Pineapple Upside Down Cake

1. In a large saucepan heat sugar with ½ cup water. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then leave to boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, keeping a close eye on the pot. The sugar and water will turn a lovely caramel brown colour. At this stage add the butter and stir briskly with a metal spoon. Be prepared for the mixture to froth up.
2. Preheat the oven to 160*C.
3. Pour the caramel into an ungreased, unlined 26cm spring-form tin (see note). Arrange the pineapple in the tin, covering as much of the base of the pan as you can. This ends up being the top of your cake, so be artistic.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, ground almonds and salt.
5. In a second bowl, beat the butter and caster sugar together with an electric hand mixer, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.
6. Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mix, and stir well, followed by half the sour cream. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and sour cream. Gently pour the batter over the pineapple in the tin and spread carefully until level.
7. Place the cake in the oven for 50 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a bamboo skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
8. Allow the cake to rest in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn upside down onto a serving platter. Release the spring and gently open the tin so that the cake drops onto the platter.

Note: This is a big cake and does need this larger tin. If your springform is getting a little weary, wrap the base with foil and place the tin on an oven tray to prevent your caramel from seeping out into the oven.