Dynamite with Scoop of Ice Cream, Rummy Roasted Pineapple Pudding Cake, this cake recipe comes from pages of Real Sweet, More Than 80 Crave-Worthy Treats Made with Natural Sugars (William Morrow, March 2015 ) by Shauna Sever.

Rummy Roasted Pineapple Pudding Cake

Makes one 8 × 8-inch cake

From the outset, this appears to be any streusel-topped, brown-sugary crumb cake. But tucked within is a gold mine of caramelized, roasted pineapple chunks. And below that? Well, would you believe me when I tell you that this cake actually makes its own sauce? True story. Now, to be fair, this cake requires a few steps, but I promise you the effort is worth it. And even though you will reach a point where you think to yourself, Am I really pouring hot liquid over a cake batter? Is this cooking the batter on contact? This broad’s lost it! I hope you’ll trust me. This cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is dessert dynamite. Boom.

Roasted Pineapple

1½ cups (10½ ounces/296 grams) pineapple, fresh or canned and drained (juice reserved), cut into

1-inch chunks*

1 tablespoon (½ ounce/14 grams) firmly packed dark muscovado sugar

Streusel

¼ cup (11/8 ounces/32 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

3 tablespoons (1 ½ ounces/42 grams) firmly packed dark muscovado sugar

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (optional)**

Pinch of fine sea salt

Cake

1 cup (4½ ounces/128 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

¾ cup (6 ounces/170 grams) firmly packed dark muscovado sugar

1/3 cup (2⅔ ounces/76 grams) whole milk

1 large egg

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) canola or grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

SAUCE

1 cup (8 ounces/227 grams) pineapple juice

¼ cup (2 ounces/57 grams) firmly packed dark muscovado sugar

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) dark rum (such as Myers’s)

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

* You can cut up fresh fruit and buy the juice separately if you’re the ambitious type. Or you can get yourself a 20-ounce can of good-quality pineapple chunks packed in 100% fruit juice—they’re exactly the right size for this recipe, and when you drain off the juice, you should end up with 1 cup of pineapple juice for the sauce.

** This simply adds sparkle and crunch to the topping. If you have turbinado on hand, add it. If not, the streusel will be perfectly fine without.

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Prepare the pineapple: Toss the pineapple chunks on the baking sheet with the muscovado sugar until the fruit bits are evenly coated with an amber glaze. Roast, rotating the pan once, until the pineapple chunks are tender and caramelized at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the pineapple cool on the sheet pan as you move on to the rest of the recipe.

3. Lower the oven temperature to 350˚F. Grease an 8 × 8-inch square glass baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.

4. Make the streusel: In a small bowl, work together the flour, muscovado sugar, butter, turbinado sugar (if using), and salt until crumbly. Refrigerate.

5. Make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

6. In a medium bowl, whisk together the muscovado sugar, milk, egg, oil, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and whisk until the batter is smooth. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Scatter the roasted pineapple chunks evenly over the batter.

7. Make the sauce: Into a medium saucepan, pour the pineapple juice, muscovado sugar, rum, and cinnamon. Place the pan over high heat and whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, and lower the heat to medium. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour the hot liquid over the cake batter. Ask no questions—it will look crazy. Carefully transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is puffed and the top is mostly set but still appears a bit wobbly and underdone.

8. Holding your fingertips just an inch or two over the pan, gently sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the cake—too much streusel dropped from too great a height will deflate the cake. Return the pan to the oven. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 10 minutes more. Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. 

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from 'Real Sweet' by Shauna Sever, published by William Morrow, March 2015, Photographs by Leigh Beisch)