Pig Pickin' Cake is an easy cake that starts with a boxed cake mix, mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple. It's sunshine in a cake!
AN EASY, ORANGE FLAVORED CAKE
For her birthday, my Mom wanted a dessert she had not had since childhood, Pea Pickin' Cake (or Pig Pickin' Cake.) Her mother used to make it, but sadly she did not have her Momma's recipe. So, my Mom and I were determined to get this just like she remembered. I think we nailed it! This really is an amazing cake for spring and summer. The flavors are bright and fresh and the whipped cream topping gives it a light taste.
ALSO CALLED MANDARIN ORANGE CAKE
This cake has a lot of different names. I have no idea how it became called Pig Pickin' or Pea Pickin' Cake (as my Momma remembers it being called.) But whatever you call it - I know you'll call it delicious! This cake does to be stored in the refrigerator because of the whipped topping.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- yellow cake mix
- butter
- mandarin oranges
- large eggs
- vanilla extract
- vanilla instant pudding mix
- crushed pineapple
- powdered sugar
- whipped topping (COOL WHIP)
- extra mandarin orange slices, for garnish
HOW TO MAKE PIG PICKIN' CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. For the cake, combine cake mix, butter, ½ cup juice from the mandarin oranges, eggs, and vanilla. Beat for four minutes on medium-high.
Add drained oranges and stir until pieces are broken up slightly. Don't stir too much because you want to see some large orange pieces in the cake.
Pour batter into greased 9x13-inch baking pan or (2) 8 inch round pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes for a 9x13-inch pan or 17-21 minutes for 8-inch pans.
Basically you want the cake to be lightly golden brown and set. Remove from oven and cool completely. Once cake is cool, blend juice from drained pineapples with the vanilla pudding mix.
Add powdered sugar and mix, then mix in whipped topping.
Stir in drained pineapple.
Spread on cooled cake (or layers if making a round cake) and refrigerate several hours before serving. Then slice cake into 12 slices (while in the pan)and then top each slice with a mandarin orange slice. I like to put the cake into the refrigerator for about an hour to help set up the frosting.
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Originally published: June 2011
Updated & Republished: March 2020
Pig Pickin' Cake (+Video)
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 15.25 ounce box yellow cake mix
- 1 stick unsalted butter (½ cup) softened
- 14 ounce can mandarin oranges drained, ½ cup juice reserved
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping:
- 4 ounce box vanilla instant pudding mix
- 20 ounce can crushed pineapple (juice reserved)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 4 ounces Cool Whip (whipped topping) (half a regular tub)
- extra mandarin orange slices, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- For the cake: combine cake mix, butter, ½ cup juice from the mandarin oranges, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat for 3-4 minutes on medium-high.
- Add drained oranges and gently stir until combined (leaving some of the oranges chunky).
- Spread batter into prepared baking dish and bake for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
- Once cake is cool, in a bowl, stir together the juice from the drained crushed pineapple with the instant vanilla pudding mix.
- Stir in powdered sugar. Then fold in the Cool Whip whipped topping.
- Finally, stir in drained pineapple. Note: if your frosting seems a bit too "liquidy" just add in a little more of the Cool Whip until you get a stiffer consistency.
- Spread frosting on cooled cake. To help the frosting finish setting up, place cake into the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours before slicing.
- When cooled, slice cake into 12 pieces (while in the pan) and then top each slice with a mandarin orange slice. Note: I like to put the cake into the refrigerator for about an hour to help set up the frosting.
Video
Notes
- Keep cake refrigerated.
- Margarine can be substituted for the butter.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Rue ann Eyler
You know I love your recipes, so I’ve this one in the oven as I type this! Can’t wait
Reyna Campbell
Love this recipe!!!
Jenny Welch
Love your recipes!
Doctor Grandma Jeannie
5 star recipe! I got the recipe from Mrs. Maggie Walton in Mt. Olive NC around 1976. It is a favorite cake of my family and every church gathering to which I have brought it.
The story behind the name is as follows: In eastern NC, a pig is often slaughtered to feed a large group of family and friends. It is usually split in half, and cooked outside all night long, and attended by the men. It is basted with a vinegar & pepper marinade and roasted over coals. The following day, the guests walk by the opened cooker, and “pick” the parts of meat that they prefer. It is called a “Pig Pickin’”. This cake is often brought to the festivities along with other dessert and side dishes, and thus named a “Pig Pickin’ Cake”. It is always a favorite.
My recipe is almost identical. I bake the cake as 3 or 4 10” layers, or make 2 smaller layers and torte or slice them into 4 layers. The extra layers allow the creamy topping to seep all through the cake. I also use ¾ cup oil instead of margarine when mixing the cake.
For the topping, I use 8 oz. sweetened whipped cream, not Cool Whip. Also, I mix 15 oz. undrained pineapple with large box of instant vanilla pudding and let it set (overnight is fine, but doesn’t need to be that long). No need to add extra sugar, or to drain the pineapple. When ready to frost the cake, just fold the pineapple-pudding mix into the sweetened whipped cream. We use the large sizes of pineapple and pudding, plus a full 8 oz. of whipped cream, so we will have enough frosting for 3-4 layers plus the sides and top.
Evelyn
I have been making this recipe for years but I use chocolate cake and chocolate pudding absolutely delicious. we have a church dinner coming up and I was looking for the recipe to use it for this, Had never used a 9x13 pan it should work so much better for a church dinner. Thanks for the suggestion.
Sharon D Young
I've made this cake for years, BUT this recipe is different, with the vanilla extract, I love it, it makes it super moist. I found this recipe Tuesday, I've made 2 already, I've been getting so many compliments, on it, can't wait for Christmas 2020, to show my Mom, many blessed thanks... I wanted to post a picture, help...
Julie Kohlman
Yummy so refreshing and light
Perfect summertime dessert
Bonnie Sonnier
Was wondering if fresh peaches would work also? Thanks, Bonnie
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Bonnie! I think you could but they need to be soft. If they are too hard, they won't soften enough during the baking time and it'll be difficult to eat.