Vegan Cake Recipes: Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I recently began watching episodes of Cupcake Wars on Netflix. Admittedly, I am seriously behind in my pop culture. The only reason I knew about the show was because one of my favorite vegan chefs, Chloe Coscarelli, won an episode of the "Wars" several years back. What a frantic mess of a show! I couldn't pull my eyes away from the chaos in the kitchen. I love watching people be creative with their cooking and baking, expanding on themes and ingredients, abandoning recipes, throwing flour in the air and getting a little crazy! I imagine it was the same inventive craziness that created the Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Recently, after a phone call with a friend, my daughter Ellessia asked me, "Mom, my friend Karly was eating Pineapple Upside Down Cake for breakfast. What the heck is Pineapple Upside Down Cake?" This led us on an adventure to explore the possibility of a vegan version. The following recipe was a hit in our home. It didn't make it past dinnertime. We then revisited it at Thanksgiving; apparently it's my father's favorite dessert. I add a twist on the theme with the King Arthur Bakery flavoring "Fleur Di Sicilia." Being Sicilian myself, it seemed fitting. The flavoring adds to the tropical taste and brings a bit of summer into my waning autumn. May it brighten your Holiday Dessert tray.