Pinapple upside down cake

Pineapple upside down cake is one of those cakes on my 'list' of cakes to make. I've only eaten it a couple of times, but I'm always enticed by the red glace cherries and the lovely golden caramelised pineapple ring's. It's pretty retro, and my mum always tells me of how she used to make it in domestic science (cookery class) when she was younger.

I served ours with minted mascarpone which is so fresh and delicious (recipe further below)

 Here is my adapted version of Nigella's cake.

Some recipes caramelise their pineapple first,some don't, but I prefer to so you get that lovely golden colour!

Caramelising:

1oz butter

2oz caster sugar

Cake
6-8 slices pineapple from a 425g can, plus 3 x 15ml tablespoons of the juice

1 small tub of glace cherries

100g flour

100g caster sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

100g soft butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

Melt the butter and sugar in a non stick frying pan on a medium heat. Now add the slices of pineapple so that start to caramelise and brown nicely (without burning).
Now leave them to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Butter a square tin roughly 20 x 20 cm   (neither loose-bottomed nor spring form).

 Arrange the pineapple slices to make a pattern like in the below picture.

Fill each pineapple with a cherry, and then scatter them around the edges and any spare gaps.

Cream the butter and sugar. Slowly add the eggs and vanilla paste. Now mix together the dry ingredients, and gently fold into the wet ingredients.

Use the pineapple juice to loosen the mixture a little.

Pour the mixture carefully over the cherries and pineapple rings. The mixture will only just cover the bottom layer so don't worry if you think you haven't made enough!

I used a spatula. Make sure you don't reposition the cherries accidentally whilst doing the 'smoothing'.

Bake for 30 minutes. Now ease a spatula around the edge of the tin, place a plate on top and, with one swift movement, tip the cake the right way up!

The following pictures are taken with instagram!

Minted Mascarpone

A handful of fresh mint leaves

1 teaspoon peppermint flavouring

1 tub mascarpone

300ml double cream

Wash your mint leaves if they are from your garden (like mine). Now blitz them until they are finely chopped in a food processor. Now add them to a bowl, along with the peppermint flavouring. Add the mascarpone and cream, giving them a good mixing together. Chill for 20 minutes or so, and there you have it! a gorgeous alternative to plain cream or ice cream. I first had this at Piccolino's in Manchester with Scott for my birthday meal, it was delicious and i couldn't wait to get home and give it a go myself!

The mascarpone really lifted the cake, and made the perfect combination. It also works really well with chocolate brownies and fondant's!

We had this after our main meal as part of our 'Thursday family night'. Even though my Dad was on a furniture delivery and Scott was on holiday skiing! But myself, grandma, grandad and mum had a lovley meal no-the less :)