Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes

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INGREDIENTS

  • cooking spray
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 24 maraschino cherries
  • 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple
  • 1 (18.25 ounce) package pineapple cake mix (such as Duncan Hines(R) Pineapple Supreme)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/3 cups pineapple juice
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar for dusting, or as needed

Directions

  1. Move an oven rack into the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Spray 24 muffin cups with cooking spray.
  3. Line a work surface with waxed paper.
  4. Spoon 1 teaspoon melted butter into the bottom of each sprayed muffin cup.
  5. Spoon 1 tablespoon brown sugar in each muffin cup.
  6. Press a maraschino cherry into the center of the brown sugar in each muffin cup.
  7. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of crushed pineapple over the cherry and compact it with the back of a spoon into an even layer.
  8. Mix pineapple cake mix, eggs, pineapple juice, and vegetable oil in a large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until moistened, about 30 seconds. Turn mixer speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes.
  9. Pour pineapple cake batter into the muffin cups, filling them to the top; do not overfill.
  10. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
  11. Allow cupcakes to cool at least 5 minutes before inverting muffin cups onto the waxed paper to release. Serve with pineapple and cherry sides up. Sprinkle cupcakes lightly with confectioners’ sugar.