How to Bake a Dutch-Oven Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Bake a delicious Dutch-oven dessert at your next campout using this step-by-step recipe.

Servings: 8-10

Total time: 1 hour

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE A PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

• 12” camp Dutch oven
• Large mixing bowl
• Parchment paper
• Nonstick baking spray
• Heatproof serving plate
• 1 15.25-oz. can pineapple slices in juice, undrained
• 1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
• ½ cup (one stick) cold butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 10-oz. jar maraschino cherries, drained
• 1 15.25-oz. package Pillsbury traditional yellow cake mix
• 3 eggs
• ⅓ cup sunflower oil

PREPARATION

1. Reserve 1 cup pineapple juice from the pineapple slices and crushed pineapple. Drain the remainder of the juice.

2. Slice butter into thin pats and arrange in the bottom of parchment paper-lined Dutch oven.

3. Evenly sprinkle brown sugar over the butter.

4. Set pineapple rings over the brown sugar, covering the bottom, side by side, no more than a single layer deep.

5. Place cherries in holes in the pineapple rings and in the gaps between the pineapple slices.

6. In the bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, oil, drained crushed pineapple and the cup of pineapple juice previously set aside. Mix well to remove lumps.

7. Place Dutch oven over 25 coals and allow butter to melt.

8. Pour cake batter over pineapple.

9. Place lid on oven, then transfer 17 coals to the lid, leaving 8 under the oven.

10. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until top of cake is golden brown and an inserted knife comes out clean.

11. Remove lid and, using heavy oven mitts, carefully place a heatproof serving plate upside down over the oven. Carefully flip the oven to drop cake onto the plate. The foil will remain attached to the cake as it drops.

12. Remove foil from the cake and serve.

From The Scout’s Large Groups Cookbook by Tim and Christine Conners