Reba McEntire Shared Her Mom’s Favorite Dessert Recipe in Her New Cookbook—Here’s How to Make It (Exclusive)

Reba McEntire has always been very open about her relationship with her mother—even sharing that she considered quitting her singing career after her Mama passed away in 2020. Now, McEntire is honoring her mother’s memory in her new book “Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots,” where she shares stories, photos, and even recipes from her Mama’s kitchen.

Growing up on a ranch in Oklahoma, you can probably guess some of the recipes coming out of that kitchen—good ole’ Southern comfort food. We’re talking pimento cheese sandwiches, banana pudding, and chicken fried steak.

In fact, McEntire loved her mom’s pimento cheese so much that she put it on the menu at her new restaurant, Reba’s Place, in Atoka, Oklahoma, along with some other classic home-cooked foods, like a BLT and beer cheese. 

McEntire shared her Mama’s pimento cheese recipe in her new book—plus some more favorites from her Oklahoma restaurant. However, aside from the pimento cheese, there’s one other Mama-approved recipe in McEntire’s book. Her pineapple upside-down cake.

“Mama loved to make this,” McEntire wrote. “But instead of making it in a baking dish, she would use her cast-iron skillet. As a kid I thought this was the height of fancy cooking!”

Mama’s Pineapple Upside-Down Cake is a simple sour cream pound cake topped with buttery, sweet pineapple rings made entirely in the cast iron skillet. Traditionally, you see things like cornbread and pancakes made in a cast iron skillet—but this retro dessert also benefits from the cast iron’s even heating and cooking. Plus, seasoned cast iron has great nonstick properties—so you shouldn’t have to worry about half the pineapple topping staying in the pan when you flip the cake.

If you need a gorgeous (and delicious) cake recipe for your next gathering, McEntire exclusively shared her Mama’s Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe with Allrecipes—here’s how to make it.

Reba McEntire's Mama's Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

Topping

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 (8-ounce) can pineapple rings, drained and patted dry

Cake

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup whole milk
  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. To make the topping, set a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Once melted, add the brown sugar. Stir steadily until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the skillet from the heat.
3. Slice all but 1 pineapple rings in half. Arrange the pineapple in the skillet on top of the butter and sugar mixture, starting with the whole ring in the center and building the half-rings around it.
4. To make the cake, place flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
5. In a separate bowl, place melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. Whisk until smooth and combined.
6. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the wet mixture. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. When the batter starts to come together, pour in the milk. Continue mixing until the batter is smooth.
7. Pour the batter into the skillet over the pineapple rings. Gently smooth the top with a rubber spatula so it’s even. Transfer the skillet to the middle rack of the preheated oven.
8. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Remove the skillet from the oven. Allow the cake to rest for 15 minutes—no more, no less, or the topping will stick!
10. Hold a serving plate facedown over the skillet, then swiftly flip the skillet to invert the cake on the plate. Allow the cake to cool completely before serving.

This recipe can be found in Reba McEntire's "Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots" available on Amazon. Copyright 2023 by Reba McEntire. Used with permission of Harper Celebrate.