Smoked pineapple upside down cake

Ingredients

• 115g (4 oz) butter
• 180g (6 ½ oz) light brown sugar
• 1 pineapple, sliced into rings
• 10 maraschino cherries
• 120g (4 ¼ oz) cake flour
• 5g (1 tsp) baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 4 large eggs
• 200g (7 oz) caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Directions

1. Preheat your smoker (or oven) to 160°C (320°F).
2. Add the butter and brown sugar to a cast iron pan and heat until the butter is melted. Mix until the sugar is fully dissolved into the butter.
3. Arrange the pineapple slices in the pan, placing a cherry in the centre of each ring.
4. To make the cake batter, separate the eggs into two bowls—whites in one, yolks in the other.
5. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then slowly whisk in the caster sugar to create a meringue.
6. Add the vanilla essence to the yolks and whisk until they are a light yellow colour.
7. Gently fold the yolks into the meringue. Then, in 2-3 batches, carefully fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
8. Pour the cake batter over the pineapple in the pan and spread it evenly.
9. Place the cake in your smoker or oven and bake at 160°C (320°F) for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
10. Once baked, let the cake rest for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a plate.