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Welcome to Simple Fare, Fairly Simple. This is a place for me to post recipes of all kinds...along with other miscellaneous fodder from my so-called life here in the south. Who knows what you will find here. Could be anything from my husband...known as IT Guy...to my kids and beautiful grandbabies that are growing up way too fast right before my eyes. But...mostly this will be a place for food. I hope you'll see something you like and if you decide to try something from the list...leave me a comment and let me know!



Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

As I was lying in bed the other night, my mind started whirling on food as it so often does. I thought about a Pineapple Upside Down Cake and that it sounded like a fun post. Simple and yummy. But a little boring. Then I figured, why not take the recipe and make it a little different by making cupcakes instead? I modified a recipe I had to make them and they turned out so cute! Little mini upside down cakes! The fam LOVED them...don't you love a happy ending?

Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes with Pineapple Buttercream Frosting



1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple – drained, juice reserved
2 tablespoons butter – melted
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 ½ cups flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ cup shortening
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Line muffin tin with cupcake wrappers. Spray each wrapper with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Put about 1 tablespoon of the drained pineapple into the bottom of each cupcake liner.

Combine melted butter, brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of the reserved pineapple juice. Pour some onto the top of the pineapple in each cupcake liner. Set aside.

Add enough water to the rest of the pineapple juice to equal 2/3 cup of liquid. Set aside.

Combine flour and baking powder. Set aside.

Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Add flour mixture alternately with juice/water mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. (You may have about 1 cup of batter left over. I baked it off in a small cake pan for later use.)

Bake for about 25 minutes or until cupcake tops are light brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, then remove cupcakes from pan.

Pineapple Buttercream Frosting

1 stick butter, cold – cut into chunks
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pineapple extract
2 – 3 cups powdered sugar
Cream or half & half

Cream butter and vanilla together until fluffy. Add pineapple extract. Add powdered sugar in increments. Add cream, a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Unwrap cupcakes and turn upside down. Frost cupcakes then add a cherry on top!

Here's what you need for the cupcakes.
Here's what you need for the cupcakes.
 
Place a little drained, crushed pineapple in the bottom of your liners.
Place a little drained, crushed pineapple 
in the bottom of your liners.
 
Stir together the melted butter, brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of the reserved pineapple juice.
Stir together the melted butter, brown sugar 
and 1 tablespoon of the reserved pineapple juice.
 
Then put some of that into each cup.
Then put some of that into each cup.
 
Cream together the sugar and shortening.
Cream together the sugar and shortening.
 
Then add the egg and vanilla.
Then add the egg and vanilla.
 
Add enough water to the rest of the pineapple juice to make 2/3 cup. Add that alternately with....
Add enough water to the rest of the pineapple 
juice to make 2/3 cup. Add that alternately with....
 
...the dry ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry.
...the dry ingredients, beginning 
and ending with the dry.
 
Mix well...
Mix well...
 
...then divide batter into all the liners.
...then divide batter into all the liners.
 
Bake then allow to cool for a few minutes then remove from pan and cool completely.
Bake then allow to cool for a few minutes 
then remove from pan and cool completely.
 
Make the frosting...yum!
Make the frosting...yum!
 
Gently remove the liner and turn the cupcake over...
Gently remove the liner and turn the cupcake over...
 
...and frost! Don't forget the cherry!
...and frost! Don't forget the cherry!

2 comments:

  1. So cute! I have a question....how long do you cream your butter and sugar and do you think it has anything to do with why my cakes turn out so dense? I guess they're dense. They don't have any spring to them.

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  2. I like to cream the butter/sugar until it's nice and fluffy. One thing that makes cakes tough is overbeating the batter. You want to mix the flour in until it's all combined but you can't beat it to death or you'll get a cake tough as nails.

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