Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes

http://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2012/08/pineapple-upside-down-cupcakes-2-sizes.html

Ingredients
Topping:
1 (14 to 15 oz.) can pineapple tidbits or rings*, drained with juice reserved
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 T. butter
1/8 c. pineapple juice, reserved from draining pineapple
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Vanilla Cupcakes:  (or use your favorite vanilla cupcake recipe)

1 c. all-purpose flour
A scant 3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 T. butter, at room temperature
1/2 c. whole milk (I also tried it with 2% milk, and it worked fine)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Maraschino cherries for garnish

Prepare the Topping:  
 Combine brown sugar, butter, and pineapple juice in a small saucepan.  Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until butter is melted and brown sugar is dissolved.  
 Remove from heat and stir in ground cinnamon.  Set aside.

Prepare the Cupcake batter:  

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter in a mixing bowl. Beat on slow speed until everything is combined and you have a crumb mixture with a sandy consistency. Gradually pour in half of the milk; beat until the milk is just incorporated.

Whisk together the remaining milk (1/4 cup), egg, and vanilla. Pour into the flour mixture and beat until all ingredients are just incorporated. Beat for about another 30 seconds to one minute until the batter is smooth. Do not over mix.

Assembly & Baking:  

Generously grease 14 muffin cups (or some ramekins**) with butter.  Spoon a scant tablespoon of brown sugar topping into each muffin cup and top with pineapple.  Spoon in cupcake batter until cups are 2/3 full.

Bake at 325 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, or until light golden and the cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool slightly in the pan.

Remove cupcakes from the pan.  For regular-sized cupcakes:  While still warm, run a knife around the edge of each cupcake.  Then gently scoop each cupcake out of its muffin cup with a spoon and place inverted on a platter.  Spoon any pineapple bits and brown sugar topping that remain behind in the pan over the inverted cupcakes.

For oversized cupcakes baked in ramekins:  While still warm, invert each ramekin on a platter.  Let ramekins sit inverted until cupcakes release from the ramekin, or gently shake each ramekin until the cupcakes release.  Remove ramekins.

 Top with a maraschino cherry and serve warm.

Enjoy!