Ghostwood Caramel Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This upside-down cake is a little more time consuming, but it’s worth the extra steps. The cake is light and fluffy, but moist. The Ghostwood caramel is very decadent. Top it with some vanilla bean ice cream!

INGREDIENTS

Caramel-

• 1 1/4 c packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 c butter, cut into smaller pieces
• 1/4 c GHOSTWOOD

CAKE-

• 1 20 oz can pineapple rings
• 1 1/3 c all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• 1 c sugar
• 1/2 c room temperature butter
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 1 c sour cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Use a 10 inch cake pan that is at least 2 inches high. Spray with cooking spray.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For caramel, cook brown sugar and butter in a small deep saucepan over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until bubbly and sugar has dissolved. Boil, whisking until caramel darkens, thickens, and pulls away from sides of pan, about 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and whisk in GHOSTWOOD, it will really bubble up at this point. Return pan to heat and bring back to a boil, cook for 1 more minute. Pour caramel into prepared cake pan, swirling until bottom is totally covered. Let cool completely to harden.
4. Drain pineapple rings and let them sit on paper towels. Arrange rings on cooled caramel without overlapping, cut rings into smaller pieces to fill in gaps if you want.
5. For the cake, measure out flour, then remove 2 tablespoons flour, and replace with 2 tablespoons cornstarch. (This is to take the place of cake flour, I haven’t been able to find it in our local store. If you do have cake flour, use 1 1/3 c cake flour and no cornstarch.) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom. Set aside.
6. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar and room temperature butter until light and fluffy, 5 to 6 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions. Scrape down sides of bowl. Beat egg mixture until doubled in volume and light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape bottom of bowl again, making sure all butter is mixed into eggs. Beat for 1 more minute.
7. Add in flour in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream. Scrape batter into pan, smooth top.
8. Set pan on a cookie sheet in case it spills over. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until tester comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack. Let cake cool in pan for 30 minutes. Run a knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Invert cake onto a large plate. Make ahead, cake can sit for up to 8 hours at room temperature.