Mandarin Orange Cake with Pineapple Frosting (Pig Pickin’ Cake)

When it’s too hot to fuss over a from-scratch dessert but you still need to show up with something impressive, this is what you make. It’s light, it’s fruity, it’s cold out of the fridge, and it feeds a crowd. Sometimes, an easy cake mix recipe is just what you need. It’ll be our little secret.

If you grew up going to church potlucks or family reunions in the South, you’ve probably had this cake…even if you didn’t know what it was called. It goes by a few names (Pig Pickin’ Cake, Mandarin Orange Cake, “that cake with the Cool Whip frosting”), but it’s always the same thing: a ridiculously easy, cool and creamy dessert that people lose their minds over.

What You’ll Need

For the Cake

• 1 box yellow cake mix. French vanilla works nicely here too. Look for a mix without pudding already in it for the best texture.
• 1 (15-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
• Eggs and vegetable oil as called for on the cake mix box

For the Frosting

• 1 (16-ounce) container whipped topping. Don’t substitute real whipped cream here. The stabilized topping holds up much better and won’t turn soupy.
• 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix. Must be instant, not the cook-and-serve kind. You’re using the dry mix straight from the box.
• 1 (15-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained. The juice is part of the frosting, so don’t drain it.

For Garnish

• 1 (15-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained

Instructions

Preheat and Prep Your Pan

Get your oven heating to 350°F and give your 9 × 13-inch baking dish a good coat of nonstick spray. If you’re using a glass dish (which I prefer for this cake), keep an eye on it toward the end of baking.

Mix the Cake Batter

Make the cake batter according to the box directions, then add in your drained mandarin oranges and stir them in with a spatula. Don’t worry about being gentle. You actually want them to break up a bit as you mix.

Those little orange pieces are going to dissolve into the batter as it bakes, adding moisture and sweetness.

Bake

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 25 to 35 minutes. Start checking at 25, you want a toothpick to come out with just a few moist crumbs, not totally clean. Overbaking is the enemy of this cake!

Now here’s the part where you have to be patient: let it cool completely in the pan. Not mostly cool. Not “cool enough.” All the way cool. If you put the frosting on a warm cake, it will melt right into a puddle.

Make the Frosting

This is the part that makes people’s eyes go wide when you tell them how easy it is. Scoop the whipped topping into a large bowl, sprinkle the dry pudding mix over the top, and stir until it’s blended. Then fold in the entire can of crushed pineapple…. juice and all. That’s it!

The pudding mix does double duty here: it thickens everything up so the pineapple juice doesn’t make the frosting runny, and it adds a vanilla flavor that ties the whole cake together.

Frost and Chill

Spread the frosting over the cooled cake in big, generous dollops. It’ll be thick, which is exactly what you want. Arrange your drained mandarin orange slices on top however you like — I do neat rows, but scattered works just as well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving, but if you can wait 2 to 4 hours (or even overnight), the flavor really comes together. The frosting firms up, the pineapple and pudding meld, and the whole thing tastes like it came from someone who knows what they’re doing. Which, now, you do!

Storage Instructions

Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can bake the cake a day ahead and store it unfrosted at room temperature, then make and spread the frosting the day you plan to serve it.

This cake doesn’t freeze well once frosted, but the unfrosted cake can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to a month.

Simple Variations to try

• Use a French vanilla cake mix instead of plain yellow for a slightly richer flavor.
• Add a tablespoon of orange zest to the batter for a stronger citrus punch.
• Sprinkle toasted coconut on top of the frosting for a more tropical feel.
• Top with chopped pecans instead of (or alongside) the mandarin slices for some crunch.
• Swap maraschino cherries for the orange garnish if you want a pop of color..especially pretty around the holidays.

FAQs and Troubleshooting

Printable Recipe