Caramelised Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

I have very fond memories of school dinners and pineapple upside down cake was on the menu nearly every week, with canned pineapple and glacé cherries on top. I’ve ditched the canned pineapple and caramelised some fresh pineapple with bourbon and pink peppercorns, and drizzled boozy spiced caramel on top with a grating of fresh lime zest to give these cakes a more grown-up appeal.

Makes 12

50g (1/3 cup) hazelnuts, lightly toasted

75g (¾ cup) plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

150g (2/3 cup) butter, softened

100g (½ cup) caster sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

40g (½ cup) desiccated coconut

2 tbsp buttermilk or sour cream

TOPPING:

350g (1¾ cups) diced fresh pineapple (about 1 pineapple)

4 tbsp light brown sugar

4 tbsp dark brown sugar

100g (½ cup) butter

4 tbsp bourbon or dark rum

Good pinch of smoked sea salt flakes

Good pinch of lightly crushed pink

peppercorns

½ tsp vanilla bean paste

Zest of 1 lime, to decorate

12-hole muffin pan greased with butter

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.

2. Prepare the topping first. Cut the pineapple into 1cm dice. Put both the light and dark brown sugars and the butter into a large frying pan. Set over a low heat to melt the butter and dissolve the sugars. Simmer for 30 seconds and remove half of the buttery caramel from the pan and set aside. Add the diced pineapple to the pan and cook over a medium heat until the pineapple is tender and just starting to caramelise. Add half of the bourbon or rum, the sea salt flakes, pink peppercorns and vanilla bean paste, and cook for a further 30 seconds. Divide the pineapple and pan juices between the buttered muffin holes and set aside to cool while you prepare the cake mixture.

3. Add the remaining bourbon or rum to the reserved caramel and set aside until the cakes are cooked and cooled.

4. Whizz the toasted hazelnuts in a food processor until very finely chopped. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and whizz again until combined.

5. Cream the butter with the caster sugar until pale and light, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula from time to time. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition.

6. Add the flour and hazelnut mixture along with the desiccated coconut and buttermilk or sour cream, and mix again until thoroughly combined.

7. Divide the cake batter between the muffin holes and bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until well-risen, golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out with a moist crumb attached.

8. Run a palette knife around the inside edge of each cake to release it from the pan and turn the pan upside down onto a baking sheet to release the cakes. Leave the cakes to cool to room temperature

9. Heat the reserved rum caramel in a small pan over a low heat and spoon over the top of the cakes. Sprinkle with lime zest to serve