Almond Flour Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

Almond Flour Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

Almond Flour Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

Topping Ingredients:

• 5 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 6-7 slices canned pineapple
• 12 maraschino cherries, sliced in half

Cake Ingredients:

• 3 cups blanched almond flour/meal*
• 1/2 cup white sugar 
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 medium eggs or 1 large egg plus 1 egg white
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional Caramel Sauce (if the cake isn't sweet enough already):

• 1/2 cup pineapple juice from the can of sliced pineapples
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Spray two 12-cup muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray
•  Prepare the topping:
• Melt the 5 1/2 tablespoons butter and then stir in the brown sugar. Stir until smooth.
• Evenly distribute the brown sugar/butter mixture into the bottoms of the sprayed muffin pans.
• Cut the pineapple slices into small pieces, about 12 pieces per slice. Arrange 3-4 pieces of pineapple and half of a maraschino cherry on top of the brown sugar/butter mixture in each muffin cup. Set aside.
•  Prepare the cake:
• In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar, salt, & baking powder.
• Whisk together the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla.
• Combine the wet with the dry ingredients with a silicone/rubber spatula.
•  Spoon,scoop, or otherwise distribute batter into the muffin cups.
• Place a sheet of foil under each muffin pan in case there is overflow.
• Bake muffins at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 16-18 minutes, or until done and browned around the edges.
• While cakes bake, heat the pineapple juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the juice is boiling, add the 1/2 cup brown sugar, stir, and continue to boil over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces a bit thickens. It will be the consistence of a thin caramel sauce. Turn off the heat and add the 2 tablespoons butter and stir to melt and incorporate.
• This is the hard part: once cupcakes are baked, allow to cool just a few minutes. use a sharp, thin knife to loosen the edges of the cupcakes form the sides of the pans.Then place a baking sheet over the top of the pan and carefully flip. Best of luck to you getting them to come out pretty. Let me know if you have a trick I can try.

 Makes about 24 cupcakes

Reality. The pineapple stuck to the bottoms of almost all of the muffin tins.