This gluten free Pineapple Upside-Down Cake is moist and full of sweet pineapple flavor. It’s a beautiful classic cake that’s perfect for a crowd.
Gluten Free Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Have you ever had one of those months or weeks where everything just seems to go wrong at once? April has been that month for us. Here’s a quick run-down of everything that has gone awry SO FAR: our water pump broke and had to be replaced, a toilet in one of our bathrooms broke and had to be replaced, my pacemaker went kaput and had to be replaced, our DirectTV satellite connection went out so we switched to cable, and our two-year-old refrigerator is having defrosting/fan issues which will have to get fixed.
I mean, really. Like, for real, really?! When it rains, it pours. My mom always used to say “If I had a duck it would drown.” That pretty much sums up our kind of luck. Everything went at once. I’m pretty sure we just had a whole flock of ducks drown.
Last week I wrote a little bit about my pacemaker issues. Many of you emailed me, sent me messages and left me comments sending me well wishes, healing thoughts and prayers. Thank you SO MUCH for your kindness and kind words – I really appreciate it!
I had my surgery for my pacemaker replacement last Wednesday and it went really well. It was actually the best surgery I’ve had to date, if you can classify a surgery “the best”. I actually got to go home the same day, which was a first for me. The hardest part has been the recovery. It’s hard to let yourself heal when you’ve got two toddlers and a house and family to take care of.
Not to mention, I was so over having zero energy and the inability to do anything that I just want to jump back into everything and get caught up. But since I’m still healing, I definitely have limits and I’m constantly playing defense trying to keep two jumping, screaming, laughing, kicking, giggling, thrashing toddlers away from my incision. I feel like I need to be in a bubble.
I made this gluten free pineapple upside-down cake back in the winter when I was dreaming of spring, summer and warm weather. There’s just something about pineapple that makes you feel like you’re somewhere tropical. This cake has been on my to-do list for a long time and I’m finally getting around to sharing it.
Mainly because I haven’t been in the kitchen in over two weeks. It’s been weird not cooking and baking and I’m glad to get back into it. In the upcoming weeks I’ll be sharing a healthy lasagna recipe and some awesome double chocolate chip muffins among other things. Enjoy!
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Gluten Free Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients
- 1/4 C butter melted
- 1/2 C light brown sugar packed
- 7 slices canned pineapple drained - SAVE THE JUICE FOR THE CAKE!
- 18-20 maraschino cherries
- 1 and 2/3 C gluten free all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 C butter melted
- 3/4 C light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 C granulated sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1/4 C vanilla yogurt room temperature
- 1/2 C milk room temperature
- 1/4 C pineapple juice reserved from the canned pineapple
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add 1/4 cup melted butter to a 9 inch pie plate and spread the butter around the bottom of the pie plate. Sprinkle 1/2 cup brown sugar over the melted butter. Arrange the pineapple slices on the bottom of the pie plate and place the cherries in the open spaces between slices and inside the holes.
- In a medium bowl, sift and whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup melted butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar and granulated sugar breaking up the clumps in the sugar. Whisk in the egg, yogurt, milk, pineapple juice and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the dry ingredients until fully incorporated.
- Pour the batter over the pineapple slices and bake at 350 degrees for 45-65 minutes* or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cover the cake with aluminum foil if the cake starts to get too brown.
- Cool cake in the pan for 15-20 minutes before inverting onto a cake plate. Serve warm or room temperature.
Notes
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information
Disclaimers
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Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.
Your recipe reads ” 1 and 2/3 cups” of flour. It should be more flour.
Hi Valerie, 1 2/3 cup is the correct amount.
Hi! Making this recipe today and can’t wait, but realized the recipe doesn’t say how many eggs to use. I’m assuming it’s one, but just want to be sure. Thank you
Hi Jen, the egg is listed in the ingredients – it calls for 1 like you thought.
Delicious and easy! I used Bob’s Red Mill GF flour and plain Greek yogurt. Omitted the cherries and just served them on the side since some of my family doesn’t like cherries.
I made this today with fresh pineapple slices, maple syrup instead of granulated sugar, pecans instead of cherries, and added rum to the pineapples before adding the batter and baking to make up for the missing pineapple juice.. . It was absolutely delicious and received rave reviews!
If the baking mix being used already has xantham gum, should we leave out the extra called for in the recipe? (I have bob red mill’s 1 to 1 gluten free flour mix and it already contains xantham gum)
If your flour mix contains xanthan gum, omit the amount called for in the recipe.
I make this cake using Pamela’s Baking Mix and omit the soda, salt and xanthan gum. It’s the BEST Pineapple Upside Down Cake I’ve ever eaten! Thank you so much for the recipe…my husband is a happy man when I make it.
Sharon, I know this an older post but hope you can tell me if I could double recipe and bake in 9×13 pan and if so how long to bake or just watch it? Thanks xo much, Linda
Just found your blog and this recipe, I’m excited to try it! I do have a quick question, if my GF flour blend already has xanthan gum in it, do I still need the xanthan gum?
