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!
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.
Karen says
This looks delicious…… could you use regular icing
You can use whatever you want to ice it. But if you want make this but just skip the Cool Whip, you can use my Stabilized Whipped Cream.
Violet says
I used olive oil . Hope it will be ok.. Ill let u know.
Judy Moffett says
I have a question on your Mandarin Orange Cake recipe. It says to use a 3.4 oz package of Instant Vanilla Pudding. The only sizes available in a store are either a 1.5 oz or a 1 oz package. One is 6 1/2 servings and one is 4 1/2 servings. Which should I use? I want to make this on Tuesday and would appreciate if you could get back to me. Thank you
I would use two packages of the 1.5 ounce size. You will be a little short, but not enough that it will make a big difference.
Elena says
Can I mix this cake with electric hand mixer or by hand with wooden spoon ❓
How long do you mix it for ❓
You can mix it by hand or with a mixer, and just until combined and there are no streaks of flour.