EASY PIG PICKIN’ CAKE
HOW-TO VIDEO INCLUDED BELOW
ALSO CALLED MANDARIN ORANGE 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!
CAKE MIX, MANDARIN ORANGES, COOL WHIP
yellow cake mix
butter
can of mandarin oranges
large eggs
vanilla extract
vanilla instant pudding mix
crushed pineapple
powdered sugar
whipped topping (COOL WHIP)
extra mandarin orange slices, for garnish
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE PIG PICKING CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.For the cake, combine cake mix, margarine, 1/2 cup juice from the mandarin oranges, eggs, and vanilla. Beat for four minutes on medium-high.
Add drained oranges and beat again until pieces are broken up and small. Pour batter into greased and floured 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.
Enjoy!
Originally published: June 2011
Updated & Republished: April 2019
PIG PICKIN' CAKE
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup) softened
- 1 (14 oz) can mandarin oranges drained, 1/2 cup juice reserved
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping:
- 1 (4 oz) box vanilla instant pudding mix
- 1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple (juice reserved)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 4 ounces Cool Whip (half a regular tub)
- extra mandarin orange slices, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- For the cake, combine cake mix, butter, 1/2 cup juice from the mandarin oranges, eggs, and vanilla. Beat for 3-4 minutes on medium-high.
- Add drained oranges and stir until combined.
- Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool completely.
- Once cake is cool, blend juice from drained pineapples with the vanilla pudding mix.
- Stir in powdered sugar. Then mix in whipped topping.
- Finally, stir in drained pineapple.
- Spread frosting on cooled cake. Optional: Top with slices of mandarin oranges.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Tina says
October 11, 2017 at 5:26 pmJust made this cake and it was beautiful in the oven until I took it out. It has flatten! Any ideas as to why?
Kristine says
May 31, 2018 at 10:55 pmI’m thinking that the oranges weren’t beaten small enough. The weight from them weighed down the cake. I never added the powdered sugar because I thought it would be to sweet for us.
Thank you for the recipe the cake is delicious.
Caren says
June 5, 2018 at 12:04 amI I am so glad to see that someone else had their cake flatten. Mine actually shrunk from the sides of the pan also. I really think my oranges were beaten small enough. Any other ideas of what I did wrong? I used extra large eggs – could that have done it?
Brandie @ The Country Cook says
June 5, 2018 at 10:08 amPossibly! But the good news is this cake has a frosting. So any imperfections can be covered up! 😉
Jean Lewallen says
February 18, 2018 at 6:47 pmMy 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
Ginger says
March 11, 2018 at 1:53 pmI 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!
RPZ says
May 30, 2018 at 9:21 pmThe 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 says
April 14, 2019 at 11:05 amDont make the pudding. Just use the pudding mix.
Naomi L says
May 31, 2018 at 12:01 amI 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.
Courtney says
June 2, 2018 at 11:53 amI 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 says
June 4, 2018 at 11:12 amYes! I love the idea of coconut! I am totally gonna have to try that next time!
Suzi lehmann says
June 8, 2018 at 9:51 pmI made this today! It is soooooo good 👍
Sarah says
June 12, 2018 at 4:27 amI am green cooker and just want to make this recipe . the quesiton is which one I should use ? Hand mixer or hand blender?
Joyce Scott says
June 14, 2018 at 8:03 pmIt takes about 10 extra minutes to bake as the top of the cake looked unndone
kathy lux says
June 18, 2018 at 12:52 amCan this cake be frozen? I would make in 2 pans and then freeze one with the topping.
Jaime W says
July 9, 2018 at 1:21 amI 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.
Janene Springer says
August 10, 2018 at 10:47 amThe only size pudding mix I find is 1.34 oz sugar free or 3.4 oz regular. Where do u find 4 oz?
Tara says
April 20, 2019 at 5:18 pmI’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 says
April 22, 2019 at 10:19 amHi 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!!
Karren says
April 27, 2019 at 5:27 pmI am an experienced baker, but I had a bad result from this recipe. Followed directions, oven seemed to be working properly and was preheated. I baked it for 22 minutes, sides had pulled away from the pan, tested it with a tooth pick, came out clean. I waited about 20 minutes, turned them onto cooling racks, a little while later they had sunk. Raw dough. Cooking time has to be incorrect, all indications of been done were wrong. I won’t waste my time with this cake again.
Brandie @ The Country Cook says
April 27, 2019 at 6:56 pmHi Karren! I’m so sorry to hear that! May I ask what brand of cake mix you used? I’m thinking that might be the culprit. I’ve made this cake more times than I can count and have never had this problem and if you read the reviews on here – other people have had success. It’s so disappointing though when a recipe doesn’t go as planned!
Bonnie says
April 30, 2019 at 8:44 amTurned 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 says
June 22, 2018 at 3:02 pmI 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!
Dianne Hellms says
May 7, 2019 at 12:37 pmGetting ready to make this and wondering if butter is just softened or melted.
Brandie @ The Country Cook says
May 8, 2019 at 9:13 amHi Dianne, it’s just softened.
Anna Harlson says
May 19, 2019 at 6:51 pmIs 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 says
May 20, 2019 at 9:42 amHi 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.