- Fruit Layer:
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup sweet vermouth
- 1/2 (14 ounce) can pitted dark sweet cherries, drained and halved
- 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained well and juice reserved
- Cake:
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground star anise
- 1 (19 ounce) package gluten-free vanilla cake mix
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Combine brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and sweet vermouth in a saucepan over low heat; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
- Arrange cherries and spoon pineapple into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Pour brown sugar mixture over fruit.
- Beat eggs in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium-low speed until smooth. Add 1/2 cup melted butter, pineapple juice, vanilla extract, and star anise to eggs; beat on medium-low speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Gradually add cake mix, about 1/2 cup at a time, to egg mixture, scraping sides of bowl with a spatula until batter is smooth and fluffy. Pour batter over fruit mixture until evenly spread in dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven until cake is golden brown and completely set in the middle, about 1 hour. Cool cake for 15 minutes in the dish. Run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen. Place a platter over the cake and flip cake onto platter.