Pineapple upside down cakes (vegan + gluten free)

Pineapple is one of my favorite fruits! Whether it’s freshly cut into cubes, infused into a savory dish, or baked into a sweet dessert, pineapple is one versatile fruit.

My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Hawaii and immersed ourselves in everything culturally Polynesian. It was utter bliss! I already consider myself a fruititarian, so I absolutely loved the abundance of fresh fruit available on the islands. Pineapple, of course, was a must! Every. Single. Day. I love eating fruit for dessert, so every night my dear hubby went to great lengths to make sure I had fresh pineapple. We spent $6 for small pre-cut containers of pineapple, when in hind sight, we could have bought a whole fresh pineapple for $1 and a cheap cutting board and knife to use throughout our two weeks in paradise. Newlywed mistakes. Nevertheless, the pineapple was delicious, and every time I eat the juicy fruit, I am immediately transported back to our tropical vacation – the taste, the smells, the breeze, everything. Funny how foods can elicit memories.

My favorite way to eat pineapple is plain and simple straight from the fruit, but I also do love pineapple upside down cake. I haven’t had pineapple upside down cake since going gluten-free, so I wanted to create a cake that I could enjoy. And of course, since I cannot have eggs or dairy, these cakes would have to be vegan as well.

For a light and delicate texture, I used a combination of oat flour, which I ground myself, cassava flour, almond flour, and coconut flour. And as a binder, I made a flax egg – a slurry of flax meal and water, which when left to rest for a few minutes, results in a viscous, egg-like mixture. It’s a go-to for many vegan baked goods. The flax egg not only holds baked goods together well, it also contributes a pleasant, slight chewiness.

Instead of using the traditional brown sugar and butter topping, I added a unique tropical twist to my dessert by using Neat Nick Preserves Lady Anne’s Rum Punch Jam. This rich and fruity jam is made with orange juice, mango juice, pineapple juice, coconut cream, sugar, and Lost Ark Distillery Lady Anne White Rum, a local Maryland rum. The rich coconut cream and fresh fruit juices caramelize together with the pineapple slices to create that iconic golden pineapple top. And rather than baking one large cake, there is something whimsical about miniature desserts that makes them even more delicate and delectable, so instead of using a round cake pan, I made individual pineapple upside down cakes using my muffin tin. I placed a dollop of jam on the bottom of each muffin mold, then layered in a few thin slices of pineapple, and the topped each mold with some cake batter. I baked these little cakes until they were golden brown, and once they cooled slightly, I turned them out onto a plate for a beautiful presentation. They’re delicious warmed up with a scoop of non-dairy vanilla coconut milk ice cream!

Vegan, gluten-free pineapple upside down cakes

1 cup oats
¼ cup cassava flour
¼ cup almond flour
¼ cup coconut flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
1 jar Neat Nick Preserves Lady Anne’s Rum Punch Jam
3 cups fresh pineapple, plus 4 thin sliced rounds
1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
2-3 Tbsp. water

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Make the flax egg by mixing the ground flax seed with 2-3 tablespoons of water. Allow the flax egg about 10 minutes to thicken and set aside until ready to use. In a food processor grind up the oats into a fine flour. Add in the cassava flour, almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and baking powder and blend together. Add in the 3 cups of pineapple and the flax egg. Use a 12-portion muffin tin and measure out 2 tsp. of jam to place into the bottom of each muffin mold. Then, pour in the remaining jam into the food processor with the batter and blend up. Cut the thin pineapple rounds into trapezoidal pieces small enough to fit into the muffin tins. Fan out three slices of these pineapple pieces on top of the jam in each mold. Top each muffin mold with about ¼ cup of batter, or enough to use up all of the batter. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until the cakes begin to turn a slight golden brown. Allow the cakes to cool for about 30 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto a plate, being sure to keep the caramelized topping intact. Enjoy!