SANDRA’S PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN ORANGE-JELLO-POKE-CAKE

A fabulously moist and flavorful
creation I came up with today ~
You'll find that the Orange Jello
compliments the pineapple to the extreme...

Servings: (8 to 10)

Prep: 15 Mins. |
Bake 30 Mins. |
Stand: 30 Mins.

INGREDIENTS

***Pineapple Upside Down:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided

1-2/3 cups firmly packed brown sugar, divided

4 (8 oz. can) pineapple slices, drained; reserving juice

View of the Orange-Jello-Poke-Cake

1 (8 oz. can) crushed pineapple, drained; reserving juice

-- (refrigerate reserved pineapple juice to chill)

4 maraschino cherries, halved

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

1/2 teaspoon table salt

3 eggs, at room temp.

2/3 cup whole milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon cherry extract

***Orange-Jello-Poke:

1 (3 oz. Pkg.) Jello, orange flavor (I used sugar-free)

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup cold, reserved pineapple juice

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray, with butter spray, a 9”x13 glass baking dish (so the sides of the cake won’t stick while baking). Melt 1/4 cup butter, and pour into bottom of prepared glass baking dish. Evenly sprinkle 2/3’s cup of brown sugar over melted butter. Arrange pineapple sliced halves decoratively over brown sugar, the crushed pineapple around them, and place one cherry half in the center of each halved pineapple slice.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat with a hand mixer the eggs, and remaining 1 cup of brown sugar, until the mixture is smooth and slightly stiff. Gradually beat in milk, and vanilla and cherry extracts. Melt remaining 1/4 cup of butter, and beat into egg mixture.

Gradually add dry ingredients into wet ingredients, while beating until smooth; occasionally scrape down sides of bowl. Carefully spoon cake batter over the pineapple slices, starting from the outer edge and working towards the center.

Place cake in preheated oven to bake for 30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick poked into center comes out clean. Remove and let stand in baking dish, while making jello poke mixture.

Using a skewer, poke holes in cake ½” apart.

Dissolve Jello in boiling water, stirring about 2 minutes. Add chilled pineapple juice, and stir to incorporate.

Spoon over cake, and use a pastry brush to assist in absorbing Jello into cake. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Cut around edges to loosen cake with a knife. Invert onto a large foil-lined baking sheet placed on top of glass baking dish. Flip over and let stand 1 minute to allow time for the hot pineapple topping to release. Remove glass baking dish. Scrape any loose toppings out of bottom of glass baking dish and put back on top of cake. Let cake stand to set for 20 minutes, and serve with whipped cream, if desired. – Enjoy!

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Tip: I at times have substituted chopped candied pecans in place of the crushed pineapple to change this dessert up a bit.