Recipe: Pineapple Upside Down Cake (Chicago Metallic)

Chicago Metallic Pineapple Upside Down Cake
rec.food.cooking/Robb Dabbs (1994)

A bit of history... Way back in 1932 the Chicago Metallic Manufacturing Co. was producing an "Up-Side-Down Cake Pan" which was specifically designed for baking upside down cakes. The pan was made of aluminum, was approximately 9 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep, and had a unique rounded bottom. The concave bottom was designed to produce an upside down cake that did not sag in the middle when it was turned out on a plate.

The label glued to the inside of the cake pan contained what I believe to be the very best recipe for a pineapple upside down cake I have ever tasted.

My mother was married in 1937 and at some point early in her marriage acquired such a pan along with the recipe and baked this cake throughout my childhood. Sometime in the 1950's we acquired two more of these terrific pans for 50 cents apiece, but I'm afraid they are no longer in production.

The major difference in this recipe and most others I've seen and tried is the cake, this being a sponge cake and most others butter or shortening based. The sponge cake has a greater capacity for absorbing the wonderful sauce on the bottom "top" of the cake. But the cake is delicious no matter what type of pan is used!

Without further digression, the recipe...

Pineapple Up-Side-Down Cake
Yield: 6-8 services

PINEAPPLE TOPPING
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
7 slices canned pineapple
7 maraschino cherries

SPONGE BATTER
3 eggs separated
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tbsp pineapple juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder

Melt butter in a 9x3-inch round cake pan. Add brown sugar and spread evenly over bottom of pan. Lay complete wheel of pineapple in center. Put cherry in center and place additional wheels of pineapple and cherries around center wheel.

Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside. Beat egg yolks until thick and light. Add granulated sugar and pineapple juice. Beat until well blended. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Sift in one cup of flour and one teaspoon baking powder. Fold batter into stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour over fruit. Bake forty-five minutes to one hour in moderate oven.