Pineapple Upside Down Cake

A Dutch Oven, or DO, is a cast-iron cooking pot that acts just like a mini oven and is often used on camping adventures and overnight rafting trips. It is amazing how many different and delicious dishes you can cook out in the wilderness with a Dutch Oven!

Another great Dutch Oven delight is Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside Down Cake. This easy recipe is a great way to impress your friends on the river and is absurdly delicious!

Ingredients (makes one DO Pineapple Upside Down Cake):
Topping:
4 Tbs. Butter
1 cup brown Sugar
7-8 pineapple rings
7-8 Maraschino Cherries
*adding walnuts can be a delicious addition!

Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs

Preparation:
1. Light coals (you’ll want 2 times as many coals as the diameter of your Dutch Oven. i.e. if you have a Dutch Oven that has a diameter of 12 inches light 24 coals.)
2. In a mixing bowl combine cake mix, pineapple juice, water, eggs and oil. Mix well and set aside.
3. Melt butter in the bottom of the dutch oven.
4. Sprinkle brown sugar over butter and let it dissolve. Do not stir.
5. Place 6-7 pineapples in a ring on top of brown sugar with one pineapple in the center.
6. Place cherries inside the center of each pineapple ring.
7. Spread cake mix over pineapples and cherries evenly and to the edges.
8. Cover with lid.
9. By now your coals should be ready (they should look grey and no longer very black).
10. Evenly space one third of the coals on a fire pan and put DO on it. Then, place the other 2 thirds of the coals on top of the DO.
11. Let the cake cook until you can smell it coming from the DO (that’s how you’ll know its done!).
12. Serve and enjoy! (Be careful because the DO and cake will be very hot!)

*Style tip: If you want to flip your upside down cake and present it with the pineapples on top. put tin foil on the bottom of the dutch oven before adding anything into it. This will allow you to flip the cake when it is done, then just peel off the tin foil and voila, you have a beautiful cake!

Joan Sundeen
Office Staff & River Guide