I’m pretty modest about most things, but not about being a good friend, an arena in which I make a conscious effort to be a terrific one. I pride myself on my friendships, all of which are extremely close and intimate, just the way I like them. I’ve had the same friends my whole life, picking even more along the way. There’s few things I find more fulfilling than connecting and sharing with people. Plus, I love to listen, help, offer advice, laugh, have fun, be stupid, and most importantly, make birthday cakes.

If I hold you close to my heart, you are guaranteed a birthday treat. But I don’t do normal cakes. You will absolutely get a layer cake, and I spend a lot of time thinking about what I’ll make you. One of my best friends had a birthday coming up; and being that she is a food lover with good taste, this made my quest for the perfect cake more complicated. I inquired with her husband…he said Red Velvet might be interesting. That wasn’t good enough.

I remembered that she was infatuated with pineapple upside-down cakes, but I had a difficult time picturing it as a celebration cake. So I decided to take what I thought was a good pineapple upside down cake recipe and double it to make a layer cake. Since the cake itself is so sweet and can stand well on its own, I opted for no icing, and instead filling it with smooth and subtle mascarpone cheese just ever-so-slightly sweetened with honey. It cut the sweetness of the cake while providing even more richness.

The night of her birthday dinner, I sneakily gave the restaurant her cake beforehand to serve for our dessert. They brought it out with sparklers, and she loved the surprise. What she loved even more was the cake, which she told me was the best thing I had ever made. Which meant a lot since we’ve been friends for twelve years and she’s a constant eater of my treats. I had to agree. This cake is a winning recipe.

Birthdays. Friendships. Cake. Each good on their own, but obviously better. Especially when they are characterized by high levels of richness.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Honey Mascarpone

Adapted from Gourmet via Smitten Kitchen

Note: I doubled this recipe to make two layers of cake. If you just want to do one layer, you can serve the honey mascarpone on the side.

This cake can be made in either a cast iron skillet or in a 9″ cake pan. If you are using a skillet, the cake can be baked in it: after making the topping, pour the batter over and bake. If using a cake pan, melt the butter and brown sugar together and pour into the cake pan, arrange the pineapple on top, pour the batter over and bake.

This recipe is a wonderful go-to for any type of fruit upside-down cake. Feel free to swap out the pineapple (and pineapple juice in the batter) for the fruit of your choice.

For top layer

1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cored

3/4 stick unsalted butter

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

For cake batter

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar (I used brown)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon dark rum

1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

2 tablespoons dark rum for sprinkling over cake (I left this out and did not miss it)

For honey mascarpone

8 ounces mascarpone cheese

2-4 tablespoons honey, to taste

small pinch cinnamon

Make topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut pineapple crosswise into 3/8-inch-thick pieces. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar and simmer over moderate heat, stirring, four minutes. Remove from heat. Scrape into a cake pan (if using). Arrange pineapple on top of sugar mixture in concentric circles, overlapping pieces slightly.

Make batter

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in granulated sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and rum. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed just until blended. Beat in pineapple juice, then add remaining flour mixture, beating just until blended. (Batter may appear slightly curdled.)

Spoon batter over pineapple topping and spread evenly. Bake cake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cake stand in pan for five minutes. Invert a plate over skillet and invert cake onto plate (keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together). Replace any pineapple stuck to bottom of skillet. Sprinkle rum over cake (if using) and cool on plate on a rack.

Serve cake just warm or at room temperature. (The cake can also be made one day ahead. Keep it in the fridge and bring it to room temp before serving). Mix mascarpone cheese, honey, and cinnamon together. Serve alongside the cake. If making the layered version, spread in between the layers of cake.