Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This cake has always been one of my family favorites, actually it's always been one of my dad's favorites but I 've never made a cast-iron skillet cake before until now and I must say, it's amazing.  This recipe, although I wish it were mine, is not.  But rather, this recipe is ripped entirely off Alton Brown, well not exactly I kinda made a few modifications it and didn't have pecans.  But here is the recipe with my adventure!

Time
Prep Time: 35 min
Bake Time: 40-45min
Ready In: 1 hr 15-20min


Servings
A cake the size of a....cake.


Ingredients
1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
3/4 cup whole milk (boiling)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
6 slices or so of pineapple
Same number of maraschino cherries
1/3 cup pecans
3 tablespoons pineapple syrup from can
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil

Procedures 
1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Boil milk.  Once boing add cornmeal and mix around.  Remove from heat and let sit.

This I think is what it should look like!

3. Use a 10'' cast-iron skillet.  And my view is if you're going to use one, use Lodge.  They are the only American made cast-iron cookware and pretty awesome and not any more expensive than anything else. Gently heat pan to medium heat and melt butter.  Make sure to coat entire pan, especially the sides so the cake doesn't stick.

4. After butter is melted, add brown sugar and mix around.  Cook for about 5 min.

Butter and sugar after 5 min

5. Remove from heat and add pineapple slices.  Start with one in the center and work your way around the pan.

6. Add cherries, one in the middle of each pretty pineapple!

7. Drizzle pineapple syrup over pan.

8. Sprinkle pecans around if you have them!

I thought about making a smilie face for this pic

9. Start working on the batter.  In a big bowl whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together.

10. In another bowl, whisk eggs, then add sugar, then add oil.

11. Add Cornmeal mush to egg and sugar mixture.

12. Add wet mixture (eggs, sugar, cornmeal, etc) to dry flour mixture.

13. Gently mix, but do not over mix.  It's ok if it's a bit lumpy.

See lumps. I ain't no perfectionist!! 

14. Pour batter over skillet mixture.  Do your best to get one clean pour that covers it all, because the more you fuss one the batter is in the pan, the more you're going to mess everything up.

Ready to throw in oven!

15. Place bun in the oven and cook that sucker for approximately 40-45 min.

16. Take out and let cool for 30 min.  Place plate over skillet and quickly flip.  Remove pan and viola!

The cherries got a lil buried, but I promise they're there and taste great!