Pineapple Upside Down Spam Cake

If you don't live in Hawai'i where 6 million cans of Spam are eaten every year (that's around 5 cans per person!), you might balk at trying this deliciously sweet and savory version of Pineapple Upside Down Cake. You'd be missing out on a treat once featured on the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods.

Cassandra Sato, the main character in Death by Dissertation, grew up in Hawai'i thinking everyone loved Spam as much as her family did. While we Midwesterners will put bacon in nearly anything, Spam is a culinary adventure foreign to most of us.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Keyword: Hawaii, Spam

Servings: 8 slices

Author: Kelly Brakenhoff

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar Stevia or use regular brown sugar
9 slices canned pineapple save the extra juice in the can
9 maraschino cherries from a jar
1 can Spam cut into 1/2" slices
1 cup whole wheat flour or white flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3 egg yolks
1 cup Sweetener like Stevia or use white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
7 tbsp pineapple juice
3 egg whites keep separate from yolks

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in a 9" round or square layer cake pan. Spread brown sugar evenly in pan and arrange pineapple slices on sugar, filling in spaces in pineapple centers with cherries.
Optional, you can fry the Spam slices (like bacon) until lightly brown in a skillet before building your cake. It tastes great either way, but if texture is a consideration, try frying it first.
Arrange sliced Spam over pineapple slices.
Beat egg yolks until light and fluffy, adding sugar gradually; add vanilla, pineapple juice, flour, baking powder and salt together. Stir until combined.
Pour egg whites into a separate metal bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into the cake mixture and stir carefully, trying to smooth out any lumps.
Pour batter over the prepared Spam and pineapples, spreading evenly to edges of pan.
Bake in a preheated oven 375°F for 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Turn baking pan upside down onto a serving plate. Serve warm. Store leftover cake loosely covered in the refrigerator.

Notes

My family agreed to be guinea pigs for this recipe, and although one child refused to taste it, those who did said it was sweeter and tastier than they expected.

If your budget doesn’t afford you the luxury of visiting Hawai’i, you can get a taste of the islands by trying this recipe instead!

Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of 15 books and a seasoned ASL interpreter. She splits her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and children’s books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.

Parents, kids, and teachers love the children’s books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through fun, engaging stories. And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have ever lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project coming together the night before it’s due.

A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.

Pineapple Upside Down Spam Cake