Campfire Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Baking in a Dutch Oven is a piece of cake when you are camping – especially when it’s a Pineapple Upside Down Cake!

When my boys were younger, my husband was the Cub Master for their Cub Scout Pack. This was a role he took very seriously and still does as the Scoutmaster for their Boy Scout Troop. Don’t get me wrong, he is an awesome scout leader. He brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm to our pack.

Since the hubby never got to be a cub scout or a boy scout, he’s like a little kid again. He has taken several training courses, including Dutch oven cooking. I will never forget one Saturday he ditched me and the kids for a day of “training.” He came back all euphoric and told me about the crafts he made, the activities he participated in, and this amazing dessert he helped cook and eat.

“Laura, it’s called a Pineapple Upside Down Cake!”

I did my best not to laugh in his face and burst his bubble. You see, my husband wasn’t born in the U.S. He came here from Iran when he was 13 years old. He didn’t know that this was an American icon of a dessert!

“Fabulous,” I answered sarcastically. I had spent an entire Saturday with bored and nagging children while my husband got to relive his childhood fantasy. Sorry to admit it, but I did burst his bubble.

After cooling off for a couple days, we talked about his adventures again. In the coming months, we invested in not one, but two cast-iron Dutch ovens. And we’ve been experimenting with them on and off since. For our neighborhood rafting trip one summer, we made Campfire Chili with a Cornbread Crust. We’ve also made Campfire Eclairs and Baked Apples.

So, when my husband told me about our Cub Scout Pack’s Family Camping Trip, I could see the twinkle in his eye as he told me we would make two Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside Down Cakes. This time, I didn’t burst his bubble, but happily agreed to help instead.

The Cub Scouts really got into this project. They took turns stirring the batter, placing the pineapple rings in the dutch oven, pulling out the maraschino cherries, and sprinkling the brown sugar and cinnamon on top. An adult was in charge of placing the hot coals under and on top of the Dutch oven. Safety first, of course!

The parents attending the camp were happy not to eat s’mores that night! The cakes were a hit, of course, mostly because many were surprised we could bake a cake on a campout. The leftovers were gobbled up during breakfast the next day.

Another successful adventure in campfire cooking!

Mad about your Dutch Oven? Here are my Dutch oven cooking tips:

And if you want more outdoor cooking inspiration, check out my new cookbook, The Camp & Cabin Cookbook (Countryman Press 2018). I have 100 recipes that are all prepared outdoors and over fire using multiple techniques. Learn more about my new book and where you can get your copy here!

Campfire Upside Down Pineapple Cake

Author:

Laura Bashar

Move over s'mores! Here's a great dessert for your next camping trip! Recipe by Laura Bashar of Family Spice

Ingredients:

• 20 charcoal briquettes
• 20 oz pineapple slices, canned
• 21 maraschino cherries
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, light
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
• 1/2 cup water, *
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil, *
• 3 eggs, large, *
• 1 box of yellow cake mix

Directions:

1. In a fire ring or other fire-safe container add:
• 20 charcoal briquettes
2. Light the briquettes and allow to heat up for approximately 20-30 minutes.
3. Line the bottom and sides of your 10-inch cast iron dutch oven with aluminum foil.
4. Reserve 1/2 cup of juice from:
• 20 oz pineapple slices, canned
5. Place one layer, evenly spaced on the bottom of your dutch oven 7 pineapple rings.
6. Place in the center of each pineapple ring and in any empty spaces on the bottom of your dutch oven:
• 21 maraschino cherries
7. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit:
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, light
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
8. In a mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup reserved juice and mix together until clumps are gone:
• 1/2 cup water , *
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil , *
• 3 eggs, large , *
• 1 box of yellow cake mix
9. Pour cake batter evenly over fruit in the dutch oven.
10. Place the lid on your dutch oven.
11. In a fire ring or fire safe pan, place 12 of the hot charcoal briquettes.
12. Place dutch oven over the hot briquettes.
13. Place evenly on top of the lid of your dutch oven the 8 remaining hot charcoal briquettes.
14. Cook for 30-35 minutes.
15. Remove briquettes and allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes.
16. Remove the lid of your dutch oven and place a serving plate over it, right side down.
17. Carefully flip the dutch oven over, using oven mitts if the pot is still hot, so that the upside down dutch oven is resting over the plate.
18. Carefully place the plate on a table and slowly remove dutch oven, making sure the cake remains on the plate.
19. Carefully peel the foil off the cake.
20. Serve warm or room temperature.

Notes:

Cooking Tips: * These quantities vary per directions on the box of your cake mix.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Yield: 12 servings

Cook Time: 30 mins

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