One-year blogiversary and some food thoughts...

This blog has turned one and we are celebrating our first blogiversary! I never thought I would use that word, not that I didn't intend the blog to turn an year old. There are still tons of recipes I want to try, hundreds of them I want to share with you. Here's a slice of the one I will be sharing in this post:

It's fun, the whole process of writing a post. Starting with baking and tasting a recipe, then taking pics and then finally wrapping it all up in a fun-photo-recipe package. 

The last I counted, there were seven recipes that I have posted. But I will take this opportunity to mention that I bake way more than what I post and my notebook is full with lots of scraps of papers, chocolate wrappings, paper cuttings stuffed inside it. All containing recipes I am yet to try, notes I am yet to share.

Over the last couple of years, I have learnt baking from books, people's experiences, food shows even. But my largest source is the Internet, more specifically the "blogoshpere". And you will find a varied variety of people in that space. Some are bonkers awesome! Some are total geeks! Some are passionate and elegant! Some are humble and helpful! Some are legends! (View the links and you will know) I can go on and on.

Also a couple of years back I came across this group on facebook called the Home Bakers Guild or HBG as they call it. It is a very active group comprising of professionals, bakers running business from home, hobby bakers and newbies. A bunch of enthusiastic, crazy and helpful people baking their hearts away. It is awesome and inspiring!

In this post, I present to you this flavourful and moist pineapple upside-down cake. I have baked this cake thrice, each time with a different recipe. I will be sharing the one I liked most.

It is called upside down because it is baked with the pineapple at the bottom and once done baked, it is turned upside down and we get to see it in its full glory. The brown sugar gets cooked into caramel, pineapple absorb its slightly burnt flavour and cinnamon adds a beautiful note to the overall taste.

Caramel, juicy-sweet-tangy pineapples and a super moist cake which absorbs the flavours of caramel and pineapples. It cannot get any better!

Here's the recipe:

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients:

Topping

1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
8 slices of pineapple, cored

Cake

1 1/2 Cups All-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup milk

Steps:

Preheat the oven at 175°C . Grease a 8" or 9" round pan heavily. 

Pour the melted butter in the pan. Spread the brown sugar evenly on top the the butter.
Cut pineapple in thick slices. Remove the core. If using canned pineapples, drain the juice and pat the slices dry using paper towels.
Place the pineapple slices on top of the sugar. Pack them as close as possible because they shrink while baking.

Sift together all of the dry ingredients except the sugar. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar, for 3-4 minutes, till light and fluffy. Add eggs one by one, beat well after each addition. 
Add vanilla and pineapple essence, if using. Mix.

Add milk and dry ingredients alternately in three batches, starting and ending with flour. Mix just till combined.

Spread batter on top of the pineapples. Tap the pan on the counter once to release any trapped air pockets.
Place the pan on a baking tray or cookie sheet. Bake for 45-50 mins or till a toothpick or knife inserted in cake comes out clean. Be careful not to dip the toothpick too deep else you will hit the caramel.

Once done, take the cake out of oven and let it cool in pan for 10 mins.
Turn it out onto a plate. Serve warm.
It there are any pineapple pieces sticking to the bottom of the pan, just lift them and place back on the cake.

This cake was worth every anxious moment spent while unmoulding and flipping the cake upside-down. I hope you will give it a shot!

Happy Baking!

Shwe