UPSIDE-DOWN PINEAPPLE CUTOUT CAKE

• servings: YIELD: one 12-inch skill
• active time: ACTIVE TIME: about 40 mi

Ingredients

1 large golden pineapple (about 4 pounds)

Cake Batter:

1¾ cups | 8 ounces all-purpose flour, such as Gold Medal

1 cup |7 ounces sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (half as much if iodized)

⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 stick |4 ounces unsalted butter, soft but cool--about 65°F

2 large eggs, straight from the fridge ¾ cup |6 ounces unsweetened coconut milk (full-fat or lite)

1 tablespoon dark rum or vanilla extract

Brown Sugar Tapping:

¾ cup packed | 6 ounces light or dark

brown sugar

⅛ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (half as much if iodized)

¼ cup |2 ounces unsweetened coconut milk (full-fat or lite)

Directions

Prepare the pineapple:

With a chef's knife, cut off the pineapple's leafy top and its thick-skinned bottom so that it stands upright.

Starting on one side, slice three or four ½ inch slabs, until you reach the core. Repeat on the opposite side (discard each "heel"), then slice off the remaining "columns" of fruit.

Make the cake:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with a parchment round.

Sift flour into the bowl of a stand mixer (if using cup measures, spoon into the cups and level with a knife before sifting). Add sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and butter, then mix on low with a paddle attachment until the butter disappears into the floury mix, about 2 minutes.

Add eggs, coconut milk, and rum all at once and mix to form a grainy batter, about 20 seconds. Scrape the bowl and beater with a flexible spatula, then fold once or twice to ensure the batter is well mixed from the bottom up.

For the topping:

In a small bowl, stir brown sugar, salt, and coconut milk together with a fork. Pour into the prepared skillet, then arrange the pineapple cutouts on top, nestling the pieces together as close as you can (they will shrink as they bake). Pour the batter on top.

Bake until tawny brown and firm, though your fingertip may leave a faint indentation--about 55 minutes (roughly 210°F).

Loosen the edges of the cake with a knife, place an inverted serving plate on top and, with oven mitts, flip the whole thing over. Remove the skillet and serve warm.

Wrapped tightly in plastic, leftovers will keep for up to 4 days at room temperature.

Notes

from reddit: use a 10 in pan, not 12