In which a story about garden weeds and imported fruit gets surprisingly spicy. You’ve been warned.

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There is one plant that instantly fills me with nostalgia more than any other: pineapple weed. This wild relative of chamomile has adorable little green flowerheads and delicate foliage. It has a calming fragrance with the unmistakable scent of pineapple, of all things! I used to nibble on it all the time at my childhood home, delighted by its exotic flavor and subtle sweetness. 

Reminiscing about pineapple weed brings up another slice of nostalgia: pineapple upside-down cake. This retro cake took center stage at my parents’ wedding; my mom baked it herself for the celebration. Though this was years before my time, the cake became a staple in our house, baked for special occasions (and especially their anniversary.) As I’ve grown, my love for maraschino cherries has faded and been replaced by tastebuds that seek out herbal complexities so pairing pineapple weed with pineapple cake just seems like, well, a perfect marriage, not only in flavor (which is superb) but in symbolism too. 

Pineapple weed is rugged and tough. I most often find it growing in the compacted dirt of a driveway or trailhead or pushing up through parking lots and construction sites. (In fact, the challenge with pineapple weed is to find it growing somewhere clean enough to forage from, since it seems to love environments more prone to vehicle exhaust, pollution, and dog pee!) It’s resilient too, surviving on very little moisture even during the deep heat of late summer. The effect it has on the body is similar to its more societal cousin chamomile, which is that of gentle relaxation and comfort. 

Pineapple, on the other hand, is truly exotic for this climate. Because historically it had to be shipped from far-away plantations, it became a symbol of luxury and hospitality here in North America, a special treat for parties or perhaps a lavish romantic gift. Somewhere along the way that regal elegance turned into a kitsch familiarity when canned pineapple became readily available and chunks of this tropical fruit could be found jiggling away in flavored gelatin molds or gracing new confections. (The hospitality symbolism shifted a bit too, as it became a covert sign of “swingers” that leads to many amusing assumptions today. Let’s just say that if you set a pineapple on your porch, be prepared for the unexpected.) The effect pineapple has on me as a flavor is invigorating and exciting, a wonderful counterbalance to its pineapple weed partner. And speaking of partners, many sexually active folks know the benefits of eating pineapple when an opportunity for romance may be on the horizon… 

I’ll leave the end of that story up to your imagination while we get down to business and bake a cake that is nostalgic, romantic, and, dare I say it, surprisingly classy. Whatever partnership looks like to you, this is a wonderful treat to share with someone special (or perhaps a few of them, if that’s the way you swing!) 

Is it getting hot in here, or is that just the oven preheating? 

This gluten and dairy free recipe fits perfectly into a deep 10” springform pan.

Ingredients: 

1/3 c. dairy free butter 

Pinch salt 

1 c. brown sugar

Pineapple slices from 2 cans

Small sprigs of fresh pineapple weed

¾  c. pineapple juice 

3 Tbs. dairy free butter

3 eggs

1 c. sugar

2 tsp. Vanilla

1 ½ c. cup for cup gluten free flour* 

¾ tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Baking powder

1 Tbs. dried pineapple weed, crumbled

Almonds, for decoration

Directions: 

1. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, whisking regularly, and cook for 5 minutes. Pour into the pan and spread the caramel towards the edges so the bottom is completely covered. 

2. Lay some pineapple weed on top of the caramel, then lay one full round of pineapple in the middle of the pan. Cut the other rounds in half and lay them flat around the one in the middle. Place halves around the sides of the pan as shown. Add an almond to the center of each pineapple ring. 

3. Preheat oven to 350F. Heat up the pineapple juice until warm and add the butter to melt. (It’s easiest to do this in a microwavable measuring cup. 

4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until they are lemon colored. Add the sugar gradually, while continuing to beat. Add the vanilla. 

5. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and dried pineapple weed into a medium bowl. 

6. Add ⅓ of the dry mixture to the egg mixture and mix well, then add ½ of the pineapple juice mixture and mix well. Continue to alternate, mixing well after each addition, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. 

7. Pour the batter into the pan, being careful not to disturb the pineapple slices. Fill ⅔ up the pan. Place the pan onto a sheet pan to catch any drips. 

8. Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

9. Place the cake on a wire rack and let cool for ten minutes, then carefully invert the pan over the serving plate and release the springform mechanism. 

Tips: 

• Using a springform pan helps with getting everything out neatly, but it can leak a bit in the oven. I recommend placing a baking sheet with non-stick liner or parchment paper on the rack below the cake pan. 

• Have the batter ready when you arrange the pineapple slices, that way excess moisture won’t start melting the caramel layer before you begin baking. 

• Don’t be afraid to fill the cake pan almost full (leave 1cm from the top) as this cake won’t rise much as it is baking. For the cake pictured, I filled the pan ¾ full and baked cupcakes with the extra batter, but it would have been fine to add all the batter to the pan as long as it didn’t quite reach the top. 

• When testing for done-ness, make sure you gently press on the cake and see it spring back as well as using the toothpick test, since the moisture of the pineapple slices can make it seem like the cake is not fully cooked when it is. 

• If the pineapple weed is tender and young, you can eat it. Otherwise, I’d recommend picking the stems off your cake as they’ll be a bit fibrous. They infuse the cake with a lovely flavor as it bakes!

• *My easy gluten-free flour blend: 1 part (by volume) white rice flour and 1 part (by volume) tapioca starch. For every 4 c, of mixture, add 1 tsp. Of xantham gum and blend together well.

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