Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake

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If you are looking for your next vegan fruity dessert fix, look no further than my vegan pineapple upside down cake. I use pineapple rings, maple syrup, and vanilla paste for this nostalgic dessert that has stood the test of time. This dessert is moist, glossy on top, dairy free, egg free and comes together in just 1 hour.

Pineapple upside down cake is a vintage dessert that delivers a rich, retro flavor still loved by so many today. The combination of the caramelized fruit topping and spongy vanilla base has made it a firm favorite in my house. I alternate between this dessert and my vegan peach cobbler when I want to serve something sweet and fruity. For special occasions, I make both. Ha! I recommend doing the same at your next family gathering. 

A few years ago, I was reminiscing about childhood desserts with my husband, and I realized that I desperately needed a vegan pineapple upside down cake in my life. While my kids love the other fruit-based desserts like my vegan apple crisp, they were particularly taken by this cake. The first time I made it, I was met with delighted gasps when I flipped it over to reveal the pineapple rings. My youngest asked how they got in there. Ha! 

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🥘 Ingredients

This dessert may look and taste exotic, but the ingredients are surprisingly simple. This is what I use:

Dry Ingredients

White whole wheat flour: I use this for structure and a light wholegrain flavor.

Baking powder: I use this as a raising agent to give my cake a lift and keep it light.

Coconut sugar: In place of refined sugar, I use coconut sugar as a healthier option. If you want your cake sweeter, you could also use light brown sugar. 

Wet Ingredients

Pineapple rings: I use canned pineapple rings or fresh ones. If canned, I make sure to drain them well.

Maple syrup: This is what I use to create that caramel stickiness over my pineapple.

Almond milk: I use unsweetened almond milk to add creaminess to my cake batter.

Coconut oil: Coconut oil keeps my cake moist, without the use of butter or canola oil. I melt it before mixing it in.

Vanilla paste: Vanilla paste gives my upside down cake a deep richness that rounds out all the other flavors. 

🔪 How To Make

Every time I make this vegan pineapple upside down cake, I follow these simple steps exactly to guarantee the perfect outcome:

Preheat and prep: I preheat my oven to 350F and line an 8-inch cake tin with parchment paper. Then I drain the pineapple rings and arrange them at the bottom of the pan, before pouring over the maple syrup.

Mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, I whisk together the almond milk, coconut oil, coconut sugar, and vanilla paste until smooth and combined.

Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, I whisk the flour and baking powder together.

Make cake batter: Next, I add in 1/2 of the flour mixture, and whisk until well combined. Then I add in the rest of the flour and whisk until smooth.

Pour into the prepared pan: I pour the batter into my prepared cake pan and spread it evenly.

Bake: I bake my cake for 40 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Then I allow the cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. To remove, I invert the cake tin on my serving dish and flip quickly but carefully. Lastly, I remove the parchment, slice, and serve.

📖 Variations

After I became confident and comfortable with this recipe, I experimented, and these are some of my favorite variations:

Cherry on top: I add 1/2 a maraschino cherry into the center of each pineapple ring before adding the batter. This adds an amazing pop of color and gives it that authentic retro flair. I have caught my kids stealing the cherries on more than one occasion, though.

Go gluten-free: I replace my flour with gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour that contains xanthan gum. This recipe is one that my friend with celiac swears by to cure her cravings. 

Citrus boost: For a little kick, I add 1 teaspoon of finely grated orange zest to the batter for a more tropical and elevated flavor. My husband loves anything orange-flavored, so of course, this is the version he requests most. 

🍽 Serving Suggestions

I love a cohesive theme, which is why I make sure to serve this vegan pineapple upside down cake with other fruit or vegetable-inspired desserts. Last year, I made the desserts for a family member’s birthday, and decided to do an all-fruit theme. I made my lemon tartlets with coconut milk filling, and a large vegan pumpkin pie, as well as a few of my healthy no-bake date bars for the chocoholics.

Whenever I am hosting a party for my kids and their friends, I prefer to be cautious and go for a fully vegan and partially gluten-free spread. Last year, my eldest had an end-of-semester party and wanted a few finger foods and mostly desserts. I was not too worried about overindulging them as I knew I was making conscious choices when it came to my ingredients. I served my vegan upside down cake, along with a bowl of warm vegan churros and my gluten-free vegan millionaire shortbread squares.

🧊 Storing And ♨️ Reheating

Refrigeration: I store this upside down cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freezing: I slice the cake, then wrap each portion tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.

Reheating: If I want to warm the cake through slightly, I heat individual slices in a 350F oven for about 8 minutes. Or I microwave it briefly until warm. 

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📋 Recipe Card

Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.

A perfectly moist vegan pineapple upside down cake with a buttery brown sugar glaze topped with pineapple rings and maraschino cherries. It’s a simple cake that is sure to impress!

Pineapple upside down cake is close to my heart! It was one of the few cakes my mom made on a regular basis. I don’t recall her baking many cakes, in fact, except for pineapple upside down cake.

She made it with yellow cake mix in a 9×13 pan, complete with buttery brown sugar, pineapple rings and maraschino cherries. We had it for birthdays, Easter, and sometimes even Christmas! This also works perfectly for a vegan Mother’s Day recipe!

It seemed a must to create a vegan version to share with all of you since it is one of those recipes that just about everyone loves! If you’re looking for something a bit healthier try these plant-based desserts!

What is an upside down cake?

While I was baking this cake, my youngest asked what I was making! After I told him, he asked, why is it called an upside down cake?

An upside down cake is a single layer cake that has the toppings on the bottom of the pan. When you flip the cake over you find a beautiful topping, hence it’s upside down!

