Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/Gas Mark 4). Grease a 23cm (9-inch) round cake tin and line the base with a circle of baking parchment.

Make the Caramel Topping: In a small saucepan, melt the 85g of butter and 85g of soft light brown sugar over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Pour this mixture into the prepared cake tin and spread it evenly across the base.

Arrange the Fruit: Pat the drained pineapple rings dry with a bit of kitchen roll – this is a key step to prevent a soggy cake! Arrange the rings neatly on top of the caramel base. Place a glacé cherry in the centre of each pineapple ring and dot any remaining cherries in the gaps.

Start the Cake Batter: In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream together the 150g of softened butter and 150g of caster sugar until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy. This should take about 3-4 minutes. This creaming method is vital for a light cake.

Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a tablespoon of your flour with the second egg to help prevent the mixture from curdling. Once incorporated, mix in the vanilla extract.

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt.

Alternate Wet and Dry: Add one-third of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on a low speed until just combined. Pour in half of the buttermilk and mix again. Repeat this process, ending with the final third of the flour mixture. I find that mixing until the last streaks of flour just disappear is best; be careful not to overmix.

Assemble and Bake: Carefully spoon the cake batter over the pineapple layer in the tin, spreading it gently with a spatula to create an even surface. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. The cake is ready when it's golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Rest and Invert: Let the cake cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes. This is important – don't skip it! Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it, then place a serving plate over the top of the tin and, with confidence, flip it over. Lift the tin away to reveal the beautiful pineapple topping.