By Final exam done. Paper grade came back: 96. Overall course grade: A minus. I am a college student with an A minus. I am not the kind of person who has historically gotten A minuses in things and this is taking some revision of self-understanding.
Dr. Watkins met with me after the final as she promised. She wants me to think about continuing toward the full associate degree, not just the certificate. She said my writing shows that I am not just a practitioner but someone who thinks analytically about practice, which is the combination that produces people who change things. I did not know what to do with that sentence so I just said thank you and drove home and sat in my parking lot again.
Told Gloria at Sunday dinner. We were making pineapple upside-down cake, which is a December thing for her, a holiday lead-up, and I was melting butter in the cast iron for the caramel base while she cut pineapple rings. I told her about Dr. Watkins and the A minus and the full associate degree conversation and she did not say anything for a while, just arranged the pineapple rings in the pan with great precision. Then she said: what do you want to do. I said I think I want to do it. She said then you do it. Same as before. Same answer. Consistent and clear and enough.
The pineapple upside-down cake came out perfectly. We flipped it onto the plate and the caramelized rings gleamed and James said now that is something. We ate it warm with vanilla ice cream and it tasted like December starting right.
That cake deserves to be made again — and shared. Gloria’s December pineapple upside-down cake is not a complicated recipe, but it asks for your full attention: the caramel base has to be watched, the pineapple rings arranged just so, and the flip has to be committed to without hesitation. There’s something fitting about that for a month when you’re also being asked to commit to things that feel bigger than you expected. Serve it warm, with vanilla ice cream, when the news is worth celebrating.
Classic Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (for caramel base)
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 can (20 oz) pineapple rings in juice, drained — juice reserved
- 8 to 10 maraschino cherries (optional, for ring centers)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Have a 10-inch cast iron skillet ready on the stovetop.
- Build the caramel base. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in the cast iron over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until fully dissolved and glossy, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat immediately — do not let it darken further.
- Arrange the pineapple. Lay pineapple rings in a single layer over the caramel base, fitting them snugly. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each ring if using. Set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together with a hand mixer on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Finish the batter. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the pineapple juice in two additions, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until the last streak of flour disappears — do not overmix.
- Fill the pan. Spoon the batter evenly over the pineapple rings in the skillet and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden, the edges pull slightly from the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Rest and flip. Let the cake cool in the skillet for exactly 8 minutes — no longer or the caramel will stick. Run a thin knife around the edge, place a large flat plate firmly over the skillet, and flip in one confident motion. Lift the skillet away slowly. If any ring sticks, lift it with a spatula and press it back into place.
- Serve warm. Best served within the first hour, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 385 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 56g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 175mg