The weight of the cake helps to release it from the pan when flipped over, while keeping the toppings stuck to the bottom of the cake.

Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake Toppings

I used my mom’s traditional recipe by combining vegan butter, organic brown sugar, pineapple rings, and maraschino cherries. Depending on the size and shape of your cake pan you may be able to use more or less than I did.

I recommend using a 9 inch cake pan. That’s what I used and I was able to fit 5 pineapple rings, with a cherry inside of each ring, and one cherry in the center for a total of 6 cherries.

Another options is to slice the pineapple rings in half, and use those to line the side of your cake pan.

Upside Down Cake Variations

You don’t only have to make upside down cake with pineapples! However fruit is the most common way to enjoy it! Try this cake with peaches, apples, or pears!

Why you’ll love this vegan pineapple upside down cake…

• Moist cake crumb.
• Buttery caramelized brown sugar topping.
• Sweet tropical pineapples that get even sweeter with the brown sugar!
• Easy one layer cake.
• No frosting needed
• Quick prep time!
• Uses pantry ingredients.

Recipe Ingredients and Notes

For the Yellow Cake:

Turmeric: Since my mom always made this recipe with a yellow cake mix, I too made my own vegan yellow cake to serve as the base of this recipe. What creates the yellow coloring? Turmeric! I promise you won’t notice any strange flavor.

Turmeric has a rather mild flavor, and creates a bright beautiful yellow color to your cake naturally. Plus, it has health benefits such as anti-inflammatory compounds, antioxidants, improved brain function and more! So while this is a cake, maybe you can feel better about enjoying a slice knowing you’re getting a bit of turmeric!

All-Purpose Flour: This helps to create a fluffy cake base that isn’t too dense or dry. If you’d like to swap for white whole wheat flour, I recommend one cup of all purpose flour, and one cup of white whole wheat flour to balance the texture.

Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt: These are needed to help leaven the cake. I find the combination of both the baking powder and the baking soda helps to achieve a good rise.

Soy Milk and Apple Cider Vinegar: When mixed together soy milk and apple cider vinegar create a vegan buttermilk. The vinegar also helps to work with the baking soda to leaven the cake.

Coconut Oil: I find that adding oil to the cake helps to keep it moist. Vegan cakes have a tendency to be more dense since they do not include eggs. However, you can substitute unsweetened applesauce if you prefer an oil-free recipe, however I haven’t made it this way and can’t promise that it won’t be a bit dry.

Organic Cane Sugar: Use organic cane sugar to ensure that it is vegan. You could also use coconut sugar if your prefer.

Vanilla Extract and Almond Extract: The combination of vanilla and almond extract in this cake gives the cake base a nice nutty flavor.

For the Topping:

Canned Pineapple Rings: You’ll need about 5-7 pineapple rings depending on how many fit in your cake pan.

Organic Brown Sugar and Vegan Butter: Melt the vegan butter in the cake pan, then grease the sides with the butter as well. Add the brown sugar and allow the two to melt to create a nice thick paste.

Tools and Equipment

• Large and medium mixing bowls.
• Spatula for folding together the wet and dry ingredients.
• Whisk to combine the dry and wet ingredients.
• 9 inch cake pan.

How to Make Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake – Step by Step

Make the vegan buttermilk: Add apple cider vinegar to soy milk. Whisk together and set side for 10 minutes. The soy milk with thicken and curdle.

Prepare the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and turmeric. Set aside.

Combine wet ingredients: After the soy milk has set for 10 minutes, pour it into a medium size mixing bowl. Add the organic cane sugar, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Whisk together until the sugar fully dissolves.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients. Fold together until combined. Do not over mix. It is normal for the batter to be a bit lumpy.

Prepare the Topping: Place the butter in the cake pan. Melt the butter in the cake pan by placing it in the preheated oven for about 2 minutes or until butter has melted. Butter the sides of the pan.

Take the cake pan out of the oven. Add the brown sugar to the cake pan. with a spoon or spatula combine the two until a thick butter sugar paste forms.

Add the pineapple rings, to the bottom of the cake pan. About 5 if using a 9 inch cake pan. Place a maraschino cherry inside each pineapple ring, and one more in the center of the cake.

Bake: Pour the batter over the pineapples and cherries. Carefully spread the batter evenly.

Place the cake pan in the preheated oven at 350 F on the middle rack. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Flip: Now it’s time to flip the cake upside down! Run a knife along the edges of the cake pan. Place a plate on top of the cake. Firmly gripping the cake pan and plate, flip it upside down. If you have trouble releasing the cake, just give it a few moments.

Allow to cool completely before serving.

Top Tips for Making Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake

• The pineapple rings and maraschino cherries have a lot of juices. Before adding them to the bottom of your cake pan, use a paper towel, to dab the fruit and absorb the excess juice.
• This cake will be denser than others. Since the fruit topping is on the bottom of the cake it weighs the rest of the cake down when it is flipped over.
• Be sure to smooth the cake batter over carefully so as not to disrupt the pineapple and cherries beneath. It’s a rather thick cake batter, and you will need to even it out so that the cake bakes up nicely.

How to Serve

There isn’t any frosting needed for the cake. The topping and decoration is the beautiful fruit design!

I enjoy eating it simply, and don’t think it needs anything extra. But if you’d like, feel free to serve with a small scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream!

How to Store and Keep

Wrap the cake in saran wrap, or cover. Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Check out these other vegan cake and cupcake recipes!

• Strawberry Cake
• Blueberry Cake
• Lemon Cupcakes
• Apple Cake
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes
• Red Velvet Cake
• Ginger Cake