Pineapple Pecan Upside Down Cake

Yesterday was my husband's birthday and every year he requests this cake.  It is his mom's recipe that he grew up eating and it is sooo delicious!  You can leave out the nuts if you like, but I think they make this cake.  I add maraschino cherries to spruce it up a bit, but you could always just use more nuts.

1/2 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

1 large can pineaple slices, reserve the juice

1 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

3 eggs, separated

1 c. white sugar

5 Tbsp. pineapple juice

pecans and maraschino cherries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Put the butter in the bottom of a deep cast iron skillet or frying pan (cast iron seems to make the best caramely goodness on the top of the cake) and put in the oven while it preheats to melt the butter.  When it is completely melted, sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the top.  Then arrange the pineapple slices, filling in spaces with nuts and the cirles in the rings with cherries. 

Mix flour, salt and baking powder together in a small bowl and set aside. 

In a large bowl beat the egg yolks and white sugar together until creamy.  Then add pineapple juice.  Add dry ingredients to wet and mix well.  Then beat the egg whites in another bowl until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold the whites into the batter.  Pour batter over the pineapple rings.  Bake for 30-35 min. until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Run a knife around the edge of the cake and quickly invert onto a serving platter.  It's easiest to put the platter upside down on the pan and then hold them together as you flip the whole set up over.  Let it cool before serving.