This retro vegan pineapple upside down cake is moist, fluffy, and sweet, combining vanilla cake topped with a caramelized brown sugar, pineapple, and maraschino cherry topping for a crowd-pleasing treat!
In a small bowl, beat together the flaxseed meal and water for 1 minute. Place in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly brush a 9 circular pie baking pan or dish with the melted vegan butter.
Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the prepared pan and lay the pineapple slices on top. There should be six in the outer circle and one in the middle. You can also cut the remaining slices in half and add them to the sides of the pie pan. Add the maraschino cherries in the holes of the pineapples (see photo for a visual).
In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, canola oil, vanilla extract, salt, plant-based milk, and flaxseed meal mixture, and whisk it together until it’s well-combined.
Pour the batter over the prepared pie pan and spread it evenly using a spatula.
Bake for 30 minutes. At the 30 minute mark, remove from the oven and loosely cover with tin foil. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven, uncover, and allow it to cool for 20 minutes. Gently flip the cake over and slide it out from the pan.
Notes
Measure the flour correctly: First, fluff it up in the bag. Then, use a spoon to transfer it to the measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife. If you scoop the cup directly into the bag, you’ll have too much flour and a dense and/or dry vegan pineapple cake.
Don’t over-mix the batter: This will overdevelop the gluten and can lead to dense, rubbery/gummy pineapple cake.
Skip the parchment paper: As it may affect the pineapple design.
Leave the cake to rest: This is crucial for the proper flip!