Pig Pickin’ Cake

4.84 from 6 votes

Pig Pickin' Cake... yep, that's the name!! This cake is so good, y'all! Made with mandarin oranges and pineapple with puddin' and whipped cream icing!!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Chill Time15

Total Time40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 156kcal

Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Equipment

9x13 Baking Dish
Stand mixer
Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

For the Cake:

15.25 ounce yellow cake mix 1 box
½ cup salted butter room temperature
4 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
15 oz canned mandarins in light syrup, drained, ¼ c liquid reserved
¼ cup pineapple juice liquid reserved from 20-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, pineapples reserved

For the Topping:

4 ounces cool whip topping thawed
3.4 ounce vanilla instant pudding 1 small box
20 ounce crushed pineapple with juice 1 large can
canned mandarins drained, for garnish

Instructions

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350F. Place rack in the middle position. Prepare 9x13 pan by spraying with nonstick baking spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, add cake mix and butter. Mix on medium speed, for about 1 ½ minutes, until butter has broken down into small bits. Lower the speed and add eggs one at a time until smooth and evenly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla, ¼ cup mandarin liquid, and ¼ cup pineapple liquid and mix until smooth.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and gently fold in mandarins with a spatula.
Pour cake into prepared pan and bake for about 23-25 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely in the pan. Invert onto serving platter.

For the Topping:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, add whipped topping, instant pudding mix, and mix on medium until evenly mixed.
Add in crushed pineapple and mix for about 30 seconds, scraping down as needed.
Spread topping evenly onto cooled cake and garnish with additional mandarins. Serve immediately.

Notes

Be Gentle on the Mixing: Overmixing can lead to a tough cake, and we're all about that soft, tender crumb. So mix just until the ingredients are combined for the best texture!
Don't Skip the Crushed Pineapple: When I say crushed pineapple, I mean it. Those chunks might look tempting to use, but trust me, they won't blend into your frosting the way crushed pineapple does.
Chill the Cool Whip: Keep that Cool Whip tucked away in the fridge right up until you're ready to use it. This keeps it nice and firm, making sure your topping is the right consistency to spread smoothly over your cake.
Let the Cake Cool: After your Southern pig pickin cake has baked, give it some time to cool down completely before you even think about adding that whipped topping. Why? Well, unless you're going for a melted mess, letting it cool ensures the topping stays fluffy and perfect!

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