Walnut Pineapple Upside Down Cake

My mom has a reliable cannon of treats she whips up for special occasions (& sometimes just because). Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, lemon meringue pie, chocolate mousse, & pineapple upside down cake graced our table most often. A true Southern standard, this whimsical cake always seemed a bit odd to me. But, it tasted good, so I never asked questions. After meeting Ray I later discovered one of my childhood standards was his favorite cake. So, in celebration of the completion of his  I-quit-smoking-graded-a-million-papers-finished-a-year-of-grad-school day, I made an updated pineapple upside down cake.

Typically, this classic is made with dark rum, whole milk & maraschino cherries; it's just screams Americana! I decided to bring it up to date a bit with toasted crushed walnuts, tart butter milk, caramelized brown sugar, fresh orange zest & a splash of cointreau. It's an instant classic, in my opinion. I know I'll be making this cake again & again. Try it with a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream, homemade whipped cream, honey, or just served it as-is.  It's pretty tough to beat no matter how you slice it!

Walnut Pineapple Upside Down Cake

adapted from Emeril Lagasse's, Pineapple Upside Down Cake

4 or 5 pineapple slices, drained
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

3/4 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. walnut halves & pieces

1 c. cake flour
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tbsp. cointreau or other orange liqueur

Melt 4 tbsp. of the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet, over medium heat. Add the brown sugar & stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium high and cook until the sugar mixture is bubbly, about 2 minutes. Arrange pineapple slices in the skillet to your liking & continue to cook for 2 minutes, or until the sugar mixture turns an amber color. Turn the pineapple slices over and remove the pan from the heat. (The mixture will continue to cook even though the heat is off.) Arrange the walnut halves & pieces in the spaces between the rings. Set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 375F, & stir together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the remaining 1/2 c. butter and the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing just until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in 3 batches, mixing at low speed after each addition until just combined. Stir in the vanilla and cointreau.

Spoon the batter evenly over the pineapple slices in the skillet. Bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown and a tester comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

Cool the cake in the skillet on a wire rack for 4 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of the cake & invert the cake onto a cake plate, keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together. Carefully lift the skillet off cake. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, a drizzle of honey, or simply alone.