& Article posted: 5/22/2012 6:01 AM&

Topping

¹⁄₃ cup butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

7-8 slices canned pineapple (from a 20-ounce can)

7-8 maraschino cherries (optional)

Cake

1 cup cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 eggs, separated

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Melt butter in a 9 or 10-inch round cake pan or iron skillet. Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and scatter in pecans meats if you like. Arrange the pineapple slices in an even pattern on top of the nuts placing a cherry in the center of each slice, if you like.

For the cake: Sift the cake flour with baking powder and set aside.

Beat the 4 egg yolks and add 1 tablespoon melted butter and vanilla.

In another bowl, whip 4 egg whites and salt until stiff but not dry. Fold in sugar roughly 1 tablespoon at a time. Fold in the egg yolk mixture and then fold in the flour mixture a ¼ cup at a time.

Pour batter over the pineapple and bake 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let set for 10 minutes. Then invert onto serving dish to serve.

Serves eight.