♥ Mandarin Orange Cake ♥
You know how its a good thing children are so cute at times because it keeps you from killing them in their developing years? There are times when a parent needs a little insurance as well, especially during those teen years, where it wouldn’t hurt us to endear ourselves a little more from time to time to our spawn. If you happen to have a teenager casting heated glances your way, perhaps you should make this cake as your own life insurance policy. 
Who knows, they just might decide you’re cool again!
This has always been my favorite cake, although I don’t remember Mama actually making it any time other than our yearly family reunion. She would make it three days before, set it at eye level in the fridge (not sure if that was intentional or not), and keep it there, untouched, until the reunion day. It was pure torture.
On the day of the reunion, her father would hook a huge flatbed trailer up to his tractor and pull it up alongside their farmhouse. The ladies would then appear with an assortment of tablecloths and sheets to cover the wagon before everyone started placing their dishes upon our makeshift table. I would watch for two things : my mom’s Mandarin Orange Cake and whichever little old lady had deviled eggs with red stuff (paprika) sprinkled on top.
My mother made this cake for our family reunion this year, which was actually canceled due to rain. She lives over half an hour from me, but knowing this was sitting in her fridge was just as torturous as it was when I lived at home.
The photos are a little dark. I hope you’ll pardon that in lieu of the wonderful idea of it all!
The cast of characters for the cake: Yellow Cake Mix, 11 oz Can Mandarin Oranges, 4 Eggs, 1/2 C oil(Don’t worry, recipe at bottom of page).
Dice mandarin oranges, save the juice because all of that goes in with them.
Divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans.
TIME TO MAKE FROSTING!
THE BEST BEST BEST BEST BEST PART!!!!
(I really like this frosting!)
You CAN use sugar free pudding and lite or fat free cool whip here! Don’t drain your pineapple!
Mix pudding mix and pineapple together until well blended.
Fold in Cool Whip.
(We did this tutorial earlier in our food blogging careers and that’s why it is not as thorough with the photographs as they usually are.)
Place first layer on plate, top with icing and then place other layer on top, repeat until you have all layers on.
(Go ahead and eat some of the icing, we’ll skimp later so you have enough).
Continue until your entire cake is iced!
Put it in the fridge, at eye level of the smallest people in your house, just to make the torture complete. For the next three days remind them its in there with little statements like
“Don’t you mess with my cake! Thats for the reunion!” each and every time they open the fridge, just to make sure they don’t forget.
This my all time, bar none, without question, most favorite summer cake!
1 (11 oz) can Mandarin oranges diced, undrained
4 eggs
½ cup oil
Mix all ingredients together well. Pour into 3 greased and floured round cake pans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
Frosting
1 sm. Box instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (13 oz) cool whip
1 sm. Can crushed pineapple, undrained
Mix pudding mix and pineapple together with spoon. Fold in cool whip until well blended. Frost cake. Keep refrigerated. Best if made 2 or 3 days ahead and refrigerated before serving.
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Be sure to register for the Hamilton Beach 3 in 1 Slow Cooker HERE!
To be given away through random drawing on August 29th.
Posted by Christy Jordan
on Aug 19 2008. Filed under Cake, Dessert.
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I just found your sight and those pics had my mouth watering! Yum!!!
Yummy!! I love mandarin oranges! I will have to give this recipe a try! I also look forward to your cookbook! Keep us updated!
This looks so. dang. GOOD. YUM!
That looks so delicious and summery – that’s the kind of cake I would want to eat in the dead of winter, just to remind myself what summer tastes like! Of course, I’d have to eat it in the summer too, and at least once during the spring and fall…
Yeah, gotta try that one.
I never knew Manderin oranges came in a can. Guess I better pay closer attention. Its looks great!
Oh girl thats my kinda cake! Easy to make and yummy! LOVE IT!
Mandy: Welcome to Southern Plate!! I do hope you’ll keep coming back to visit! I have a few hundred more recipes up my sleeve! Good to have you here!
Holly: I could live on mandarin oranges! They are like eating little bits of sunshine! My cookbook should arrive TODAY and I will have them up for sale by Friday I hope!Thank you for reading!!!
April: Oh I wish I could give you a piece. It is just so good! Thank you for reading!
Stephanie: I never thought of having this in the winter!!! You know whats funny, I never think about having this until its family reunion time! I need to re-wire my thinking!!
Bill G- OH YOU HAVE TO GET SOME CANNED MANDARIN ORANGES!!!! Stick the can in the fridge at night and then eat them cold for breakfast!!!! Wal mart even has a brand and they are just WONDERFUL!!!
Leslie: Your new ego light on your blog is going to be the death of me! As if your food didn’t look good enough already!!! Thank you for reading!!
