Pineapple Upside-Down Cake...Drool, Drool

My (Jamie) dad, Tony, does not have a sweet tooth.  In fact, he loves to brag about how he detests chocolate and peanut butter just to see people's jaws drop whenever it's brought up.  How in the world could I come from such a man?

I don't know.  I just shake my head and mutter to myself. 

He does like, however, fruit-y kinds of desserts.  Sometimes.  Kinda.

But Superman's daughter has found his Kryptonite.  Oh yeah, baby!  His birthday was last weekend (happy birthday, daddy!) and I wanted to find something that would make him forget all about his previous prejudices against dessert.  And this is what did it:

(photo courtesy of Taste of Home recipes)

Spiced Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients:

• 1-1/3 cups butter, softened, divided
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple slices, drained
• 10 to 12 maraschino cherries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup buttermilk

 Directions

• In a saucepan, melt 2/3 cup of butter; stir in brown sugar. Spread in the bottom of an ungreased heavy 12-in skillet or a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Arrange pineapple in a single layer over sugar mixture; place a cherry in the center of each slice. Sprinkle with pecans and set aside. Sneak a smooch in there.
• In a large bowl, cream sugar and remaining butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; add alternately to batter with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
• Carefully pour over the pineapple. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes for skillet (50-60 minutes for baking pan) or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Immediately invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm. Yield: 12 servings.

Notes*** I didn't use the nutmeg or pecans.  Again, Dad isn't a fan (silly dad).  I greased the sides of the pan so that the cake would come out easily and it was fine.  Also, when I added the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, I started and finished with the dry ingredients.  It mixes better that way.

Everyone loved this cake!  Both Tony and Paco (not a huge fan of pineapple upside-down cake) ate it until they felt like they were about to pop.

Now, THAT's the mark of a successful dessert.

(recipe courtesy of Taste of Home)