Hali’imaile’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake is rich and moist with sweet, tangy pineapple caramel topping. It’s the ultimate summer treat.
This Cake Recipe is the perfect copycat for Hali’maile General Store’s incredible pineapple upside-down cake. For more tasty pineapple desserts, try my Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes and Pineapple Coconut Bundt Cake.
Sabrina’s Hali’imaile’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
The Hali’imaile General Store (also often seen referenced as Haliimaile General Store) is an incredible restaurant on the island of Maui. It’s definitely a favorite restaurant with my family. We can’t get enough of the delicious menu items. Along with the fantastic food on their dinner menu, the Maui restaurant also makes the most incredible Upside-Down Pineapple Cake ever. So, I had to share my copycat version of the incredible cake!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter
Caramel Pineapple Topping:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 pineapple , freshly cored and sliced, or 12 slices of canned pineapple rings
Instructions
- Soften butter to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
To prepare cake batter:
- Sift all dry ingredients together.
- Combine milk, egg yolks, and vanilla extract.
- In a mixer, add softened butter to dry ingredients and mix slightly.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and continue to mix.
- Gradually add the egg yolk mixture.
- Mix until smooth.
- To prepare the caramel:
- Melt butter to boiling.
- Add sugar.
- Mix until smooth and mixture is a light brown color.
- Pour the caramel mixture in an ungreased 12×3-inch round metal pan.
- Layer the slices of pineapple on top of the caramel.
- Next, pour the cake batter on top of the caramel and pineapple slices.
- Leave about 1 inch of room at the top of the pan to allow the cake to rise.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
- Rotate and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes or until center is cooked.
- Let rest in the pan for 15 minutes.
- Invert slowly on the plate you intend to serve in on.
Nutrition
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Table of Contents
About this Recipe
This pineapple cake is a favorite menu item at The Hali’imaile General Store, and after trying it again, I just couldn’t get the taste out of my head. It’s perfectly moist and rich with the most fascinating fruit topping made with Maui pineapple and caramel sauce. It’s too good to only have it on vacation. So, I’m bringing you this recipe to enjoy all the flavors of the original restaurant cake from your own kitchen.
Ingredients
- Pineapple: For the pineapple topping, you can use canned pineapple rings. However, I definitely recommend fresh pineapple. The fresh slices of pineapple give Hali’imaile Pineapple Upside Down Cake the perfect fresh, tangy flavor.
- Cake Ingredients: You only need simple ingredients for the buttery vanilla pound cake itself like cake flour, white sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, vanilla, and unsalted butter. They all combine into a smooth, buttery, yellow cake batter.
- Caramel Topping: To make the caramel mixture, you’ll need additional butter and brown sugar. Stir the sugar into the melted butter until it combines into a rich, caramelized sauce.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Stand Mixer: Use your stand mixer with a paddle attachment to make easy work of this basic pound cake batter. If you don’t have one you can use a handheld electric mixer or simply a large mixing bowl and your trusty whisk.
- Sifter: You’ll use a sifter to combine the dry ingredients. This will ensure they are all mixed together well so you can combine with the wet ingredients without over-mixing the batter.
- Pot and Spoon: A medium pot and spoon to stir will work to cook your caramel mixture.
- Round Cake Pan: Use a metal, round cake pan to bake your cake. It will transfer the heat evenly to the cake and ensure that gorgeous caramelized top when it’s finished.
Can this recipe be made ahead of time?
While this recipe is best made and served fresh, you could definitely prepare the sugar caramel topping and pineapples. Lay them out in the pan, then cover and refrigerate over night. Mix the cake batter and bake the cake as directed the next day. If you’re really in a pinch, you can make the cake one day ahead of time. Much earlier than that and the cake will not look nearly as good or hold the same texture. Cover it tightly to store over night and when you’re ready to serve it, warm it up in the oven for a few minutes.
Baking Tips and Tricks
- Achieving Fluffy Cakes
- Always ensure your baking powder or baking soda is fresh. Test its effectiveness by dropping a bit into hot water. If it bubbles, it’s good to go!
- Avoid Over-mixing Batter
- Over-mixing can lead to dense baked goods. Mix just until the ingredients are combined for the best cake texture.
How to Store
- Serve: You can leave this dreamy Hali’imaile Pineapple Upside Down Cake at room temperature overnight. However, after that, it’s best to store the cake in the refrigerator.
- Store: To store the cake in the fridge, cover it in plastic wrap and keep it for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: If you want to keep the cake longer, you can freeze it for as long as 3 months.
Ideas to Serve
To make a nice presentation, I used a 3-inch round biscuit cutter to plate the slice and then did a swirl of fresh Whipped Cream topped with a bit of fresh pineapple.
Try serving up your slice of decadent cake with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream for the most refreshing island treat. You could also go tropical with your ice cream by serving it with Rainbow Sherbet, or fruity with a scoop of Strawberry Ice Cream, which pairs so nicely with pineapple flavors.
Frequent Questions
It’s called upside down cake because the pineapple and caramel topping is on the bottom when you bake the recipe. Then you flip the white cake upside down onto a platter so that the pineapples are on top before serving.
You can freeze Maui’s Hali’imaile cake for later. Start by freezing the cake on a baking sheet for 1-2 hours. Once the outside has hardened, you can wrap it in plastic wrap followed by tin foil. Then freeze the cake for up to 3 months.
Variations
- Cherries: Lots of people love adding cherries to their Pineapple Upside Down Cake toppings. Try adding maraschino cherries between the pineapple slices and at the center of the pineapple rings. You can also set some aside for garnish.
- Coconut: Coconut is another addition you can try. Add toasted coconut flakes to the yellow cake batter or the caramel topping, depending on your preference.
- Walnuts: You can also add some crunch to the recipe by mixing in walnuts with the caramelized topping.
Related Recipes
More Sweet Pineapple Desserts
how do you make it round like Haili maile’s
After you bake in the round cake pan and invert try using a 3-inch round biscuit cutter to plate the slice and then add a swirl of fresh Whipped Cream topped with a bit of fresh pineapple. Let us now how your cake turns out!