Pineapple Upside Down (cup)Cake

You've seen it all over.  That infamous Angel Food cake recipe that simply consists of Angel Food cake mix and a can of crushed pineapple.  A dieters dream.  Curious, I knew I wanted to try it, however I had to kick it up a notch because the notion of just Angel Food cake didn't do it for me (neither does anything containing the word "diet".)

I wouldn't necessarily call these "cupcakes" because you can't eat them like a cupcake.  A plate and fork is required!

Here's the cast of ingredients...Angel Food cake mix, brown sugar, butter, cherries, crushed pineapple, and pineapple slices (oh, and some cooking spray)...

 



Melt 1 stick of butter and mix with 1 cup of brown sugar. 

Spoon evenly into muffin pan, sprayed with cooking spray. 

 

NOTE:  I opted to make 12 cupcakes. 

If you want to make 24 (you will have plenty of mix), you'll want to double the butter and brown sugar.  I also wanted to make an Angel Food cake without the brown sugar.

 



Press the cherries in the middle, followed by the pineapple (you will need to cut the pineapple because one whole slice will not fit into the muffin tin.)

 

Mix the Angel Food cake mix in a bowl with the entire can of crushed pineapple, including the juices.  Mix well and spoon into the muffin tins.  I also filled a 9x13 glass pan.

 

Place into a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 17-20 minutes.

 

Here's the cake without the brown sugar...

 

 

Once cooled, remove from pan.  At this point, you can sprinkle on a tiny bit of brown sugar, if desired.

 

Here's the cake!  You can also serve this with cool whip.

 

Pineapple Upside Down (cup)Cake

 

1 box of Angel Food cake

20 oz can of crushed pineapple

20 oz can of pineapple slices

1 cup of brown sugar

1 stick of butter, melted

cherries

 

Preheat oven to 350. 

 

Mix the brown sugar and butter.  Spoon into the bottom of the muffin tins.  Place a cherry in the middle of each cup, followed by a pineapple slice.

 

In a bowl, mix the cake mix and crushed pineapple.  Spoon into the muffin cups.  If also making a cake, spoon into 9x13 pan.

 

Bake for 17-20 minutes, until golden brown and center comes out clean with a toothpick.

 

Allow to cool.  Enjoy!







Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

I saw a recipe for caramel apple cheesecake and I had to make it!  There was only one problem - I hate apples.  Okay, I don't hate apples, I just don't like chunks of them in my dessert!  Yes, I am one of those strange people who only likes certain foods a certain way.  Bananas...I couldn't take a bite of a banana if my life depended on it.  Now banana bread on the other hand...I love it!!!  Growing up, if there was an apple pie in my house, I would take a slice and spoon out all of the apples, leaving me just the crust and the gooey goodness.  I love apple pie - minus the apples! 

I just had to make this dessert.  It looked too good to pass up, so I "de-appled" it and replaced the apples with apple sauce.  Genius!  This dessert was an Easter hit!  By the time everyone had left, it was all gone!  Completely!  As a matter of fact, several pieces were smuggled right out under my nose!

If you are a chunky apple fan, feel free to substitute real apples for the apple sauce!

Warning...if you are anti-butter or counting fat/calories, turn away now!  This is a very rich and decadent dessert.  This is the perfect dish for company or parties.  It will definitely impress!

Here's what you'll need...

Crust:
1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
1 stick of butter, melted

Filling:
3 8 oz. bars of cream cheese, softened
3/4 C sugar
3 lg eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Gooey Goodness Topping:
1/2 C apple sauce
1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Streusel Topping:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

 

Drizzle:

1/2 C caramel topping

 

Directions...

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press evenly into a 9x13 baking pan. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Slowly add eggs and vanilla.
4. Pour over warm crust.
5. In a small bowl, mix the apple sauce, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture.
6. For the streusel topping, combine all ingredients and sprinkle on top.
7. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool in fridge.

Adapted from Paula Deen