Mandarin Orange Cake with Pineapple Fluff Frosting, also known as Pig Pickin’ Cake, is a Southern tradition that starts with a cake mix, and is so transformed you won’t believe it. This cake is absolutely delicious, and always a crowd favorite with mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple giving it a fun fruity flavor.
I may not be Southern, but I can appreciate good Southern traditions, and nothing makes me happier than food traditions. This particular food tradition makes me really really happy. It’s called Mandarin Orange Cake with Pineapple Fluff Frosting, also known as Pig Pickin’ Cake.
Especially because this Mandarin Orange Cake with Pineapple Fluff Frosting is so ridiculously easy to make. Now I know a lot of recipes claim to be easy, but this one is. It starts with a cake mix, and uses easy to find ingredients to take simple things and make them magical!
Why is it called “Pig Pickin”? Well in the American South there is a tradition where towns people get together and roast a whole pig in the ground. It is taken very seriously, and everyone brings sides and their favorites. When the pig is done cooking, everyone picks off the meat. What a great tradition! And it wouldn’t be a complete meal without a pig pickin’ cake, now would it?
This Mandarin Orange Cake with Pineapple Fluff Frosting is awesome because you get sweet and citrusy, but with simplicity. Now everyone makes it a little differently, some use a vanilla cake mix, some a yellow cake mix, and I like to use a yellow butter cake mix. That extra butter flavor is just so nice. And the freshness of pineapple and mandarin oranges make it decadent and delicious without being too heavy. The frosting is easy and impossible to screw up, which is another big plus of this cake. It is vanilla pudding, crushed pineapple, and whipped topping. And you just slather it on!
Tips for making Pig Pickin’ Cake:
- Preheat the oven fully. This will help the cake cook evenly.
- Follow the boxed cake mix instructions for baking. Depending on the cake mix you use you may need to bake longer or shorter, or at a different temp.
- Cool the cake completely. You do not want to put whipped topping on a hot cake, it will melt it, and it won’t be nearly as good.
- Feel free to sub in a homemade stabilized whipped cream if you don’t like whipped topping. This Easy Turtle Poke Cake recipe has a recipe for stabilized whipped cream in it.
- Adding some extra pineapple and mandarin oranges on top make it look so nice, but everyone will love the flavor so much they may not care what it looks like.
- Make your Pig Pickin’ Cake a layer cake by baking in two 8 inch instead of a 9 x 13. Then use some of the frosting in the center.
Other Cakes for you to love:
Rachael Yerkes
Yields 12
Serves 12
A southern classic, this pig pickin' cake or Mandarin Orange Cake with Pineapple fluff frosting is sure to be a hit. Great flavors, and oh so easy to make.
10 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
30 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix (15.25 ounces)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 can mandarin oranges (11 ounces)
- 1 large can (15.5 ounces) crushed pineapple
- 1 large box (5.1 ounces) Vanilla instant pudding mix
- 1 large container (16 ounces) whipped topping
- More mandarin oranges
- Sliced pineapple
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine yellow cake mix, vegetable oil, whisked/beaten eggs, and mandarin oranges including the juice.
- Use a Hand Mixer to mix until well blender.
- Pour into a greased Cake Pan .
- Tap on the counter a couple times to get air bubbles out.
- Bake according to cake mix box instructions.
- Once baked, remove from oven and let cool.
- While cooling, combine canned crushed pineapple and vanilla instant pudding.
- Fold in whipped topping.
- Top cooled cake.
- Garnish with mandarin oranges and sliced pineapple and enjoy!
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