Pineapple Upside Down cupcakes

Some people like, some people don't..I happen to love pineapple upside down cake. This was one of our desserts over the weekend, and it was so nice that you could just pick one up and go instead of having to cut a piece of it from a cake. I did have one little issue, I think I put too much of the brown sugar mixture in the bottom because it ended up coming out of the tops of the muffin pan and down in my oven causing my kitchen to look like we were in a fog..but it didn't effect the taste of these. They still had that sweet topping that we all love!

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

Topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
12 pineapple rings, I used pineapple chunks
12 maraschino cherries

Cake:
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup pineapple, juice, reserved from can
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with baking spray or grease with butter. Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice for the cake batter. Combine brown sugar and melted butter in a small bowl. Evenly divide among each of the muffin cups, about one teaspoon per cup. Cut about 1/3 out of each pineapple ring and arrange over the brown sugar mixture...this is where I just placed the pineapple chunks in a circle. :) Add a cherry in the center of each ring.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Add butter, pineapple juice and vanilla and beat on low until just combined. Increase speed to medium and beat two minutes. Add the egg and beat in until well incorporated. Evenly divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 of the way full. Bake approximately 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes five minutes in the pan and then flip onto ta platter or covered rack.

Low Sugar Pineapple Pudding Cake

I get daily emails from Taste of Home and this was one that I got earlier this week. I knew right then I would make it. This cake is on the healthy side and all the kiddos, including the hubby, liked it too. The recipe originally called for pineapple..and while that is good too...I could so see this with fresh sliced strawberries or bananas, even peaches. I think whatever fruit you like, it would go well with this dessert.

Pineapple Pudding Cake
From: Taste of Home

1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cups cold fat free milk
1 pkg (1 oz) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
1 pkg (8 oz) fat free cream cheese
1 can (20 oz) frozen fat free, sugar free whipped topping, thawed

Prepare cake mix batter according to package directions; pour into a 13x9 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack.

In a bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft set.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in pudding mixture until blended. Spread evenly over cake. Sprinkle with pineapple; spread with whipped topping. Refrigerate until serving.

Pineapple Right Side Up Cake

If you are looking for the buttery, gooey pineapple upside down cake, it is not here. But, if you are looking for a variation of it that is healthy and counts as 2 WW points per serving, you have found it. While visiting a forum that I am a member of, I clicked on the healthy recipes and found this one from Bunny. Everything that she makes comes out wonderful, so I knew that I wanted to try it.

The verdict of this cake? It was actually ok. It is healthier than the normal cake, so don't expect it to taste just like it, but it was good.

Pineapple Right Side Up Cake

from: Bunny

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drain and reserve juice

1/3 cup skim milk

1/3 cup egg substitute, or 4 egg whites

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch square pan with cooking spray. Stir together the applesauce, reserved pineapple juice, milk, egg substitute, and vanilla. Combine flour, white sugar and baking powder. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Spread batter into the pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter with crushed pineapple. Sprinkle brown sugar over the pineapple. Bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick tests clean. Cool 10 minutes and serve warm.

I like cherries in my pineapple cake, so I topped each serving with a cherry and it sank to the middle of the cake. So, it is like you get a surprise with every serving! :)