By Melissa Pette

Ain’t nobody gonna complain about the food in Costa Rica. Fresh fruit is everywhere, and we’ve got all kinds of seasonal fruits year-round.

Back in my hometown of Aberdeen, Boston, strawberries are a rare find in the winter, and they’re mad expensive! What’s the hardest fruit to get in your hometown?

But hey, we’ve got it good here with fresh fruit all year long, so why not make the most of it? Like with this dope pineapple upside-down cake recipe from our new homie, Cynthia Abraham.

Cynthia’s tuning in from Edinburgh, Scotland, and she’s cool with me sharing a little of her story with you.

“I’ve been to that little paradise twice,” says Cynthia. “Can’t wait to spend next Christmas there!”

On her first trip, she stayed with a super kind Tica named Daniela, who she met while Daniela was studying at the University of Edinburgh.

While touring the National Museum, Cynthia’s friend took her to a chill coffee shop called "Manuelitos" (or something like that). That’s where Cynthia had the best pineapple upside-down cake ever!

Let’s get to cooking!

If you’ve never tried it, now’s your chance to make this bomb cake for yourself. Here’s what you’ll need for 8 servings:

• 1 sliced pineapple.

• Some pineapple juice.

• 3 eggs.

• 150g butter.

• 150g sugar.

• 150g flour.

• 16g baking powder.

• 1/4 cup pineapple liqueur (I recommend Malibu Rum Caribbean Pineapple, easy to find in any supermarket).

• 1 bottle liquid caramel (Smucker’s Caramel Flavored Syrup is perfect).

• 1 can of cherries (I like Del Monte sweet cherries or Great Value Maraschino cherries).

Start by pouring the caramel into the bottom of a round cake pan. Then lay down the pineapple slices. Stick it in the fridge (not the freezer) to chill.

For the batter: Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat the egg whites until they get nice and creamy. Then add the yolks and keep beating for about 5 more minutes.

In a big bowl, mix together the sugar and butter. Then add the flour and baking powder. If you have the time, sift the flour before adding it to the bowl for a smoother texture.

Slowly add the egg cream to the mix and stir it all together. Then pour in the butter and sugar, and gently fold everything in. Spread the batter over the pineapple in the cake pan, making sure it covers the whole thing evenly.

Preheat your oven to 340°F (170°C) and bake for 25-30 minutes.

While the cake’s baking, heat up the pineapple juice in a pan. Right before it starts to boil, turn it off. Stir in the pineapple liqueur and let it simmer until it thickens a bit into a syrup.

Once the cake is done, flip it over onto a flat plate and carefully take it out of the pan. Drizzle that pineapple syrup on top, and then add a cherry right in the middle of each pineapple slice.

And there you have it! The best pineapple upside-down cake ever!

Have a pura vida weekend!

Feel free to share your own recipes by emailing a horizontal photo of your dish to food@amcostarica.com. You can find more tasty Costa Rican recipes over on the AM Costa Rica Food page.

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