The Betty Crocker Project : Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This weekend, we went to see the all-star overdose The Expendables. We're, friends right? So let's be honest here. This movie made me feel old. It was like seeing all the great old action movies in some kind of Cocoon kaleidoscope--with more tattoos and stabbing in the neck, but fewer Wilford Brimley cameos. Sadly, it was the kind of movie where you spend the drive home talking about the previews. For example: Dan and I have decided that the new Green Hornet is going to be our new favorite movie of all time. I personally am willing to overlook the fact it has Cameron Diaz in it, and instead focus on Bad-Ass Kato. I mean new Kato really had to kick more ass than usual - considering one of the original Katos was Bruce Lee. It looks like a great, modern take on an old classic.

While I baked this cake, I debated whether I could be overdosing on comic book movies, special effects, and cupcakes. Nothing really makes me awestruck anymore, like when the Millennium Falcon first hit light speed; and nothing strikes me as just automatically cool, like Jack Nicholson as The Joker. Maybe the classics have ruined me for the new movies, unless it's a re-make of a classic (see: The Green Hornet). Luckily, this cake isn't just another cake - it's a classic. It was easy and fun to bake, but still special. When I flipped it over and the sticky sweet glaze melted over the pineapple and cherries - I had to smile. This isn't a hard cake to make, and maybe not the fanciest, but I'm glad we have a vegan Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe now. It fills this hole in our cooking resume that I didn't even know we had.

Come with me on this adventure.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

• 1/4 Cup Margarine
• 2/3 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 (20oz) Can Pineapple (sliced or crushed)
• Maraschino Cherries (no stems)
• 1 1/3 Cups Flour (we used Whole Wheat and it worked pretty good; a little heavy, but not bad)
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Vegetable Shortening (we used Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening)
• 3/4 Cup Soy Milk
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Applesauce
• 2 Teaspoon EnerG Egg Replacer

Heat oven to 350.

In a 9-inch round pan, melt Margarine in oven. Sprinkle Brown Sugar over the melted Margarine. With a wooden spoon, make sure all the Brown Sugar gets mixed in the warm Melted Margarine. Make an even layer.

Arrange Pineapple Slices on the melting Brown Sugar. Place a Cherry in the center of each Pineapple Slice, and if you like Cherries, put a few in some of the open spaces between the Pineapple.

In a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients with an electric hand-held mixer for 2 minutes. Be sure to scrape the sides to get it all in there. Pour over Pineapple and Cherries. Do your best to make sure the batter has no peaks or creases. You want it to be as flat and smooth as possible.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the you can remove a toothpick inserted into the center cleanly.

Immediately place a heatproof plate upside-down on the Baked Cake in pan; turn plate and pan over together. Let pan sit over the plate for a few minutes. This will let the Brown Sugar drizzle down the side of the cake. Tap the cake pan a few times all around the edge to loosen the cake and then lift off the pan. Let cool for 15 minutes.

That should be long enough to add Demolition Man and/or Hero* to your netflix and enjoy some genuine classics that kick ass.

*One of my favorite movies. If you haven't seen it. Get to it. Chop - Chop.