I have to give Sabrina, my business partner at BabyCakes NYC, 100 percent of the credit for creating this incredible cake. Normally, pineapple upside-down cake just isn’t my thing, but the texture, spice, and fluffiness of this recipe really won me over. If you’re a beginner, this is a good cake to start with because it’s a snap, it can be ready to eat in just about an hour, and it looks gorgeous. Feeling adventurous? Make some powdered sugar glaze and drizzle it all over.

　　

Ingredients

serves 8 to 10

　　1/2 cup melted refined coconut oil or canola oil, plus more for brushing the pan

　　1/4 cup vegan sugar

　　1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

　　6 1/2-inch-thick pineapple slices

　　1/2 cup garbanzo and fava bean flour

　　1/2 cup rice flour

　　1/2 cup potato starch

　　1/4 cup arrowroot

　　1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

　　1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

　　2 teaspoons baking powder

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

　　1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

　　1/4 teaspoon baking soda

　　3/4 cup agave nectar

　　6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

　　1/4 cup vanilla extract

　　1/4 cup hot water

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9-inch cake round with parchment paper and lightly coat with coconut oil.

　　

Step 2

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and the 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Sprinkle the bottom of the cake pan with the cinnamon-sugar mix. Arrange the pineapple slices over it. Set aside.

　　

Step 3

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, potato starch, arrowroot, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, cardamom, and baking soda. Add the agave nectar, the 1/2 cup coconut oil, the applesauce, vanilla, and hot water. Stir with a rubber spatula until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter over the pineapple.

　　

Step 4

Bake for 20 minutes, rotate, then continue baking until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes more. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Run a knife along the pan’s edge and invert onto a serving plate.

　　Reprinted December 9, 2011, with permission from Babycakes Covers the Classics by Erin McKenna, © 2011 Clarkson Potter. Buy the full book at Penguin Random House, Amazon, or Bookshop.