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Amigurumi Bake Off 2021, Week 6 — Pineapple Upside-Down Cake (A Menagerie of Stitches)

Week 6's bake off item is the first — and probably, only — one I managed to guess thus far. Pineapple upside-down cake! The pattern is by Lauren Espy of A Menagerie of Stitches, available for free here. This week's was the fastest bake I've made thus far. Just a 3mm hook, some yarn, some tapestry canvas... Toss it into a skillet and tadah! a pineapple upside-down cake amigurumi.

So before I whipped up this little fella, I did a little research because I was curious, and I was also looking up recipes for inspiration. (Although it does make the cravings harder to bear....)

The classic pineapple upside-down cake is traditionally made with a cast iron skillet, canned pineapple rings, and maraschino cherry. It was an American invention, created in the early 20th century around the 1920s, out of (then) modern-day technological conveniences — the canned pineapple and the maraschino cherry. I'm always fascinated with how industrialisation, technological advances, etc. of the times influence food, fashion and culture. In the case of the pineapple upside-down cake, I find it no coincidence that during the late 1800s to early 1900s, the pineapple canning industry was a major commercial food industry in the United States. In the early 1900s, pineapples became mass produced under America's Pineapple King James Dole through large-scale mechanisation. Dole found a way to cut pineapples into rings, and began mass production of canned pineapples. Thus making pineapples more easily available to American households. And thus, the pineapple upside-down cake became trendy. Although it lost its glamour, the pineapple upside-down cake still remained popular throughout the '50s-'70s, and was perceived as a homey, comfort dessert.

The upside-down cake itself has a much longer history. The method of baking cakes upside-down dates back to the Middle Ages. Before they became known as upside-down cakes around the 1800s or the 1920s. Prior to that, in the 19th century, they were known as spider cakes because of the legged skillet pans they were cooked in. At the time, it was a convenient and reliable to cook cakes on a skillet, as ovens were either not accessible or not always reliable. Then they became known as skillet cakes when the flat-bottomed skillet (as we know today) became used thanks to ovens becoming accessible. (See! Technological conveniences of the era.) Back then, skillet cakes were made using all kinds of seasonal fruits. If you're interested in a more comprehensive write-up of the pineapple upside-down cake, you can read this recipe and article by Gil Marks on Tori Avey, this one by Alto Hartley, and this one by Bonnie of Quaint Cooking.

// Pineapple upside-down cake amigurumi, pattern by Lauren Espy of A Menagerie of Stitches //

Now about Lauren's adorable amigurumi version! Her pattern is very beginner-friendly, and the finished work is absolutely adorable. For me, it was also one of the easiest bakes out of the 6 items so far. Had a bit of trouble getting the pineapple ring just right, but adjusting the magic ring is more of an exercise of patience, rather than of technical difficulty.

Made a few minor adjustments to Lauren's pattern though. (Yup, I have a problem following instructions, and always get an urge to tweak patterns.) I used treble crochet stitches instead of double crochets for my pineapple because I wanted it to be a little thicker. The cherry is actually from the cherry fruit pattern by Melissa of Yarn Blossom Boutique (here), which I originally made for week 4's brownie sundae. As I changed my mind about what I would do for my brownie sundae (which is still uncompleted, ugh), the cherry was sitting just there. Why do extra work, right?

// Treble crochets for my pineapple ring, but the cherry is from Yarn Blossom Boutique //

Second minor deviation was joining the base and cake together with slip stitches. Slip stitched through front loop of the cake and back loop of the base. No real reason, I was just lazy to fasten off, thread the needle and sew. Threading the yarn needle is a personal pet peeve when it comes to crochet. So is assembling parts by sewing, and weaving in ends. Even though I actually enjoy sewing clothes. Somehow it just feels different?

Third minor deviation was working in closed rounds, instead of a continuous spiral as per pattern. It's not an issue of which method is better. I think it's more of a preference. For myself, I don't particularly favour either method, and am rather pragmatic in my approach. I generally prefer working in closed rounds when colour changes are involved. Because the colour changes line up nicely at the beginning and end of the rounds. It's really just a personal tic I have; I just like things to line up.

// Really need to work on the invisible joins.... //

In any case, it was also an opportunity to practise working invisible slip stitch joins (here), which I am still bad at. I've since done a little more research, and found a slightly different way to work the invisible join (here), so maybe I'll try that next time. But I confess, I used the basic method when working the flat part of the base and cake top, because I'm better at that method, and I'm not that much of a glutton for punishment. For the pineapple ring though, I used a slightly different invisible join method, which I learnt from a tutorial by One Dog Woof.

Unlike last week's choux Ispahan (posted here), I decided to give my pineapple upside-down cake a face. And my cake's expression really reflects my own. All these kawaii amigurumi of delicious sweet treats!!! Every single week I get this persistent craving for these sweet treats, that I'm in a state of permanent gastronomic frustration.

// I WANT TO EAT CAKE!!!!!!! //

I usually don't save the recipe links but this week, I decided to share the pleasure and pain. Besides, they all look so goooooooooood.

There are so many versions of the pineapple upside-down cake! A classic version by Kris and Wesley of How to Feed a Lion and Nigella Lawson (duh of course!), Clarisse of The Tummy Train making Nigella's no-fuss version, a no-cherry very good looking one by Lorraine Elliot of Not Quite Nigella (omg way better looking than Nigella's)... And because it is oh-so-American, it would be a disservice not to hit up some classic Southern recipes, Jan Charles on Delishably, another on Southern Cast Iron...

So, the pineapple upside-down cake used to be (and still can be) made over a skillet. But the skillet cake has a long history, as mentioned, and people used to make it with all kinds of fruit. So, there're loads of skillet cake recipes out there, using all kinds of delicious fruits! I was so stuck on the fig cake by Daniela of Waves in the Kitchen, coz I love figs. And since stone fruits like prunes, plums and peaches caramelise so well in the oven... Check out the plum skillet cake by Amy of She Wears Many Hats, and the one by Sally Pasley Vargas in The Boston Globe, a peach one by Eden of Sugar and Charm, a skillet baked peach ricotta cobbler by Danae of Recipe Runner. Oh and pears (a personal favourite).... by Cosette Posko of Cosette's Kitchen, by Jocelyn Delk Adams on Better Homes & Gardens, with cinnamon by Joanne Yolles. And of course, strawberries, which seem to go with almost anything...so a super easy one by Kelsey of The Farmer's Daughter, by Sylvia Fontaine of Honest Cooking, and Southern Cast Iron on Taste of the South.

So look and drool, y'all. I'm gonna get my hands on some, and sink my teeth in. Soon. In the mean time, have a blessed Good Friday and Easter Sunday!


Materials Used:

  • Pineapple upside-down cake amigurumi pattern by Lauren Espy of A Menagerie of Stitches, pattern here.
  • Clover Amour Crochet Hook 3mm
  • Yarn:-
    • Schachenmayr Catania No.179 Camel, No.208 Sonne
    • Scheepjes Catona No.280 Lemon, No.115 Hot Red, 515 Emerald
  • Embroidery: DMC Special Mouline 25 No.310 Black, Anchor Stranded Stocktwist Mouline No.36
  • Polyester fiberfill

AMIGURUMI BAKE OFF 2021

(This post was edited and updated on 2 November 2021, 10:29pm GMT+8.)

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