Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Cathy@MSintheCountry.com
An easy gluten-free pineapple upside-down cake made with a boxed mix and flax eggs. It's dense and tender like a muffin, and baked in one 8" x 8" dish.
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 32 minutes mins
Course Desserts
Cuisine American
For the Pineapple Base
- 1 can 20 oz crushed pineapple, drained completely (press out as much liquid as you can; reserve the juice)
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For the Cake Batter
- 1 box Simple Mills Vanilla Cupcake & Cake Mix
- 3 flax eggs 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal + 1/2 cup warm water, rested 10 minutes until thick
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice
Make the flax eggs. Mix 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal with 1/2 cup warm water in a small cup and set aside for 10 minutes, until thick and gel-like.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease the inside walls of the 8" x 8" dish with a tiny drop of olive oil.
Pour the maple syrup and 1 tablespoon olive oil into the bottom of the dish and spread evenly. Add the well-drained crushed pineapple and press it down firmly with a spatula into a dense, even layer.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the thickened flax eggs, 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons water, and 1 tablespoon pineapple juice. Add the dry cake mix and stir until fully combined. The batter will be quite thick.
Spoon the batter evenly over the pineapple and smooth it to the edges with the back of a spoon.
Grasping both handles with oven mitts, slide the dish onto the center rack. Bake for 32 to 37 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely in the dish. Slice into squares and lift the bars out with a spatula, pineapple side up.
Draining: Press the pineapple as dry as you can. Extra liquid makes the cake gummy.
Bake time: Crushed pineapple needs a couple more minutes than tidbits.
Texture: This version is denser and more muffin-like than a classic cake. Keyword easy gluten-free dessert, egg-free dessert, flax egg cake, gluten-free pineapple upside-down cake, MS-friendly dessert, pineapple upside-down cake bars, Simple Mills cake mix