Ancient Grain Pineapple Upside Down Cake

makes 1 pineapple upside down cake | active time: 20 minutes | full time: 50 minutes | easy

there's something so satisfying about flipping a pineapple upside down cake—that moment when you reveal those perfectly caramelized pineapple rings nestled in golden, buttery cake. we're using our Golden Hour mix to make this retro classic even better, with spelt adding this subtle nuttiness that pairs beautifully with the sweet-tart pineapple.

the magic is in that brown sugar butter topping that bubbles and caramelizes while the cake bakes above it. when you flip it, all that golden goodness becomes this gorgeous, glossy top that looks like something from a fancy bakery. it's nostalgic comfort food with an ancient grain twist—familiar but elevated.

ingredients:

topping:

• 50g butter
• 100g brown sugar
• pineapple rings (canned or fresh)

cake:

• 1 package Ollin Golden Hour yellow cake mix
• 1 stick butter, melted and cooled
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk (or swap for pineapple juice for extra tang)

instructions:

1. preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. melt butter for topping in your cake pan, sprinkle brown sugar evenly, then arrange pineapple rings on top.
3. mix cake ingredients until just combined—don't overmix.
4. pour batter carefully over pineapple arrangement.
5. bake 35-40 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. 
6. let cool 5 minutes, then run a knife around edges and flip onto serving plate.
7. serve warm and watch everyone's faces light up.