Happy day off to celebrate an old lady, UK! Whether you're using the term "Platty Joobs" or not (I ABSOLUTELY am), in the UK or not, an abider of the monarchy or really, really, really not, it's a great summer-ish day to bake yourself a light spring-y cake. (It's early June; who can commit with certainty to what season that actually is?) Today we have a ridiculously easy and delicious pineapple upside-down cake, the perfect treat to start off your weekend right.

Now I'm not the sort of person who needs a reason to justify baking a cake. I'm very much of the "have dessert every day and make sure it's good" camp. This recipe is so simple to throw together for any old day, so there's no reason not to try it right now. (Okay unless you don't have a can of pineapple. Go find a can and then get to it.) And if you actually wait until it cools and flip it nicely, which I didn't, it also holds up for an event, like a platty joobs garden party with your fambam.

A lot of PUD cake (that's what the cool kids call it right?) recipes will instruct to melt butter and spread that around your pan first, and then 'sprinkle' brown sugar on top of that butter, and then place your pineapple slices atop that. I say no! I say, walk on the grass it was meant to feel! Meaning, I like to melt my butter, and then mix in the brown sugar so it's all homogenous and then pour that goopy (not in the Gwyneth way) mixture down. This makes incredible caramel-like edges and a gorgeous surface for your pineapple pieces. Sprinkle?? Sprinkling is for fools. and horses.

Also, if you don't have a can of pineapple in your cupboard at all times like I do, this would probably honestly work well with any canned fruit. I've done it with peach and it's SUPERB. If you try it with something else, please report back. I mean what's the worst that can happen? LIVE A LITTLE.

Okay so you may have learned by now that my baking measurements are in cups and not in grams, and I'm very very sorry about that, UK and Europe, I will get a scale and work on this. I've made estimates! If you make this and hate it blame the math!

Here's a really bad photo just, you know, for fun.

'm a lawyer I'm not Annie Leibovitz

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can of pineapple in juice - mine was 425g, but this is a very flexible job we're doing so don't sweat it if yours is smaller. If it's slightly bigger that won't affect the cake; if it's much bigger, hell go ahead and double the recipe, see what happens

• 1/3 cup vegan butter (I use Flora because it's everywhere and I am so pleased that the entire brand went vegan!)

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 3/4 cup plain flour (230g)

• 1 cup white sugar (200g)

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 6 oz. non-dairy milk of choice + 2 tablespoons apple cider or white vinegar

• 4 oz. pineapple juice from the can

DIRECTIONS

1. First make the topping: Melt your butter, mix the brown sugar in, mix well. NB: if your canned pineapple is small pieces like mine was and not big rings (look at the fancypants!), you can mix the fruit right in here instead of placing it on top.

2. Now is probably a good time to preheat the oven, to 180 C/350 F.

3. Pour your melted sugarbutter into your 8x8 or similar pan and spread it around (I used two smaller pans for this and it worked fine, like I said, super flexible). Place your pineapple down on top of the brown sugar mixture if not already mixed in.

4. Make your buttermilk: Pour your non-dairy milk of choice (I use oat) into a measuring cup and add the vinegar. Let it sit to curdle while you prepare the dry ingredients.

5. Prepare the dry ingredients! Mix your flour, sugar, salt, and soda into a mixing bowl. Mix around, you know what to do.

6. Add the vanilla, oil, and juice to the measuring cup full of buttermilk and mix this truly insane group of liquids together and do not drink.

7. Add the liquid nightmare to the mixing bowl of dry goods and turn that into a dream. Mix just until everything is combined.

8. Pour that into your prepared pan/s.

9. Bake for about 35 minutes; depending on your pan choice and all kinds of things, like your karma and what you ate for breakfast, it might need more time. Check with a knife to make sure it's not goopy inside (not Gwyneth). I like to let it get really golden and brown at the edges.

10. When done, let it cool before you flip it upside down onto your serving dish or a cutting board. Prep the edges with a spatula before flipping so you don't end up with a cake wreck.

ugh nothing better than flipping this cake and seeing this beautiful top. bottom?

I hope you enjoy this! It's one of my favourite everyday cakes :) Enjoy the long weekend if you're in the UK! Enjoy your regular weekend if you're somewhere else!