I applied to nearly every medical school in NYC so I could go to street corner bakeries after experiencing Crumbs. The Dominican Bakery on 171st and St. Nicholas in Washington Heights has the most delicious, moist pineapple upside down cake that used to sell for $1.00 (up to $1.50 post-recession). When I moved away I had to recreate the recipe for my own sweet fix.

Adjoa

ingredients

FEEDS 10

  • 1 cup shortening

  • 2 ½ cups sugar

  • 3 eggs

  • 1 egg white

  • 2 tsp vanilla

  • 3 cups all purpose flour

  • ¼ tsp salt

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • 1 cup milk

  • ¼ cup pineapple juice

  • ¼ cup oil

  • 1 ½ cup light brown sugar

  • ½ cup melted butter

  • 1 can of pineapple slices in juice

  • Maraschino cherries

cook time

Total: 1 hour

  • Preparation: 15 mins

  • Bake time: 40-50 mins

HARDWARE

  • Stand mixer or hand mixer

  • Large bowl

  • Spatula

  • Ring pan or 13x9 baking dish

method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350oF. Grease sides of a tube pan or 13x9 baking dish.

  2. Cream together the shortening and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes.

  3. Add eggs and egg white, one at a time, mixing well for about 30 seconds after each addition.

  4. Add vanilla and mix well to ensure everything is incorporated.

  5. In separate bowl blend together flour, salt, baking powder.

  6. Alternately add the four mixture and milk and pineapple juice to the creamed butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour until just combined.

  7. Stir in ¼ cup oil.

  8. Pour melted butter into pan. Sprinkle brown sugar on top. Place pineapple slices decoratively next to each other on top of brown sugar and interspersed with cherries, i.e. pineapple rings next to each other and cherries in the center.

  9. Bake cake about 40 -50 minutes until just starting to brown.

  10. Remove and cool completely. Turn over onto a serving dish once entirely cooled - not before or it will crumble apart, in which case you can make trifle.

Variation – If doubling recipe, use 5 eggs, 2 egg whites, and ½ cup oil.