An easy recipe for gluten-free pineapple upside down cake. A soft butter cake with a brown sugar glaze that coats the pineapple and maraschino cherry topping. This gluten-free dessert recipe also has a dairy-free option.

Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This gluten-free pineapple upside down cake is the classic recipe, just like you remember. A buttery cake with a caramelized brown sugar, pineapple, and maraschino cherry topping.

The gluten-free butter cake in this recipe is a moist but dense cake. The cake needs to be a little denser than traditional layered cakes so it can hold the extra moisture and weight of the brown sugar, pineapple, and maraschino cherry topping.

You can see just how easy it is to make this gluten-free pineapple upside down cake in the recipe step photos and in the recipe video.

How To Make Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Spray a 9-inch cake pan with gluten-free cooking spray. I have used both a round and square cake pan to make this cake.
Pour the melted butter into the bottom of the cake pan.
Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over top of the melted butter. (photo 1)
Place the pineapple slices in the bottom of the cake pan.
Place the maraschino cherries in the centers of the pineapples and in the spaces in between the pineapples. (photo 2)
In a medium-sized bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar with a mixer until fluffy.
Add the pure vanilla extract and egg to the butter mixture and mix until creamy.
Add the gluten-free flour with xanthan gum, gluten-free baking powder, and salt to the butter mixture. Mix until fully combined.
Pour in the milk and mix until the cake batter is smooth. The cake batter will be thick.
Pour the cake batter into the cake pan over the pineapples and cherries. Use a spatula to smooth the top of the cake batter. (photo 3)
Bake on the middle rack for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick entered into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. (photo 5)
Flip the cake pan over onto a cake plate. Allow the cake to cool for another 10 minutes before serving. (photo 6)
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate.

Gluten-Free Flour

For this recipe, I used Pillsbury gluten-free flour. It is a rice flour cup for cup blend. A cup-for-cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend is one that already has the starches and xanthan gum.

Most gluten-free all-purpose flour blends have starches and xanthan gum already in them. The xanthan gum helps replace the elasticity and texture of gluten.

So make sure to check the ingredients of your gluten-free flour as not to add any extra xanthan gum to your flour if it already includes it. If you add extra xanthan gum to the recipe, you will get gummy cake!

Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.

Tips For The Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake

To keep your cake from getting soggy, blot any excess liquid from the pineapple slices with a paper towel.
You can use fresh pineapple slices, but I find using canned pineapple just as flavorful (and easier too).
You can bake this cake in either a 9-inch round or square cake pan.
Don’t forget to grease the cake pan.
Don’t skip the step to allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before flipping it over!
This cake can be served warm or cold. I like it best served warm.

Pro Tip For Measuring Gluten-Free Flour

First, it’s important to use a measuring cup made for dry ingredients (not a pyrex liquid measuring cup) to measure flour. I always measure gluten-free flour with the “spoon & level” method.

I use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Then I use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup.

Please do not scoop the flour out of the bag with your measuring cup. If you do, you could end up with more flour than is called for in the recipe.

Dairy-Free Baking

For the dairy-free option, I used unsweetened almond milk and Smart Balance butter. I promise it is just as delicious made with dairy-free butter and dairy-free milk. So, you too can enjoy a gluten-free and dairy-free pineapple upside down cake.

Most of my family is also dairy-free (including me), so I always try and have a dairy-free option to my recipes.

Easy Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Making a gluten-free pineapple upside down cake from scratch is super easy. It only takes a few simple ingredients to make the cake batter, brown sugar glaze, and fruit topping.

Pineapple upside down cake is one of my family’s favorites. This classic cake is perfect any time of the year!

Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake {Dairy-Free Option}