Pig Pickin' Cake

Pig pickin' cake is a sweet, moist mandarin orange cake covered with a decadently creamy pineapple topping that's totally addictive! Some people call it "sunshine cake". It's cool, creamy, fruity, and deliciously easy to make because it starts with a boxed mix.

Course Dessert - Cake

Cuisine American - Southern

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Chill 4

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 301kcal

Author Marye Audet-White

Equipment

Stand mixer

Ingredients

For the Cake:

15.25 ounces yellow butter cake mix
½ cup butter softened
15 ounces mandarin oranges drained, ½ cup juice reserved
4 eggs
2 tablespoons spiced rum optional
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Frosting

3.4 ounces French vanilla instant pudding mix dry - just use the powder
20 ounces crushed pineapple juice reserved
1 cup heavy whipping cream
¾ cup Confectioner's sugar

Instructions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 13x9-inch pan - set aside.
Remove 2 tablespoons of the mandarin orange liquid and replace with 2 tablespoons of spiced rum (optional).
Add the cake mix, butter, vanilla and eggs to the bowl of an electric mixer and blend on low for about 1 minute.
Add the oranges and the reserved juice to the bowl. Mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
Spoon into the prepared baking pan.
Bake at 350F for 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Frosting

Blend the instant pudding mix, ½ cup Confectioner's, and reserved pineapple juice - set aside.
Whip the cream with the remaining ¼ cup Confectioner's sugar until soft peaks form.
Gently fold into the pudding mixture. Pat any remaining moisture off the pineapple with paper towel - fold into the topping.
Spoon on the top of the cake. Refrigerate at least 4 hours - overnight is better. Be sure to keep leftovers in the fridge!

Video

Notes

Make sure the pineapple is drained very well and patted dry with paper towels before folding into the topping otherwise it will get watery.

Storage:

So, if you happen to have any leftovers (shocking!) put them back in the refrigerator.

Just make sure to cover them with some plastic wrap, or seal them in an airtight container. They'll stay good for a few days... but don't be surprised if they've disappeared before the next morning!

This does not freeze real well - it gets soggy.

Tips

ALWAYS use room temperature ingredients unless otherwise noted in the recipe... except whipped cream, of course - that should be ice cold.
You can freeze this cake without the topping.
You can make this cake into 2 8-inch layers and fill and frost it with the topping.
Drizzle some of the pineapple juice over the warm cake for a moister cake with more pineapple flavor.
This cake is better the second day.

PS...there probably won't be any leftovers for the second day.

Nutrition