This Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe is the stuff of legends. Everyone who tries this cake needs the recipe and then is shocked by how few ingredients you need to make it.
You only need SEVEN ingredients to make this orange pineapple cake, and that includes the frosting!
This is a classic cake recipe that lot os of you grew up eating and loving at family gatherings, church picnics, and back yard BBQs. I got this recipe from my neighbor and fell in love immediately.
Anywhere she takes this cake people need the recipe. And for good reason. It is moist, packed with flavor, and best of all it is super easy to throw together.
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS ORANGE CAKE RECIPE
One of the best parts about this cake is how few ingredients you need to make it!
- yellow cake mix
- mandarin oranges
- oil
- eggs
- cool whip
- vanilla pudding mix
- crushed pineapple
OTHER EASY DESSERTS YOU WILL LOVE
I have lots of great dessert recipes that take short cuts from store bought ingredients. I love baking from scratch, but I love how fun and easy these are for the kids to make too!
If you make this great orange pineapple cake or any of my other desserts be sure to leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 box yellow cake mix (just the dry cake mix – 15.25 ounces)
- 1 15 ounce can mandarin oranges (undrained)
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
For the Frosting
- 12 ounces cool whip (or our recipe for stabilized whipped cream)
- 1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple undrained
- 1 3.4 ounce box instant vanilla pudding mix (just the pudding mix)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 by 13 inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl mix together the yellow cake mix, the can of mandarin oranges, the eggs and the vegetable oil. Pour into the prepare pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs, being careful not to over bake.
- Let the cake completely cool.
- In a large bowl whip together the cool whip, pineapple, and vanilla pudding mix. Spread over the cooled cake and serve!
Darnell says
I want to know when you are mixing the cool whip, pudding and crushed pineapple, do you add the juice from the pineapple as well? I know the recipe says to do so but it seems like it would make it runny. Thank you.
Yup, make it just as written :)
Nancy says
Do you mix the cake batter with a mixer?
Are you supposed to get the mandarin oranges broken up and absorbed into the cake batter?
I’m a little confused because there was no time stated like “mix for 2 minutes at low speed, etc”. Or just mix everything together with a wooden spoon.
And looking at the picture it seems the mandarins have been absorbed.
Thanks so much!
Looking forward to making this ASAP.
Nancy says
Second request…..
Nancy
POSTED ON 09/02/21 AT 05:21PM
Do you mix the cake batter with a mixer?
Are you supposed to get the mandarin oranges broken up and absorbed into the cake batter?
I’m a little confused because there was no time stated like “mix for 2 minutes at low speed, etc”. Or just mix everything together with a wooden spoon.
And looking at the picture it seems the mandarins have been absorbed.
Thanks so much!
Looking forward to making this ASAP.
Nancy says
Mine did not come out well
Mandarin Orange cak
I used…..
Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake . 15.25 oz box cake mix
Kroger Mandarin Orange Segments 15 oz and left them I drained
4 large eggs
1 C canola Oil
Mixed with electric hand held mixer
Batter seemed very thin
Poured into 9×13 chefs 3” deep cake pan.
Baked at 350 F.for 35 min
Did not rise well
Center top was dark
Only about 3/4” high
Looks more like a cake roll cake
What did I do wrong?
Are you at a higher altitude?
Cindy says
I didn’t have any Mandarin oranges. Decided to use sugar free peaches… Didn’t have peaches. So I used a can of no sugar added fruit cocktail… and sugar free vanilla pudding. It is great, but I will have to change the name to Fruit cocktail cake…
Sounds like a delicious recipe tweak!
Ronald Brown says
I was wondering if it has to be mandarin oranges? Could I use just orange juice?
I don’t think you will get the consistency we are looking for here if you swap the mandarin oranges for orange juice.