This stunning dessert is the perfect cross between a pineapple upside down cake and classic rum cake in beautiful bundt cake presentation--a truly decadent treat! Originally posted in July 2017 and last updated April 2021.
In case you didn't know, pineapple upside-down cake is one of my favorite kinds of cake. I have fond memories of enjoying the box-mix version throughout childhood but decided to attempt one from scratch once I got to college and had my own kitchen. The cakes made back then tasted great and looked pretty good, too, but I had never actually perfected my recipe until recently. I then made it even better by adding rum!
Yes. Today, we are talking all about how to make the perfect pineapple upside down cake with rum. Once you've had my delicately flavored pineapple cake amped up with spiced dark buttered rum, you'll never look back. The look of this cake also sets it apart. Let's get into the delicious details.
If you like upside down cakes, add these recipes to your list, too.
Rum Sauce for Pineapple Upside Down Cake
You're probably wondering what is in the rum cake sauce that sets this boozy pineapple upside-down bundt cake recipe off. Here are the ingredients:
- Dark Spiced Rum
- Melted Butter
- Pineapple Juice
- Sugar
The otherwise classic pineapple upside down cake soaks up all of this boozy goodness and becomes a grown and sexy dessert. What I mean by this is that the liquor isn't cooked out of it so it isn't necessarily a family friendly cake. Enjoy it responsibly. As far as the boozy-infusion, there are just a couple of extra steps to make this magic: poke the baked cake with holes all over then return it to the pan and slowly pour on the rum butter glaze. Now you have a drunken pineapple upside down cake.
And if you're wondering how to arrange the pineapples and cherries for this pineapple upside down bundt cake from scratch, here's a look at that step in the process. It's pleasing to the eye (especially if you like things to be perfectly in order, like me) and they can serve as natural dividers when cutting slices of the cake. Now, bundt cake takes a little longer to bake than, say, a sheet cake but the result is undeniably gorgeous. This is the showstopper you want to serve a dinner party and I can tell you from experience that there will be no pieces left. It's a hit every single time.
Tips for Baking the Best Pineapple Upside Down Rum Cake
- What kind of brown sugar to use in pineapple upside down cake? You can use either light or dark brown sugar in this recipe. Either one works but dark brown sugar will provide a deeper, molasses-like flavor.
- How to keep pineapple upside down cake from sticking to pan? Pineapple upside down cake is very buttery by nature so sticking to the pan is not likely but still be sure to use a nonstick bundt pan.
- Which rack to bake upside-down cake on? Be sure to bake this pineapple rum upside down cake on the middle rack in order to avoid burning the pineapple brown sugar topping.
- When to flip my pineapple upside down cake? This step is important with regular upside down cakes and even more so with this spiked upside down cake. After baking, let the cake sit in the pan for about 10 minutes before inverting onto a platter. It should come out easily at this point and I have more tips on how to flip a pineapple upside down cake here.
- Can I make pineapple upside down rum cake ahead of time? This cake is best served immediately after the rum has had time to soak in so I don't recommend making it ahead. If you do need to make it in advance, bake the cake, remove it from the pan after 10 minutes, and allow it to fully cool then cover it and place in the refrigerator. Before serving, allow it to come to room temperature then make the rum sauce and resume the recipe steps from there.
I hope you make my tipsy pineapple upside-down rum cake for yourself and people you love very soon. So many of you have already enjoyed it all around the world and that's truly gratifying. If you give it a try, let me know in the comments below. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this drunken pineapple dessert recipe on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
How to Make Rum Pineapple Upside Down Cake
📖 Recipe
Tipsy Pineapple Upside-Down Rum Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ cup milk room temperature
- ¾ cup butter melted
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Rum Glaze
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- ½ cup spiced dark rum
- ½ cup sugar
Cake Topping
- ½ cup butter
- 1 can sliced pineapple rings cut slices into half circles and reserve juice
- 10 ounce jar of maraschino cherries
- ¾ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add butter from topping ingredients into bundt pan and place in oven to melt for about two minutes.
- Meanwhile, add flour, sea salt, and baking powder to a bowl and whisk to combine. In another bowl, combine ¼ cup pineapple juice from the can of slices, milk, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and egg and mix until uniform.
- Add wet mixture to dry and stir until batter is uniform and no dry pockets remain. Set aside.
- Carefully remove pan of melted butter from oven and mix in brown sugar to create the topping. Arrange pineapple slices and cherries in pan as shown. Carefully pour cake batter over top.
