♥ 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!
Ingredients
- Cake:
- 1 box Yellow Cake Mix
- 1 (11 oz) can Mandarin oranges diced, undrained
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup oil
- Frosting:
- 1 sm. (3.4 ounce) Box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 (13 oz) cool whip
- 1 -8 ounce Can crushed pineapple, undrained
Instructions
- Mix all cake ingredients together well. Pour into 3 greased and floured round cake pans*. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
- For frosting, 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.
- *Note: I usually make mine in a 9x13 pan just to save the trouble of fooling with the layers. I'm just lazy that way :)
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
just read your comments about the mandarin orange cake, and must tell you that I bake it in bundt pans, after beating for five minutes. I have never had the oranges to sink to the bottom, and every where I take it people just love it. It is one of the best cakes that I have ever eaten.
Christy, Just found you last week via Honey, the Water’s Burnin’. Elizabeth has really raved about your site, with good reason. I have turned my daughter on to you; she received your cookbook this morning. Someone brought your Mandarin Orange Cake to a Christmas family get-together a few years ago. I think it was baked in a bundt pan. It was AWESOME! We love your lead-ins as well as your recipes. BTW, do you have a slaw recipe with onions and miracle whip dressing? Marie in Middle TN.
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
Abby, have to tell you, just found this site this afternoon..when I seen this recipe I was sure it was the same as one we have made for years and years !! BUT–like the kids game “telephone” we call it PIG Picking cake lol doesn’t matter what its called–it’s THE BEST tasting ever !!! So far this looks like a great website–I’m drooling over here and haven’t even begun to ck everything else out..
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 [...]
We call it a pig pickin’ cake too and even through a few pecans into the icing. Now that’s good eating!
[...] Mandarin Orange Cake (Cookbook p.14) [...]
I made this cake last week (in a 9×13 pan ’cause I’m just lazy that way) and my kids went wild over it!! I loved it because it was light and refreshing and satisfied my cake craving. Also, because I am heartily sick of this cold weather and this cake makes me thing of summertime! I think I might add a little coconut on top and pretend it’s a pina colada and I’m on the beach somewhere!!! Thanks for the recipe : )
One of the ladies from church makes this cake when we have our monthly “dinners on the ground.” It is always the first cake gone. Delicious!
Yummy! It doesn’t last too long around here either. I like that term “dinners on the ground”!
I’ve heard “Dinner on the ground” all my life referring to gaining weight as in She’s spreadin’ out like dinner on the ground.”
[...] of you familiar with the second recipe I ever posted on Southern Plate know how much I love my Mama’s Mandarin Orange Cake. It’s so light and refreshing and the little bits of mandarin oranges taste just like [...]
My mother made this cake often also, only she used Orange Supreme cake mix. Because I’m diabetic, I have adjusted the recipe somewhat: Pillsbury sugar-free yellow cake mix, one 3 oz box sugar-free orange jello added to cake mix, sugar-free pudding and cool whip, and even sugar-free mandarin oranges and pineapple. This makes a treat I feel I can have without risking too much excess sugar, and my family never notices the difference. To me, this cake tastes like an orange creamsicle!
Great substitutions!!
[...] fire & ice salad, broc/cauliflower salad with purple onion, vanilla wafer cake, mandarin orange cake (a makeahead for Easter, since we are working). Thanks for all the great recipes, [...]
I’ve made this several times and used a 9×13 pan. i took it to my co-workers and they “lapped it up”! My son always reminds me to please leave some at home..lol. I am loving your site.
thanks
I simply need you to come live at our home and cook for us! I follow your site every day and really enjoy trying out your recipes. My absolute favorite cake is Pig Pickin’ Cake, which I was taught to make exactly like this recipe for mandarin orange cake. Thanks for sharing it with us!
I made this tonight for my son’s graduation party on Sunday. The topping is delectable…the dog sat and watched me as I licked the bowl clean. I did not share any with her:(
Anyone tried it with butter cake? That’s all I have handy.
I have and it just as good.
A co-worker of mine introduced me to this yummy cake several years ago. She gave me her recipe/version of Pig LICKIN’ Cake. As for the recipe name, I’m not sure if the referenced pigs were lickin’ the cake or that referred to those of us at the P.D. that left our plates spotless after eating!
We know this as “Better Than Sex” Cake, made with crushed pineapple.
We call this a “pig pickin’ “cake in my parts! It’s awesome!!
This cake recipe has been a favorite in my husband’s family for a very long time. They’ve always called it “Hawaiian Delight Cake”… however, no matter what you call it, it always goes fast!
I made this cake yesterday for my daughter’s 2nd birthday because she pretty much only eats fruit. It was so moist and delicious. It’s the perfect cake for a summer party. I also made your strawberry lemonade as a special treat for her. It’s one of her favorites. Thanks for sharing.
[...] – I made the new baked bean recipe last night, mm mm, yummy! We will have mandarin orange cake, fire and ice salad, more baked beans and the best grilled [...]
[...] old pot of pintos, chopped onion (this counts as a side dish!), coconut cake, chocolate pound cake, mandarin orange cake, yellow cake with hard chocolate icing, HOMEMADE BANANA PUDDING, and at LEAST ten different [...]
Good Golly Miss Molly! This cake darn near blew the socks off of my family. I’ll tell you what, I can’t decide whether it’s just how darn yummy this cake is or how darn easy it is to bake that makes it my new favorite. Either one works for me. I even posted about it on my blog. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this treasure of a recipe.
Ooops! I accidentally posted my email instead of my blog address.
It’s http://www.fivegreatkiddos.blogspot.com.
Has anyone ever tried Dream Whip instead of Cool Whip? Cool Whip is not available where I live. Would Dream Whip hold up in the refrigerator for 2-3 days? Thanks.
I have used dream whip and I think it would be great!
Thank you for replying so quickly! I was thinking about making this cake this week, so I really appreciate your speedy response. I live in Mexico and buy my Dream Whip when I’m in the States, which isn’t very often. I’m making your website one of my “favorites.” So many good recipes with basic ingredients, important for me. I lived in SC for many years, from IL, and live in a foreign country, so I have had a “rounded” and fulfilling life–northern, southern, foreign.
Keep up the good work! Will look forward to checking back often. God bless you or Dios le bendiga.
[...] you love the icing on my Mama’s Mandarin Orange Cake, you’re really gonna love his cool and fruity [...]
I have a recipe just like it but we call it a “Pig Pickin Cake”. lol
Another name for it is a Husband Catcher Cake. I think that’s my favorite of all the names I’ve heard for it.
I really need to try this…I love mandarin oranges…..and cake….love cake….yummy cake…..
That makes me think of the special orange marmalade cake that is written about in the Mitford series by Jan Karon- I am waiting for the occasion when I can make either!
absolutely DELISH !!!!