angostura bitters pineapple upside down cake

If you like pop music, I am utterly convinced that you would, like me, find Hanson’s 2010 release Shout it Out to be the penultimate pop record. I would like to preface by stating that if you don’t like Hanson, you are either a guy, or are someone who must not actually like pop music. Or both.

Between them, the brothers Hanson have about 35 kids, and yet they are still able to devote time to crafting perfect pop music. With each record they’ve released, their sound has remained essentially the same (due to Taylor’s charismatically identifiable vocals), and yet their songs have become richer, deeper, and – I believe – respectable to the point of being labeled as perfect pop songs. If all you know of them is MMMBop, then to be honest, you don’t know jack.

Their new one. And it is amazeballs!

The Hanson of present-day seem to be a well-kept secret, closeted amongst women who spend their days reminiscing of the 1990s, clutching their dog-eared copies of Baby-sitters Club and Saddle Club novels, wearing their faded ☆NSYNC t-shirts, and occasionally re-watching Spice World while staring at those impossible platform boots and remembering how damn much they wanted that one pair with flames down the sides available from the dELIA*s catalog that one time. Err, right. So I’m just describing myself, but that’s only because I haven’t yet met any other fans of Hanson’s recent discography.

The above enamored discourse is coincidentally well-timed. While I had planned to just write paragraph upon paragraph on why listening to the 3-year old Shout it Out while baking made for the best-tasting pineapple upside-down cake ever, I found whilst doing my bimonthly “where are they now?” search that [sound the bugles!] Hanson have a new single being released tomorrow, on April 9th (SQQQQQQQUUUUUEEEEEEE!!) with a full album and world tour to follow in June. From my strategically-placed location in the middle of nowhere (get it?!???), I could make it to like four stops of the tour. Ohmygosh.

Anyway, the guy in my life much prefers pineapple upside-down cake to Hanson. I try to make it for him a few times every year, although I’ve never made it the same way twice. That might change now that I’ve baked up what you see here.

The juicy sweetness of the canned pineapple and maraschino cherries is fancifully paired with Angostura bitters – that same mysterious mixture of herbs and spices commonly used as an additive to cocktails. Given that my drink of choice is an Old Fashioned (Sweet), garnished with orange and maraschino cherry and flavored with bitters, finding myself in the kitchen liberally dousing pineapple cake batter with Angostura isn’t such a stretch.

Angostura Bitters Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

{recipe inspiration here}

2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
3-4 dashes Angostura bitters
6 pineapple rings (canned, juice reserved)
Maraschino cherries

Heat oven to 350F. Butter an 8″ square pan, line with a square of parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Cream butter, brown sugar, and bitters in a small bowl. Spread mixture into the prepared pan – I find that five or six seconds in the microwave helps to give this mixture sufficiently easy spreadage. Place pineapple rings and Maraschino cherries as desired on top of the butter mixture. I was able to fit five rings, plus a sixth that had been cut into quarters.

10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
1 1/2 c. flour
heaping 1/2 tsp salt
heaping 1/4 tsp baking soda
heaping 1/4 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/4 c. Greek yogurt (I used peach-flavored)
4 tsp pineapple juice (reserved from can)
5-10 dashes Angostura bitters

In the bowl of a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment), or by hand if you’d like a brief workout, beat the 10 tbsp butter with granulated sugar for several minutes, until light, fluffy and fully mixed. Meanwhile, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl.

When the butter mixture is fully incorporated, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the Greek yogurt, pineapple juice, and bitters.

Pour batter into pan over fruit, spreading evenly with a spatula, pushing batter into the corners and along the pan’s edges.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, rotating once, until cake is caramelized and golden brown on the edges, and cooked through. Remove from oven, and set on a cooling rack for 30-45 minutes. When cool, turn out onto a plate, remove parchment paper, and serve.

Pineapple upside-down cake: making cats jealous since always.