- Place pan on middle rack of oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into multiple parts of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes then invert onto a platter.
- Using a wooden skewer or toothpick, pole several holes in all sides of the cake. Place cake back in pan and poke more holes into bottom of cake.
- Combine rum syrup ingredients in a small bowl and mix vigorously until uniform. Then slowly pour rum syrup over top of cake, allowing it to flow into the poked holes.
- Allow cake to soak for about an hour then invert it again onto a plate and serve warm. Do not refrigerate cake during this step.
Notes
Nutrition
Charla says
Jazzmine, this cake looks SUPER moist and so glad to hear you've upgraded from the box version to making your own from scratch. Good job!
SHANIKA says
Wow, this cake is beautiful! I love how you tucked the pineapples inside the cake batter and adding rum of course makes it even better! Definitely wanna try this!
Immaculate says
Yum! this is brilliant
Stephanie Petersen says
Beautiful job!!
Jazz says
Thanks, Stephanie!
Nick says
A quick question about the recipe — in the ingredient list for the cake “topping” that goes in before the cake batter, you specifically say a can of pineapple rings cut in half and the juice from said can.
No mention of pineapple juice in the butter/sugar/pineapple/cherry “base” instructions. Am I correct in assuming the juice only goes into the cake batter and the glaze that goes on after baking?
Jazz says
Hi, Nick! Yes, that's correct. Pineapple juice goes in the cake batter and the rum glaze.
lesley sullivan says
my mouth is watering! What a perfect dessert for this weekend 🙂
Stacey Eckert (@HomemakerStacey) says
I'm a sucker for pineapple upside down cake, always have been! I love that this is a grown, sexy cake! My hubby will love this! Thank you!
Bailey says
This is such a perfect summer dessert!
Nostalgia Diaries says
This reminds me of my grandmother's version. So pretty!
Jazz says
What a compliment! Thanks for stopping by.
Felicia @ The Starving Chef says
I LOVE how you put the slices of pineapple in the cake as little dividers. So pleasing to look at.
Jazz says
Thanks, Felicia! I never thought of them that way but I have used them as guides for slices lol.
Emily Lauren says
This is super yummy looking! I would love to try this!
Dawn says
My first time trying this as a bundt and I hope my coworkers like the glaze! Thanks for the recipe 😊
Jazz says
You're so welcome! I hope you all enjoy it.
itsahero says
Girl, this looks amazing! I once made mini pineapple upside down cakes... they looked nothing like this 😛 😛
Sarah Kranz says
I love pineapple upside down cake and I am sure this one is delicious 🙂
Nancie McDermott says
So fun and delightful! Upside-down BUNDT cake --- love this. It slices nicely too, looks like, which isn't true of a traditional pineapple upside down cake -- you're trapped by the pineapple rings!. And that glaze.....mmmmmm. Cherry recipes: WELL: I have never made clafoutis and am curious about it. I also wonder if it's possible to candy fresh cherries for fruit cakes. Yes I love and make fruitcake and wonder if there's a homemade candied cherry hack.
tanyatravels says
That's such a pretty cake. I love making pineapple upside down cake but have never tried it with rum. Sounds like a tasty addition. I am going to try it.
Neil says
Thanks Jazz. I'm a 60 year old bloke in UK & who took up baking during Lockdown. This recipe was a breeze & outcome delicious. Deviated by using fresh pineapple soaked in MountGay rum & sugar & baked in the oven (A delicouus dessert in it's own right). This softens & flavours the pineapple & makes pudding even more tipsy.
Took to family meal & showered with praise. Special occasions only as broke a calculator counting the calories.
Jazz says
Thanks so much for your feedback, Neil. So glad you enjoyed this cake and were able to make it your own.
leslie says
That is the prettiest presentation of an upside down cake I've ever seen! Great job. Can't wait to try this recipe 🙂
Jazz says
Thanks so much! I hope you love it.
Deb says
Can you use a cake mix?
Jazz says
Hi, Deb! I think a cake mix could work, however, I have not tested this recipe with one so can't speak to exactly how it would turn out. Do let me know if it works for you!
Terasa says
This cake is a winner! I made this cake for my friends birthday (he does not like cake but likes pineapple and rum ) followed the recipe step by step and it turned out exactly as pictured. It was beautiful and tasted so good he had 2 pieces! Thank you for helping me look like an amazing baker! I will definitely be making this again!
Jazz says
That is awesome, Terasa! So glad to hear y'all enjoyed the cake and that it worked out well for you.