~ Carmen
I’m not the cook at home.  That would be Joe!  But something draws me to the campfire when it comes to cooking.  I just love my camp cooking equipment (read Camp Cooking Equipment You’ll Love), especially dutch ovens.  We actually have two cast iron dutch ovens, one we keep in our camper and one we use in our kitchen at home.
I learned how to make a cake in campfire coals using an aluminum foil wrapped shoe box when I was a Girl Scout leader. Â Sometimes the cake would turn out great. Â Sometimes it would taste like an ash tray! Using a dutch oven not only helps give you even baking, it makes for super easy clean-up when using a dutch oven liner. Â We started using this liners a couple of months ago, and absolutely love them! Â Order through our link to help use earn a small commission, and it won’t cost you any extra!
We recently went camping with a group of five other couples. Â I wanted to make a campfire dessert that would feed a lot of people. Â This dutch oven pineapple down cake recipe that was adapted from a traditional recipe worked out perfectly! Â With only 6 ingredients, it is easy enough to make at camping or at home.
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 25 minutes |
| Servings | people |
- 1/2 bag charcoal briquettes or use coals from a campfire
- 2 boxes yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 2 tbs. butter
- 3 large eggs see cake mix for # needed
- 6 oz can pineapples
Ingredients
|
- Get charcoal burning until the briquettes have turned white.
- Mix cake according to directions. Butter can be used in place of oil. Number of eggs needed may vary depending on the cake mix.
- Line dutch oven with liners. Aluminum foil can also be used.
- Place the dutch oven on the hot coals and melt the butter in the oven. Then take off of the heat in mix in the brown sugar.
- Sprinkle in the pecans.
- Drain the can of pineapples then pour on top of the pecans.
- Add the cake batter on top of the pineapples. Put the lid on the dutch oven.
- Put some of the hot coals to the side so that only 5-8 coals are left to set the dutch oven back on. You will only need low heat to cook the glaze (located in the bottom of the dutch oven). Too much heat will burn the glaze. Cover the top of the dutch oven lid with as many coals as you can.
- Check batter after 15 minutes. Continue to check for doneness every 5 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the batter.
- When cake is done, remove from the heat. Use the edges of the dutch oven liner (or aluminum foil) to pull the cake out of the dutch oven. Put a pan or plate on top of the cake and turn it over.
- Remove the liner, cut, and enjoy!
Any kind of cake recipe can be used in a dutch oven. Â Just make sure that you put coals on the top and bottom of the dutch oven for even cooking.
Have you ever used a dutch oven?  Please share by commenting below!  We’d love to hear any camping recipes to check out.  Keep up with all of our travel, camping, and cycling tips by following us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest(lots of camping).  Leave us your email (blue box below) to subscribe to our weekly newsletter and never miss a post!
~ Carmen
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Martin Hand
October 6, 2016 11:09 amThanks for sharing this brilliant recipe. It look so easy to follow and I have bookmarked it for later have a great weekend.
Pack Your Baguios
October 6, 2016 12:10 pmIt is very easy! I’m not a great cook, but I can dump stuff into a bowl. The key is to not have too much heat on the bottom.
Rachel
October 6, 2016 5:04 pmYum! This looks like such a great recipe!
Pack Your Baguios
October 10, 2016 5:50 amIt is so easy. You just have to watch your heat so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.
DT
October 6, 2016 11:26 pmThat looks so delicious 🙂 I gotta try it sometime..
— DT | Here I Scribble
Pack Your Baguios
October 10, 2016 5:51 amIt is pretty good if I do say so myself!
Mimi Rose
October 6, 2016 11:52 pmWow this looks really tasty! I’ve never attempted an upside down cake before but it has always been on my list to-do. Looking forward to trying out this recipe. 🙂
Pack Your Baguios
October 10, 2016 5:52 amI hope you enjoy it!
Vyjay
October 7, 2016 1:12 amI love pineapple and this cake sounds really yummy. Would love to bite into a succulent pineapple cake. Will try this out definitely.
Pack Your Baguios
October 10, 2016 5:53 amGreat! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Shane
October 7, 2016 7:02 amThis looks absolutely delicious! So no smoky flavor to it?
Pack Your Baguios
October 10, 2016 5:54 amNo smokiness to it. Wait until you’re down to white coals and so there won’t be much smoke.
Elissa
October 8, 2016 4:47 pmWe have one of those pots, although ours is a little bigger than yours. Fantastic, we use it all the time, either in the oven, on the stovetop or on the campfire.
Pack Your Baguios
October 10, 2016 5:55 amYou can’t go wrong with a dutch oven! We use ours everywhere we camp and at home.
Jaye Shields
October 9, 2016 2:30 pmWow, over charcoal? That’s pretty cool. I’ve used a ditch oven, but in an oven 😉
Pack Your Baguios
October 10, 2016 5:56 amWe use our dutch oven at home, too. It’s a great all-purpose pot!
Ileana
October 9, 2016 3:02 pmThis looks so delicious!!! I love lodge products, but do not have a dutch oven (YET!) Might have to get one soon 😀
Pack Your Baguios
October 10, 2016 5:57 amOnce you start using one, you’ll really love it. I highly recommend getting the liners, too for easy clean-up.
Allison
October 9, 2016 6:39 pmThis looks so good! And to think, you made it over a campfire! Impressive 🙂
Pack Your Baguios
October 10, 2016 5:58 amThere’s only been a few recipes that we make at home, that couldn’t really be done on a campfire. It usually just takes a little tweaking.