When it comes to upside-down desserts, a soft and buttery vanilla cake topped with caramelized pineapple and a bright-red maraschino cherry often comes to mind.

Pineapple upside-down cake has been a favorite way to end a meal or celebrate a special occasion for nearly 100 years, thanks in large part to the Hawaiian Pineapple Co. (now Dole), which held a contest in 1926 seeking the best pineapple recipe in America.

Out of 60,000 submissions, more than 2,000 dished up some version of the self-decorating cake, with Mrs. Robert Davis of Norfolk, Virginia, taking the title.

Yet any fruit can deliver the same magic — with less mess and in a speedier fashion — if you trade the cake for light and fluffy puff pastry.

This seasonal treat comes together in about 20 minutes and requires just three

See Full Page