TWO LAYER PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE WITH PINEAPPLE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

1 cup butter, softened 2 1/4 cups sugar
5 large eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour 2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt 1 1/4 cups whole buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 (20 oz.) cans pineapple slices in juice, drained well (reserve 2 Tbs. juice for frosting)
1 (10oz.) jar maraschino cherries, drained well
Pineapple Buttercream Frosting *

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray 2 (9 inch) round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray with flour.

In a large bowl, beat 1 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; sift twice. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Pour 1/4 cup melted butter in each prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter in each pan. Arrange pineapple slices and cherries over brown sugar. Reserve remaining pineapple slices and cherries for another use.Pour batter evenly over fruit, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cakes cook in the pans for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.To assemble cake, carefully place one cake layer, pineapple side up on a cake plate. Carefully stack remaining cake layer, pineapple side up, over first layer.

Frost sides of cake with Pineapple Buttercream Frosting. Press chopped pecans into sides of cake, if desired.

Pineapple Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 Tbs. reserved pineapple juice from can

In a medium bowl, beat butter and pinapple juice at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.