This week my mom has been more on my mind than usual. As I was working on our series sharing Food Holidays: April 20th, 2022. I figured out why she has been and its because today is National Pineapple Upside Down Cake which my mom and I liked to share together.
If I wasn’t moving tomorrow and I had the extra money I would call my friend Debbie to go with me to The Cheesecake Factory for a slice of their Pineapple Upside Down Cheesecake which we both love. Although I would have to bring David with us because he also loves Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Do you like this Cake?
National Pineapple Upside-down Cake Day
Five facts to know about Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
- The term ‘Upside Down Cake’ wasn’t used very much before the middle of the 19th Century, but the style of baking probably dates back much further, probably to the Middle Ages.
- The early recipes for Fruit Upside Down Cakes were made in cast iron skillets on top of the stove.
- The classic American ‘Pineapple Upside Down Cake’ dates to sometime after 1903. When Jim Dole invented Canned Pineapple.
- The Hawaiian Pineapple Co. now Dole Pineapple held a Pineapple recipe contest in 1925. With judges from Fannie Farmer’s School, Good Housekeeping and McCall’s magazine on the judging panel. The 100 winning recipes would be published in a cookbook the following year.
- The Hawaiin Pineapple Company ran an ad campaign in 1926 based on the fact that so many recipes for the Pineapple Upside Down Cake had been submitted, making the Pineapple Upside Down Cake even more popular.
Fun Fact:
Caribbean Indians placed Pineapples or Pineapple Crowns outside the entrances of their homes to symbolize friendship and hospitality.
The Spanish explorers thought Pineapples looked like Pinecones. The Spanish called them “Pina.” The English added “Apple” to associate Pineapples with juicy delectable fruits.
Pineapple, “halakahiki” in Hawaiian, meaning foreign fruit, has been grown in Hawaii since the early 1800’s.
National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day, celebrated annually on April 20th, encourages you to tingle your taste buds with this tropical dessert. If you’ve never tried Pineapple Upside Down Cake, you have no excuse not to try it today. Pineapple Upside Day Cake has been dubbed one of the most popular recipes of the 20th Century. There are dozens of variations that will fit the needs of any palette. If you’d like to amp up the tropical factor in this recipe, go ahead and add a splash of dark Rum to the batter.
For other fun ideas on how to celebrate this day, read on!
HISTORY OF NATIONAL PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE DAY
While the history of National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day is unclear, the history of the dessert itself is well-documented and well-loved.
Hundreds of years ago, people used cast-iron skillets to cook Fruit Cakes over open flames. Any type of Fruit would produce a delicious cake. With the Fruit lining the bottom of the skillet and Cake batter added over the Fruit, the pan would be flipped after cooking, revealing a beautiful showing of Caramelized Fruit on top.
Did you know the earliest cast-iron skillets were called ‘spiders? Because they had legs. The Cakes themselves were commonly known at this time as ‘Spider Cakes.’ Once ovens became a fixture in the homes of Americans, the skillets lost their legs. Transitioning to a flat-bottomed pan that would more easily fit into the ovens.
In 1925, the Hawaiian Pineapple Company sponsored a contest to find the best Pineapple recipes. With “Good Housekeeping” and “McCall’s” magazines promoting the contest, over 60,000 submissions were entered. Of those, 2,500 recipes were for Pineapple Upside-Down Cake alone! Pineapple Upside Down Cakes popularity soared with the publishing of 100 of the winning recipes in a cookbook the next year.
Today, we still crave an occasional Pineapple Upside-Down Cake so try your hand at this relatively simple-to-make dessert.
NATIONAL PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE DAY ACTIVITIES
- While canned Pineapple rings taste perfectly fine in Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes nothing beats fresh Pineapple. Plus, cutting your own Pineapple is an adventure. Search online for ways to cut a fresh Pineapple, whether in rings as with this dessert or chopping it into smaller pieces for cooking.
- Pineapple Upside-Down Cake can be made ahead of time. If you are looking for an easily transportable dessert, look no further. You can make Pineapple Upside Down Cakes to take to a potluck or give to someone as a gift.
- Today is a day of sharing and celebrating, use Pineapple-themed serving pieces. If you don’t already have anything, today is a day to buy something. Including serving trays, bowls, and napkins.
5 FACTS ABOUT PINEAPPLES
- Annually, just under 28 million tons of Pineapples are produced all over the world. The greatest production serving the U.S. coming from Costa Rica.
- Raw Pineapple pulp is 86% Water.
- Pineapples are rich in Vitamin C and loaded with Antioxidants.
- A Pineapple is not a single fruit. It’s a group of Berries that have grown together.
- Once harvested, Pineapple does not continue to ripen so the Pineapple remains as ripe as the day it was picked.
WHY WE PEOPLE NATIONAL PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE DAY
- A fun way to serve Pineapple Upside-down Cake is in individual ramekins. Match the ramekin size to a Pineapple Ring and continue using whatever recipe you love most. The Pineapple Upside Down Cake will be just as tasty as if you had made one cake.
- When you make the final flip of the Pineapple Upside Down Cake onto your cake server, you realize this is the star of the show. The pineapple Rings and Cherries or whatever other fruit you choose to use create a beautiful presentation.
- The Pineapple has long been considered a symbol of hospitality. This idea and tradition began with Caribbean Indians who placed Pineapples at the entrance of their homes.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
