If you love the classic pineapple upside-down cake but want a fun and easy twist, these Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Bars are perfect for you! They combine the tropical sweetness of pineapple with a rich, buttery cake base. Plus, they’re baked in single bars, making them perfect for sharing at gatherings or enjoying as a sweet treat any time.

THE-BEST-PINEAPPLE-UPSIDE-DOWN-CAKE-BARS-RECIPE

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Why You’ll Love This

These Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Bars are a delightful treat that combines the rich, buttery flavor of yellow cake with the sweet, tangy taste of pineapple and cherries. The bars are topped with a caramelized layer that adds a touch of elegance and flavor. They’re easy to make and perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a casual family get-together or a festive celebration.

Ingredients Needed

For the Topping:

Canned pineapple slices in juice: The pineapple slices add a tangy, sweet flavor to the bars, while the juice is essential for making the cake moist and flavorful. The slices sit at the bottom of the pan but will end up on top once the cake is flipped.
Maraschino cherries: These cherries provide a pop of color and a sweet, fruity bite. Placed in the center of the pineapple slices, they create that classic look and taste.
Butter, melted: The melted butter combines with the brown sugar to create a sticky, caramel-like topping that coats the pineapples and cherries, making every bite extra delicious.
Light brown sugar: Brown sugar adds a rich, molasses-like sweetness to the topping, blending perfectly with the butter to create a gooey, caramelized layer under the fruit.

For the Cake:

Yellow cake mix: This is the base of the cake, making it soft and light. Using a box mix keeps things simple, but it still delivers that classic, homemade flavor.
All-purpose flour: Adding flour gives the cake a bit more structure and helps it rise, making the bars sturdier without being too dense.
Baking powder: This helps the cake rise, ensuring it’s fluffy and airy. It works with the flour and other ingredients to give the cake its perfect texture.
Granulated sugar: Extra sugar sweetens the cake batter and balances out the tartness of the pineapple juice.
Pineapple juice: Taken from the canned pineapples, the juice adds a punch of tropical flavor to the cake and keeps it moist. It ties the whole dessert together with that signature pineapple taste.
Milk: Milk gives the cake a creamy texture and helps blend all the dry ingredients together smoothly, ensuring a tender crumb.
Vegetable oil: This adds moisture and keeps the cake soft, giving it that melt-in-your-mouth texture without being greasy.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla brings a warm, sweet undertone that enhances all the other flavors, making the cake taste rich and homemade.

How To Make It

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Prepare the pan by greasing it lightly for easy removal of the bars.
In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter and light brown sugar. Spread this mixture evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan.
Arrange the pineapple slices over the sugar mixture and place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple slice.
In a large bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and granulated sugar.
Add the pineapple juice, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.
Pour the cake batter evenly over the pineapple and cherry layer.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Then, cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the bars cool completely before enjoying.

Save

Easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake Bars

If you love the classic pineapple upside-down cake but want a fun and easy twist, these Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Bars are perfect for you!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 12

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 57

Calories: 378kcal

Servings:

Ingredients

20 oz canned pineapple slices in juice not syrup
12 maraschino cherries
1/4 cup butter melted
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup pineapple juice reserved from canned pineapple
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a baking pan by greasing it lightly for easy removal of the bars.
In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter and light brown sugar. Spread this mixture evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan.
Arrange the pineapple slices over the sugar mixture and place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple slice.
In a large bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, granulated sugar, and baking powder.
Add the pineapple juice, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.
Pour the cake batter evenly over the pineapple and cherry layer.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Then, cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the bars cool completely before enjoying.

Nutrition

Recipe Success Tips

Make sure to use pineapple slices in juice, not syrup, to keep the bars from being too sweet.
Be sure to save the pineapple juice from the can as it’s used in the cake batter for extra pineapple flavor.
Covering the pan with aluminum foil helps to keep the bars moist and ensures they bake evenly.
For an extra touch of caramelization, you can brush the bars with a bit of melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar before baking.