Christy that looks beautiful. So summery. The cake mix made enough for 3 layers? The frosting just sounds to die for good. Quit adding these to die for desserts I am trying to get the scale to go down not up
.
Tina
Beautiful cake I must try it after my crop cake!
OH my – what a bunch o yummy recipes you have got here…
By the way – Pinky sent me over…
And I’ll tell you what, I’m sure glad she did!!
This cake looks absolutely wonderful. I will have to try it. Yummy!!!
Just drop by to check out your blog and to let you know PINKY sent me your way. I’m drooling and wishing I could cut this cake.
Pinky sent me here and I can see why she did. That cake looks delicious. I’m going to have to try it. My husband and son will love it!
WOW!
Thank you, Pinky!!!!
If I ever get rich, I’m gonna throw you a big old croppin’ cruise!!!
Denise, Tealady, Peg, and Stampinc, WELCOME TO SOUTHERN PLATE!! I am thrilled to have you here and really appreciate you taking time to read the site! If you ever have any questions or special requests, please don’t hesitate to ask!!
In the meantime, sit back and make yourself at home!
Pinky, you’re a gem!
Tina (Mommy’s Kitchen) – I’ve seen how skinny you are! YOU NEED MORE CAKE!!! hehe!
What a yummy site- glad I found you. Pinky the cute pink-haired girl sent me over…
All this yummy food is making me hungry. The cake looks delish.
I’m here thanks to Pinky!
I needed a fun cake for my little girls 2nd birthday. I am going to give it a try. If I use mandarian oranges in the frosting is that too much? She does not like pineapple, yet.
sorry I missed this one!
Mandarin oranges in the icing would be great! oh wait…your report back is below….whoops!
~to be continued below~
We made the cake and it did not taste very “orangy”. I did try the mandarian oranges in the frosting, but will try the pineapple next time. As far as the two year old, she asked for more ice cream. Isn’t that just like a two year old? A triple layer orange cake (her favorite) and she wants for ice cream. All’s Well! Happy Birthday.
Hehe
Aren’t two year olds adorable (most of the time!)?
My daughter just licks the icing off of the cake and nothing else! I swear a cupcake is just a serving piece!
Gratefully
Christy
Christi: I have been making Mandarin Orange cake for about 20 years. My recipe calls for 3/4 cup oil. I will try it with less oil next time. Also, do you think this cake could be baked in a bundt pan? Love your recipes.
Hey Dorothy!
I think it would do fine in a bundt pan…
and I also think you’re pretty darn brilliant for thinking of that!
I may do it myself next time!
Gratefully,
Christy
We made the Mandarin Orange cake in a bundt pan, actually we made three for a baby shower. They were good but being baked in a bundt pan all the oranges sunk to the botton of the pan.
Very pretty when turned out on a cake plate but it left the rest of the cake a little dry. Lots of people asked for the recipe so they could not have been too dry. Think I will stay with the three layers for now.
Thanks, Dorothy
Hey! My sister introduced your website to me and I LOVE it.
We used to have this cake growing up except we called it “pea pickin’ cake”. Anyhoo….I’ve been looking for the recipe and here it is! YUMMY, I use the lite cool whip it tastes the same but a little lighter. This is the best cake in summer. Everyone loves it.
I love your site.
abby
Hi Christy….I’m a newbee to your web site and am completely addicted. Recently made your Chicken and Dumplings recipe and love it! Have been making Mandarin Orange cake for years – it was my Mom’s favorite and everytime I bake it, sweet memories flood over me. My recipe doesn’t call for dicing the orange segments – just dump them into the bowl and use mixer to break up the pieces. Also, for the lady who made the recipe using a bundt pan, this method might solve the problem of all the orange pieces sinking to the bottom. Also, if she did want to dice up the segments, maybe coating the orange pieces with a little flour would help them stay in place and not sink to the bottom of the pan.
Thanks for the beautiful stories concerning your “folks” – I’m from the South (Houston, Tx) so I love story telling and family history.
Soooo good. I think I’m going to explode because I ate too much of this cake!
~Jen~ Raised by Southern women while living in a Northern state!
Our family makes this cake and we call it a “Pig Pickin’ Cake. It is by far my all time favorite summer cake as well! I use 2 rounds and split the layers while still warm (With dental floss. I’m a dental hygienist…haha) I love how big and beautiful the cake looks with all the layers! It seems the longer it sits in the fridge, the better it is. For those who haven’t tried this, it’s easy and will be a big hit for summer festivities.
[...] reunions on my Papa Reed’s farm each summer. The two things I looked forward to the most were Mama’s Mandarin Orange cake (because she used to torture us by making it three days ahead of time and letting it sit in the [...]