2 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 (8 1/4 oz.) can sliced pineapple in syrup, drained
1 1/2 c. buttermilk baking mix
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk or water
2 tbsp. shortening (butter flavored shortening might go well)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
7 maraschino cherries
6 pecan halves

This could be mixed with the syrup from the pineapple to make the 1/4 cup for added flavor.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat butter in round pan, 9x 1 1/2 inches, until melted. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Place 1 "circle" of pineapple in the center of the pan. Cut remaining slices into halves and arrange them around the center slice. Put the cherries with the slices in a decorative fashion. Arrange the pecan halves as well.

Mix the remaining ingredients on low speed while scraping the bowl constantly, 30 seconds. For 4 minutes longer, beat at medium speed, scraping occasionally. Pour batter over the fruit in the pan, carefully to not move your arrangement.

Bake until a wooden pick comes clean from the center, 35-40 minutes. Immediately invert pan onto heatproof serving plate. DO NOT REMOVE PAN until it has cooled enough to allow your hands to remain on pan for 10 or 15 seconds, before becoming too hot. In other words, the cake top must be fairly warm to come out of the pan, and yet not fall apart when you remove the support of the pan. Yield: 8 servings, 225 calories each.

This cake is especially good with sweetened whipped cream.

OTHER IDEAS:

Substitute for the pineapple and cherries.

1 (8 3/4 oz.) can apricot halves (9 halves), drained
12 pitted cooked prunes

1 (14 oz.) jar spiced apple rings, drained

Cut the rings and arrange around the cake in a decorative fashion.

1 jar crab apples
2 tbsp. crushed cinnamon (as a child we called these candies "Red Hots")

With a sharp knife, cut the apples into quarters and discard the cores and stems. Arrange the quarters in the pan, skin side down. Sprinkle the crushed candy evenly.