- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup (packed) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
- 1/4 cup dried tart cherries
- 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
- 1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise, cored, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons finely grated orange peel
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- Whipped cream
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides set atop burner on medium-low heat. Stir in sugar, nuts, cherries and ginger. Cook until sugar mixture bubbles, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Cool slightly. Arrange pineapple pieces, overlapping slightly and in concentric circles, over sugar mixture. Set aside.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 3/4 cup sugar and orange peel in large bowl until fragrant. Beat in 6 tablespoons butter until light. Beat in yolks 1 at a time. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.
- Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until firm peaks form. Fold into batter. Spoon into pan atop pineapple.
- Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer to rack; cool 5 minutes. Invert onto platter. Serve with whipped cream.