Grilled Upside Down Pineapple Cake

I love dreary, overcast Saturday afternoons - the kinda afternoons where there isn't much else to do but listen to the blues and BBQ.  Nothing goes better with pork than apple and nothing goes better with pineapple than dark rum. Yesterday I cut up one of two pineapples I had into rings and soaked them overnight in Bacardi Gold. You see, it's kinda like killing two birds with one stone -the soaked pineapple rings I use for the upside pineapple cake and the the excess rum and pineapple juice from the soak, well, I drink. It's beautiful that way.

This is my first attempt at upside pineapple cake on the grill, so I figured I'd play it safe and fire up my Weber Genesis EP310 cuz I know she'll hold steady at 350*.  First, I brushed each of the rings with melted butter and tossed them over direct medium heat giving them a slight char...

Next, I mixed up some brown sugar, cream, cinnamon and butter over direct medium heat using my trusty old cast iron pan. This mixture will serve as the carmelized glaze that sits atop the cake...

Once the mixture started to boil, I placed the rings into the pan. The missus loves macadamia nuts, so I crushed some and threw them in for good measure.  It's no wonder the woman adores me as much as she does...

Then I poured a homemade cake batter into the pan and baked at 350*.  Using indirect heat this cake will take every bit of 45 minutes...

The part I love most about grilling and BBQ is the down time.
Nothing.....to.....do.....but.....wait.....

 The leftover pineapple juice and rum was good for 3 drinks. Didn't quite get me through the entire cook, but hey, it was only 1 o'clock...

After 45 minutes, I stuck a toothpick into the cake and it pulled out clean.  Cake's done!

After letting it cool 15 minutes, I slid a knife around the edge of the pan to help release the cake.  I was afraid the cake was going to stick using cast iron and all, but it didn't.  It released perfectly.

And there it is... upside down pineapple cake with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Next time I will crush the macadamias up more fine cuz the chunks of nuts robbed my cake of a nice, clean outer edge. Also I will add some rum soaked cherries for not only another layer of flavor, but an added layer of color. Happy Grilling!