Christmas Up-Side-down Cake

Now it's time to change over to Christmas recipes. I got an early start today. I'm a custom to being up at 5:00am, so, by 8, I started the charcoals and did a much anticipated recipe I've been holding off doing for two weeks now.

1/2 cup green candied cherries
1/2 cup red candied cherries
1 cup dried pineapple tidbits
1 hole dried pineapple
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar, packed
6 tablespoon butter, divided
1 tablespoon brown sugar packed
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla


Place pineapple in small bowl. Pour boiling water over pineapple; let stand for 30 kinutes. Drain and pat dry; set aside. Place 2 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon brown sugar in a 10" Dutch oven. Set over 10 to 12 charcoals until butter is melted. Remove from charcoals and stir until smooth. Arrange softened pineapple and cherries in oven in attractive pattern; set aside. ( now is when you get to use that 5" oven) Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a small Dutch oven; cool slightly. in small mixing bowl, stir in eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and cooled butter. In a medium mixing bowl, mix flour baking soda, salt, and 1 cup of brown sugar. Whisk to irate. Whisk in wet ingredients. Carefully, spread batter over pineapple and cherries. Bake over 7 charcoals, with 14 on top,v 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in oven. Loosen sides with knife; invert onto lid, or serving plate.