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 350 degrees. For the cake, combine cake mix, margarine, 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.
Pour batter into greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan or 2-8 inch round pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes for 9X13 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. Then serve!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!
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. 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. Then serve.
Video
Notes
- Keep cake refrigerated
Nutrition
Originally published: June 2011
Updated & Republished: March 2020
Sylvia Griffith
My Mom used to make this cake many, many, and I do mean many, years ago. It's wonderful and I will be making sure what ingredients I need when I go to the store. We called it Pig Lickin' cake. I grew up in hog country. Just a comment.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hahaha! The names we come up with, right? Love it!
Brenda
Made it for my Ma's B-day party. Everyone loved it. I made the cake the night before and put it in the fridge along with the can of pineapple. I made the topping the next day. I used the whole tub of whipped cream. My sister wants it for her birthday too.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Absolutely love hearing that Brenda!! Thank you for coming back to comment!
Jeff
any ideas on how to make the icing so that its spreadable its a bit too thin to spread like a frosting
Maggie
I made the frosting with softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, pineapple, vanilla pudding mix and the juice of the pineapple and it is firm and delicious.
Sasha Gardner
My ex BF would tell me of a cake like this he had as a child .. So I think I finally have found it and we'll its cooling now and after the icing we will see if it's the one he remembers...
Brandie @ The Country Cook
I hope you both loved it Sasha!
Janice
I made this cake and loved it except for the frosting has a somewhat grainy taste to it. I mixed the pineapple juice with the instant pudding mix with a whisk, then whisked in the powdered sugar and I"m wondering if I should have used a mixer and beat it instead. Then I folded in my Cool Whip, then folded in the pineapple. Any ideas?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Janice - hmmm perhaps? I've never had that happen...wonder if it had to do with the pudding mix itself. Maybe something was wrong with it...
Dianne Klinski
Ya, you make the powdered sugar frosting just as you normally would, sub out butter for crisco to make it hold a little better and then add your creamer to get your consistency. Get the consistency just about to where you want, THEN add your flavoring, otherwise it can get lost.
One thing I like to do is to make this with cream cheese extract/flavoring. You could not tell it from the real thing. I get mine from Watkins, most stores carry it now. Or get the clear vanilla from Watkins as well and you can make pure white frosting, no tint of brown. Add some almond extract along with the clear vanilla and you have royal icing.
Dianne Klinski
My aunt told me about using powdered non-dairy creamer. You don't get that powdered sugar taste, in fact, if you use the regular flavor, you don't get any taste change at all. I use crisco instead of butter ( sometimes ) because the crisco seems to hold up better to being stirred. Using that creamer, you can make cement if you add enough!LOL
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Ha! I did not know that Dianne!! I am going to have to try that sometime! What do you do to sweeten it though since there is no sweetener in non dairy creamer? Do you just add it along with the powdered sugar?
Salene
I have made this before but this time my frosting was not as stiff. Any suggestions on what I could have done to make it thicker, or stiffer. I made a two layer cake but the top layer is just sliding around.
Dianne Klinski
Another recipe that looks great! How did it get its name?
Anna Harlson
Is it possible that this original recipe used a box cake that was 18.25 oz? I’m wondering if the new smaller cake mixes that are on the shelves today (15.25 oz) are contributing to the longer cooking times and flattening of the cake out of the oven.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Anna! I tested this with the smaller cake mix boxes. It still worked so I think it has to do with the actual brands that are being used. Some off the cake mix brands (like Duncan Hines) aren't working so well with these types of recipes. It's sad because I love the flavor of Duncan Hines cake mix! Perhaps they changed their formulation. Pillsbury seems to be working the best.
Dianne Hellms
Getting ready to make this and wondering if butter is just softened or melted.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Dianne, it's just softened.
Bonnie
Turned out perfect. Mine came out so fluffy and scrumptious! I wouldn't change a thing. FYI - I used Betty Crocker cake mix. Seems to work better than Duncan Hines. My whole church group wanted the recipe. 🙂
Brandie @ The Country Cook
I don't see why not. It's not a super heavy tasting dessert so I think a little citrus after a pasta meal would be delicious!
Karren
So good - thank you!
Tara
I've made this many times and it's delicious but I always need to bake almost 20 extra minutes?! It's golden brown on top but 100% soup when timer goes off..... Any idea what I'm doing wrong? My oven works fine too.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Tara, Are you baking the cake on the top rack? I've made this cake so many times (I could make it in my sleep - LOL) and the time is always the same. However, it's possible it could be rack position or perhaps my oven runs hot. I need to do a proper oven test. However, I am so glad you figured it out and you enjoyed it!!
Janene Springer
Didn't change a thing - it was perfect!
Jaime W
I just made this last weekend for the fourth. Such a great summer dessert. The topping is so light and the cake is so fresh. The only thing I did different was not use the powered sugar in the frosting. So yummy! Thanks.
kathy lux
Can this cake be frozen? I would make in 2 pans and then freeze one with the topping.
Joyce Scott
It takes about 10 extra minutes to bake as the top of the cake looked unndone
Sarah
I am green cooker and just want to make this recipe . the quesiton is which one I should use ? Hand mixer or hand blender?
Suzi lehmann
I made this today! It is soooooo good ????
Courtney
I just made this recipe and it’s to die for!!! I subbed the oranges for additional pineapple and added mini marshmallows and 1/2 cup shredded coconut. Such a great summer desert
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Yes! I love the idea of coconut! I am totally gonna have to try that next time!
Naomi L
I make a cake very similar, except no powdered sugar in the topping. Topped mine with pecans and cherries. The recipe was given to me by a neighbor 30 yrs ago and is still a favorite. At a dessert auction fund raiser it sold for $70.
RPZ
The cake turned out perfect. No issues what so ever. The frosting was a whole other situation. Nothing I did would firm it up. It was like soup. The instant pudding calls for 2 cups of liquid and this recipe only called for a quarter of the liquid so I don't understand why it did what it did.
Tracy Skoryk
Dont make the pudding. Just use the pudding mix.
Ginger
I live at high altitude (7000 feet). I made this cake for years without any problems. However the last couple of years, it has fallen just at the end of baking. Has there maybe been a change to the boxed cake recipe? Does anyone have any tips to help me out? Otherwise, I LOVE the cake!
Jean Lewallen
My recipe is different in that the icing is: crushed pineapple and the juice, a large instant vanilla pudding, mixed on mixer then fold in cool whip. Do try it. this way
Vikki sanchez
I baked in a glass pan with the oven on 325 but I baked the cake for 45 minutes and my cake was a success!