This Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe is the stuff of legends. You may have grown up calling it Pig Pickin Cake. 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 lots 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.
I made this cake for work and it was a winner! Everyone loved it, I will be making this again and again. Thank you!
Ingredients for Orange Cake
One of the best parts about this cake is how few ingredients you need to make it!
- Yellow Cake Mix: You can pick your favorite brand. Or you can even use a homemade recipe yellow cake mix.
- Mandarin Oranges: These are for the cake and you will want to buy a can of these and not use a fresh mandarin orange, because you are using the juice too and want them completely peeled like you get in the can.
- Oil: I love using vegetable oil most for recipes like this.
- Eggs
- Cool Whip: You can also use my recipe for stabilized whipped cream.
- Vanilla Pudding Mix: This is for the frosting and you want to make sure you buy instant pudding mix, not the cook and serve kind. You will just be using the dry mix.
- Crushed Pineapple: You will be using a 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple for the frosting, and you will use both the juice and the fruit.
How to Make Pig Pickin Cake
- Make the cake. Combine the cake mix (you are not following the instructions on the box or using the ingredients it calls for), mandarin oranges, eggs, and oil. Pour into a 9 by 13 inch pan and bake for 40 minutes.
- Make the frosting. Combine the cool whip, the undrained pineapples, and the dry pudding mix. Beat until smooth.
- Frost the cake. Once the cake is completely cooled, frost it with the frosting, serve and enjoy.
Making Ahead and Storing
For best results, this cake should be made right before serving or up to 24 hours in advance.
Leftovers should be covered and stored in the refrigerator. They can be stored for up to four days.
FAQ
Nope! You can add them as they are in the can. They will break up a little as your mixing all the ingredients together, and that is just perfect.
Correct! The pineapple and the juice go into the frosting. I promise it won’t be too runny. Don’t forget that you re also adding dry pudding mix.
Nope! They get added without draining.
No. Whipped cream isn’t stable and it alone can’t be used as a frosting. You can, however, use my stabilized whipped cream recipe in place of Cool Whip.
Bundt cakes are really tricky and can’t be made straight from another cake recipe without tweaks being made.
Other Easy Desserts
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, with a hand mixer or a spoon, 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!
Nickie Stoffers says
Hi Lisa!
I think this sounds amazing. Oddly enough, some people like chocolate and orange. Have you tried it with chocolate chips cake and pudding? I know it will be great with whipped cream in place of Cool-Whip.
k ,
I haven’t tried it that way yet! If you do let me know how it goes, I love chocolate and orange!
Linda Myatt says
I have used this recipe many times. Always comes out delicious! The guys go crazy over it. The only thing I do differently is buy two cans of mandarin oranges, one to go into the cake and one can for the top to decorate with. Sooo good.
I love the idea of decorating the cake with one!
Michelle says
Oranges/pineapple in juice or syrup
I did in juice! But if you can only find in syrup, that will be fine.
Mo says
This recipe was awful. The batter had too much liquid. I followed the directions exactly. The first fine I
Made it I thought maybe I set my timer wrong and baked it too long. But no, the second time I made it it was again flat and over cooked. I then looked at other recipes and found half the liquid as this recipe calls for. So it was a flop, it was expensive, and I am so disappointed. I had to go out and buy a cake as I ran out of time.
I’m really sorry you didn’t like it, Mo. This is a tried and true recipe so I’m not sure what went wrong.
Shan says
Hi. I haven’t made this cake yet but I plan to today actually. I’m replying because I have made cakes before where I used jarred fruit. What I do is I make the cake up exactly how the box says but use the liquid from the fruit instead of the water that most boxed cakes require. I drain in a measuring cup to the exact amount and discard the rest. I do hope this is helpful. I love baking from scratch but sometimes I need something simpler because of time. Sorry you’ve had such a bad experience.
Alice says
Really Delicious! The cake sounded good so I thought I’d
try. Had everything but the cool whip, so we ate the cake
just to try and we weren’t disappointed ????. Next time
will try with the topping! It’s a keeper ????????. Thanks!
So glad you guys liked it Alice!
Cindy says
What size of cake mix was used to make this cake…15.25 or 18.25 as now the 18.25 is unheard of and no one makes it anymore.
15.25 ounces
Melinda Franks says
Anyone ever tried this with banana pudding instead of vanilla pudding?
jabeve says
Yes, 1 cup of oil is too much. Only use 1/2 cup.
We will have to agree to disagree.
Terri says
Is this good when made a day ahead or should I wait and make it the day we’re going to eat it?
You can make the cake the day before, but I would wait to frost it.
Terri says
Thank you!
Going to serve it tonight and just trying to wait as long as possible to make the frosting.
Maria Iyotte says
I made this cake and it tastes delicious. since I had no cool whip at home I made some yogut n pudding and put it on the cake as frosting. tasted great. today I am trying your recipe with a lemon cake mix
Glad to hear it, Maria!
maria says
today I make this recipe with a german chocolate cakemix and will top it with chocolate yogurt n pudding.
I like to experiment and give recipes a twist