Miniature Dole® Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

I am so honored to be a part of the fun with Dole Packaged Foods ‘Live on Green’ Food Blogger Blast Party 2016 Rose Parade where Dole California Cook-Off Champion Ally Phillips of What's for Dinner, Ally's Kitchen will perform live cooking demonstrations and share quick and fun recipes featuring Dole Packaged Foods’ products. She will showcase this recipe and several others at the Dole Bistro where she'll be cooking 'live on green' December 29 and 30th as part of the Tournament of Roses Parade.

On January 1, tune in to watch the Tournament of Roses Parade where Dole Packaged Food’s float, “Soaring Over Paradise,” explores the world’s rainforests. The float includes four waterfalls, a zip line that travels through the rainforest canopy and a flock of Macaws that appear to take flight over the floral gardens.

2 cans (20 oz. each) Dole pineapple slices
1/3 cup butter, melted

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 package (18.25 oz.) yellow or pineapple flavored cake mix
9 maraschino cherries, cut in half 

Drain pineapple; reserve juice.

Stir together the butter and brown sugar. Evenly divide sugar mixture into 18 (2/3 cup each) muffin cups* coated with cooking spray.

Lightly press well-drained pineapple slices into sugar mixture. Place cherries in the center of the pineapple, slice side up.

Prepare cake mix according to package directions, replacing amount of water called for with reserved juice. Pour 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup.

Bake in a preheated 350 oven 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Loose edges and invert onto cookie sheet.

*Note - If muffin cup is smaller than 2/3 cup, it will not be large enough to hold pineapple slice and batter. I used some small rounded ramekins to make mine fit perfectly!

These mini cakes are moist and delicious! Everybody was coming in the kitchen asking me what smelled so delicious! They won't sit around long no matter what occasion you make them for this new year!