Pineapple upside down cake

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

A buttery vanilla cake topped with caramelized pineapple perfection—this Pineapple Upside-Down Cake melts in your mouth with every bite!”

Ingredients
TOPPING
* 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
* ⅔ cup light brown sugar packed
* 1 20 oz. can pineapples rings (in their own juices, not syrup) (lightly dried with paper towels)
* maraschino cherries
CAKE BATTER
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
* 4 tablespoons butter-flavored shortening (a must, don't use plain)
* ½ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
* ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
* 2 eggs room temperature
* ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1½ cups all-purpose flour
* 1½ teaspoons baking powder
* ¼ teaspoons salt
* 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
* 1 tbsp pineapple juice from can

Instructions
* Preheat the oven to 325 F. Move the oven rack to the middle of the oven.
* In a deep 9.5-inch glass pie plate, add melted butter and spread out to cover the bottom.
* Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the butter.
* Place a whole pineapple ring in the middle of the pan.
* Slice the other pineapples in half and place the halves around the middle pineapple. Place a cherry in the center of each slice (I prefer using less cherries, feel free to add as many as you like)

• Now begin the batter. In a large bowl using an electric mixture cream together butter, shortening, white sugar, and brown sugar.
• Mix in eggs and vanilla extract. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while alternating between the heavy whipping cream and the pineapple juice.
• Mix just until batter is combined and fluffy, do not over mix. It will be a thick batter.
• Pour batter over pineapples and carefully spread out into an even layer.
• Bake for 40 minutes. Then cover loosely with tented foil (to prevent further browning) and bake for another 35 – 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

• Remove from the oven and let the cake cool for about 15 minutes before inverting!

• While the cake is still warm, place a cake stand on top of the pie plate and carefully flip both over. Let cool and enjoy with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.