Hi Marjorie, so glad you’re here! If your flour blend already has xanthan gum, you can omit the amount I called for in the recipe 🙂
This cake looks so good! I have been craving pineapple upside down cake! Can this be made a day ahead of time and if so, what is the best way to store it?
Yes you could make this a day ahead of time. I would store it tightly covered at room temperature.
Loved the recipe! My LO can’t do dairy so I just made this with a coconut creme instead of the butter and yoghurt. I subbed out the egg for a flax gel faux egg too. I had to go toward the long side of the baking time but it came out great! All of the gluten-eaters in the house approved. ???? Thank you!
Thanks for the feedback Patti!
I found this recipe via pintrest, and made it a few days ago. So, so very good! Even my gluten eating husband loved it. I’ve been craving Pineapple Upside-down cake, this was the first recipe I tried, and this is it. Great flavor, and great texture. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks so much for sharing this sweetness!
Hi Kristy, thanks for letting me know how much you loved it! Now I’m craving this cake haha
Today was “one of those days” where I came home and wanted cake. Not only cake, a delicious pineapple upside down cake. I was drooling as I smelled it cooking… But guess who dropped the cake onto the bottom of the oven. Oops. Hehe. Enough was salvageable where I could still enjoy it and it was delicious! Thank you so very much for this recipe
Oh no! Glad you were able to salvage some!
My sister in law need to eat gluten free. I love your recipes. I can’t wait to try them to make for her. Feel free to drop by and share them at my weekly party! Love to have you.
So amazing! I want a slice right now! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
This cake sounds so great! I love pineapple upside down cake so very much! Visiting from the Tuesday blog hop! Check out my new blog for some great gluten free recipes! We even have a FB page now!
That looks wonderful. I have one son who requested pineapple upside down cake for his birthday cake for a few years… we all enjoyed it. 🙂
Your luscious cake is just BEEE-UUU-TIFUL!! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Weekend Potluck. Take good care and get stronger every day!
I made your GF Yellow Cake last wk. I love peach upside down cake.,so used some leftover frozen peaches on the bottom.Delicious ! Your recipe was great! Hope you get your strength back soon!
Peach upside-down cake sound delicious! I’ll have to try that this summer when I’ve got some fresh peaches 🙂
This looks great. I’ve made a shortcut gluten free pineapple upside down cake using GF cake mix, but homemade is always the way to go. Nothing beats the brown sugary deliciousness that is on an upside down cake… yum! 🙂
P.S. I’m just tuning into your blog, but I hope you continue to feel better!
GF cake mix would be a great shortcut! I never have mixes on hand though so it would be extra work for me to run to the store to get some. But I always have gf flour 🙂
This cake is totally stunning, and I am such a huge fan of pineapple, I have to try it, I just have. Great photos and flavors, makes my mouth water lol
Since you bake with gluten free flour, would this work with regular flour? or coconut flour?
Thanks Katalina! You could use regular all-purpose flour and omit the xanthan gum. I haven’t tried this recipe with coconut flour but if you do try it with coconut flour, be sure to increase the amount of liquid in the recipe.
Oh it’s been a while since I had this – looks scrumptious! Stopping by from SITS>
It’s definitely one of those recipes that’s “an oldie but a goodie”. I hadn’t had it in years, like maybe not even in the last decade before making this!
Sharon, I definitely know what you mean about bad weeks/months. I feel like I’m having one myself. But, you know what would totally make me feel better, a piece of this gorgeous cake! It looks delish.
Boo to bad luck months – hope yours turns around soon!
SO glad to hear your surgery went well, but so sorry to hear about all of the “pouring” that’s been going on — when it rains it certainly does pour! But May flowers are just around the corner!! Chin up 🙂
And this cake is positively sunny! Takes me back to my childhood. Yummy!!
Thanks Leah, we’re definitely hoping for a better month next month!
So glad to hear that your surgery went well! I saw a sign in a deli last week that said, “STRESSED spelled backwards is DESSERTS” and this pineapple upside down cake is the perfect antidote for all your stress 🙂
Pineapple upside down cake always reminds me of my 7th grade home economics class, that was the first time I made one. Love it!
YESSS – best sign ever!
Sharon, firstly, hope you’re recovering well and the little ones aren’t being a handful 😉 If so, I think a generous slice of this would put them in place- I LOVE pineapple upside down cake, especially the lingering syrup…
LOLOL when are they NOT a handful?! That’s the beauty of having two little girls 21 months apart… oy me! haha
Hi there! Visiting from Wine’d Down Wednesday. This looks so delicious! Thanks so much for sharing the awesome recipe!
Thanks for visiting Ashley!
Oh boy my friend…I’m so happy to know that your surgery went well! And I hope you froze this cake so that you can enjoy it right now! You’ve earned it!!
Thanks Annie! I actually brought this cake over to my parents for dinner one night – so no leftovers!