What I did on my Thursday evening

A thing you need to know about me is that I use my cooking skills, primarily baking, to get people to like me. You'd be surprised at how many people can be won over with a single batch of oatmeal raisin cookies-- I am that good. Also, modesty. I'm good at that.


Anyway. A pineapple arrived in the mail today at work. Yes, you read that correctly-- a pineapple. At the office. In a box, shrouded with packing foam. From Harry and David, as part of a fruit subscription that one of our clients bought us for Christmas; I think the pineapple was supplementary because we had already gotten our allotted fruit (plums) for the month. Although we have knives and cutting boards in our "kitchen" in the office, I wasn't feeling quite like dismembering a pineapple, and my boss suggested I take it home and "make something delicious" with it.

And so, hoping to make him like me, just a little bit (the man is so hard to read, it's really insane), I suggested that I would make a pineapple upside-down cake. Because what else am I going to do with a pineapple? That I've never attempted upside-down cake-making wasn't even an issue here: I like a good challenge, and with the help of Epicurious, I was soon armed with the know-how and ready to get to business.


First, dismemberment. I vaguely remembered watching at least one Food Network show about the proper way to do this, but mostly, I improvised.


With the tough skin and core thus dispatched, I made quick work of what amounted to a large bowlful of pineapple chunks (bonus: there are totally some left over for snacking!).


The cake mix itself is a fairly simple affair, with the usual creaming method of butter and sugar, then adding milk and dry ingredients in alternate batches. With everything layered-- the pineapples studding the bottom of the pan, which had been covered with a brown sugar/butter mixture (hey, cake is not healthy, ok?), then the batter poured over the top, we were ready to bake.


After about 45 or so minutes of baking time, the tester that pierced the bottom (soon to be the top!) of the cake came out clean, and it was ready to emerge from the oven. With a bit of cooling, the cake came very easily out of the pan, and thus became an upside-down cake (note the absence of maraschino cherries-- they do not belong in baked goods! Only cocktails). Think this will curry some favor with the bossman? I mean, even if it doesn't work, at least I will get to have some cake.

And now, friends, I am off to catch up on The Office and 30 Rock-- I missed last week because of the Braves. Thaaaaanks, Chipper Jones.