Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

For the cake batter:
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Add butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium high until well incorporated and light and fluffy (about 4-5 minutes). Next add the eggs one at a time then add oil and beat until well mixed.

In another bowl sift together cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

In a separate bowl, add sour cream, vanilla extract, and rum. Alternate adding flour mixture and sour cream mixtures into the mixer bowl, ending with the flour mixture. Make sure to beat each addition until batter is well mixed without over-mixing.

To assemble cupcakes:
Line two 12-count muffin/cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Spoon 1 teaspoon of melted butter into the bottom of each liner. Top the butter with 1 teaspoon of brown sugar. Then spoon 1 teaspoon of crushed pineapple over the brown sugar and spread it out on the bottom of the liner.

Next using a ice cream scoop, add cake batter to each cupcake liner over the crushed pineapple. The liner should be filled about 3 quarters of the way full.

Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Remove pans from the oven and set on a cooling rack.

Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes then remove the cupcakes from the pans and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the buttercream:
While cupcakes cool, add butter, cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high for 2 minutes. Next add crushed pineapple, vanilla extract and pineapple juice in small amounts (make sure frosting isn’t too loose) to frosting and mix until ready to frost. Frost each cupcake once it is completely cool and enjoy!

Makes 24 cupcakes.