pineapple upside down cupcakes

My Nicky doesn't do sweet. My Nicky isn't a fan of desserts. He's been known to eat some of my cupcakes, but only after he scrapes the icing off. One sweet my Nicky does enjoy is pineapple upside down cake. Bless his heart, he even purchased the ingredients at the store so I'd make him one. That was over a year ago. Shame on me. This past weekend, he hinted again at the old favorite. Since I've been doing all of this baking, I knew I had to make him pineapple upside down cake - only in cupcakes this time.

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes (Serves 12)
*adapted from familyfun.com

For topping:
6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup brown sugar - lightly packed
6 maraschino cherries
1 small can pineapple rings, juice reserved

For batter:
6 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup pineapple juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter and milk for batter in small saucepan and heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat and let mixture cool. In a 12 cup muffin pan, place 1/2 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon brown sugar into each muffin cup. Place muffin pan in oven until butter melts, about 2-3 minutes. In the meantime, take 3 pineapple rings and quarter them and half your cherries. When butter is melted, remove from oven and place 1/4 pineapple ring and a cherry half, sliced side up and press into butter / brown sugar mixture in the bottom of the muffin cup.

In large size bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In a medium size bowl, blend eggs, sugar, vanilla, and pineapple juice until smooth. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir with spatula until all ingredients are incoporated. Add milk and butter mixture and stir until batter is smooth. Pour batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake cupcakes until lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing cakes from muffin cups.

What you get is a cake so moist and delicious that you might feel guilty for eating it! I have a suspicion that these cupcakes will definitely steal the show. Next time, I think I'll have to double the recipe. Nick won't allow these cupcakes to linger. I better enjoy another before they're gone!

Until next time...