Page 130 Amaretto-Pineapple Cupcakes

"These tropical cupcakes, scaled-down versions of the most well-known upside-down cake, have a retro appeal thanks to the flambe'ed fruit filling." - Martha

I have also devoured pineapple-upside down cake whenever my mother made it or when I've made them through the years. So naturally, when I saw this recipe I had to make it as closely as possible to Martha's. (I already knew what mine tastes like.)

I didn't have any fresh pineapple so I used Dole canned slices and instead of butter I used a product I hadn't used before called Smart Balance Spread. It's a half-butter/half-margarine product. I was very pleased with the results of both substitutions. I just couldn't believe I actually had Amaretto in the house!

The batter whipped up fluffy and the pineapple flambe' was perfectly caramelized, but the real problem occurred when I dressed the cakes. I filled the cupcakes just as the picture and the words denoted, then I fluffed up the cream and topped the cakes with it and a bit of extra flambe'. I turned my back to clean up the saute pan and PLOP! One by one the cupcakes began to fall off of the pedestal because they were top-heavy!

I ended up putting toothpicks in each cake to hold the top to the bottom, but there was no guarantee they'd stay on the platter. I guess you gotta eat these right away! They are the real Mccoy...Pineapple Upside-down Cupcakes alright!