Tropical upside-down pineapple cake

This healthier take on an old-fashioned favourite lets you have your cake and eat it too! In the original recipe, icing is normally high in sugar and often has little nutritional value, so we’ve curbed that by turning the cake on its head… literally!

The pineapple slices make a great sweet addition and work well with the coconut. Using Greek yoghurt also helps bring the total fat content down without sacrificing taste or texture.

It you end up with leftovers, pop the cake into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to three days. This cake can also be frozen for up to two months if wrapped tightly in cling wrap. To defrost, leave it in the fridge overnight.

Serves: 1 cake equates to 12 slices
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 35 – 40 mins

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 can pineapple slices, drained
• 1 cup Greek yoghurt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1½ cup flour
• 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
• 2 tsp baking powder

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C (fan forced).
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, maple syrup and cinnamon together. Spread evenly across bottom of a 20cm square pan. Arrange pineapple slices over the top of mixture.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Greek yoghurt, olive oil, honey and vanilla extract until smooth. Add in eggs one at a time, whisking well until combined.
4. Add in flour, desiccated coconut and baking powder. Stir gently until just combined.
5. Pour batter over your pineapple-lined baking pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Loosen sides of cake from pan with a knife. Invert cake onto serving platter; let stand five minutes before removing pan. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Want to make it gluten free? Substitute the flour for 1½ cups almond meal.
Want to make it dairy free? Substitute the butter for coconut oil and the yogurt for coconut yoghurt.

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Nutritional info

Per serving