Dear Jill
AGA COOKERY DOCTOR`S EASY PINEAPPLE-UPSIDE-DOWN PUDDING
Here I have a simple recipe for you to try which is popular with children and adults alike. It is best served hot or warm, with plenty of custard or single cream. I have never encountered a recipe for a cake version, but this is based on a simple sponge, so I am sure it will go down well.
Base
2 oz (50g) butter, softened
2 oz (50g) soft dark brown sugar
8 oz (227g) tin of pineapple rings
2 oz (50g) glacé cherries
All-in-one Sponge
4 oz (100g) soft margarine
4 oz (100g) caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz (175g) self-raising flour
2-3 tbsp milk
Butter a 7 inch (18cm) deep sandwich tin, spreading it lightly around the sides and more generously on the base. Drain the pineapple rings using a sieve over a bowl, reserving the liquid. Sprinkle the sugar over evenly. Arrange the pineapple rings in a pattern in the sugar and halve enough cherries to fill each hole, placing the cut surface uppermost. (If in a hurry, instead of the butter and sugar, you can cheat and line the tin with a disk of Bake-O-Glide or baking parchment and pour in golden syrup to a 1/4 inch (5mm) depth - certainly this was traditionally the usual ploy in most school kitchens; I share this in case you are trying to re-create your childhood school favourite!).
Mix together all the ingredients except the milk: beat hard by hand for 2 minutes or mix for 30 seconds in a KitchenAid or food processor, then scrape down and give it a further 10 second blitz. Add enough milk to give a smooth dropping consistency. Spread evenly over the pineapple rings.
2 oven Aga
ROASTING OVEN: Bake on a grid shelf on the floor of the oven with a cold plain shelf on the second set of runners above for 25-35 minutes.
3 or 4 oven Aga
BAKING OVEN: Bake on a grid shelf on the third set of runners down for 25-35 minutes.
The pudding is cooked when the top is firm and golden and the pudding is shrinking slightly from the sides of the tin. Test the centre of the sponge with a clean knife. If it appears to be at all under-cooked, transfer to the Simmering Oven for a further 10-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave for 2-3 minutes before inverting onto a warm plate, leaving the tin in position. Keep hot in the Simmering Oven until ready to serve.
Easy Pineapple Sauce
10 fl oz (300ml) reserved pineapple juice/syrup
2-3 tsp arrowroot
caster sugar
lemon juice
Slake the arrowroot in a cup with a little of the cold juice, and whisk into the remainder heating in a small pan on the Simmering Plate. Cook until the sauce is simmering and has become transparent. If juice and not syrup was used, add a little caster sugar to taste. A little lemon juice may also improve the flavour.
Remove the tin carefully from the pudding, spoon over a little of the sauce and serve the remainder separately, together with far too much custard or single cream.
VARIATIONS
Chocolate Pear Pudding
Use tinned pears (you will need a tin half as big again to yield enough fruit) and substitute 1 oz (25g) of sieved cocoa for 1 oz (25g) of the flour when making the sponge.
Ginger and Apricot Pudding
Use tinned apricots (you will need a tin half as big again to yield enough fruit), replace the cherries with pieces of preserved stem ginger. Also add 1/2 tsp of ground ginger to the sponge mixture. Incorporate a few tablespoons of the preserved ginger syrup or add a little ginger wine when making the sauce.
Enjoy!
Best Wishes
Richard Maggs
THE AGA COOKERY DOCTOR
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Richard I would like an easy recipe for pineapple upside down cake. I have attempted two different recipes - they failed or I did. Thank you Jill Kelley