Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients

6 ounces unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 fresh pineapple, cut crosswise, peeled, quartered lengthwise, cored and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk

Per Serving

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with unflavored cooking spray. Melt 1 stick of the butter and set aside.
In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter with the brown sugar over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Spread the butter-and-sugar mixture in the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Distribute the pineapple slices evenly over the mixture and set the pan aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. In a medium bowl, beat together the egg, milk and the reserved melted butter. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined; the batter will be thick. Using a rubber spatula, scoop the batter into the cake pan, spreading it until it reaches the sides of the pan.
Bake the cake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Let the cake cool for 15 minutes. Place a serving plate over the cake pan and invert. Slowly lift off the pan and serve.

Yield: 8 servings

A sunny, classic cake that's always a crowd-pleaser.

From Every Day with Rachael Ray, February-March 2006, submitted by Alona Martinez.