Irish Pineapple Upside Down Cake

So, I got busy and put this blog aside for a few years. Today I decided to resurrect it and saw a comment Olivia, my son James’ girlfriend, had left years ago, asking for a recipe for pineapple-upside-down-cake for his birthday. I don't think I ever saw it, or maybe I just forgot about it. Since then, a lot has happened: I got married. I bought a house. My parents moved in with us. James and Olivia got married! 

Last year James asked me to make this cake for his birthday. I adapted it from a recipe I found on an Irish blog, which called for making it in individual ramekins. Really, I think the only thing Irish about this cake is the whisky and Kerrygold butter, but I am a fan of both, so I thought I would give it a try. 

James got me some whisky cherries for my birthday, so I used them. My dad had some Powers Irish whisky, so I used that too, but it's optional. The butter still makes it Irish. Anyway, I made a double recipe in a big sheet pan and everyone enjoyed eating it and washing it down with some sweet old-fashioned cocktails that James made for us. Yeah, we had a good time- always do. 

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted Irish butter (it has to be Irish butter) 

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons Celtic Crossings liqueur or Irish whisky 

1 can of sliced pineapple

whisky cherries (or maraschino cherries soaked in whisky, or not..) 

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted Irish butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla 

3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions: Preheat the oven 350º F. Butter 8" square or round baking pan. Toast the coconut in a small frying pan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to lightly brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Combine butter, sugar, and booze in the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has melted and the mixture is smooth.  Pour into the baking pan and arrange pineapple slices over the syrup, placing a cherry in the center of each one. Set aside. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla.   Add half the flour mixture and half the buttermilk until well combined, then beat in remaining flour and buttermilk until smooth.  Stir in the coconut.  Spoon the batter onto the pineapples and smooth out evenly in the pan.  Bake for about 30 minutes until the top is golden brown, springy to the touch and the edges are pulling away slightly from the sides of the pan.  Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Run a knife around the sides  and invert onto cake plate.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Serves 8 - 10