Mom’s Favorite Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When melted, add the brown sugar plus the 2 tablespoons of pineapple syrup. (A lot of pineapple is packed in real fruit juice these days. This is fine to use.). Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from heat.

Add the mixture into a 9″ round or 8″ square pan. Arrange pineapple slices and maraschino cherries (if using) across the bottom of the pan.

In a small bowl, add salt to the egg whites and beat just until foamy. Gradually add 1/3 cup of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a small bowl, heat 1/3 cup of pineapple syrup from the can. You can do this in the microwave for a few seconds, just until hot.

In a large bowl beat the egg yolks until light and then beat in the remaining sugar. Add the 1/3 cup of hot pineapple syrup stirring continuously.

Sift the flour together with the baking powder. Add this into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in the beaten egg whites, but do not overmix. Don’t worry if you have “ribbons” of egg white, it’s OK!!

Pour the batter over the caramel sauce, pineapple rings and maraschino cherries in your pan.

Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes, until cake is golden brown and completely set. Loosen edges right away and invert the cake onto a plate. Leave pan over the cake for a few minutes before removing.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.