Southern Pig Pickin’ Cake with Mandarin Oranges
This Southern classic got its name because it’s so delicious you’ll “pig out” when eating it! Also known as mandarin orange cake, this moist, fruity dessert has been the star of countless potlucks, picnics, and barbecues across the South. The combination of citrusy cake and fluffy pineapple-coconut frosting creates a refreshing treat that’s especially perfect for summer gatherings. Every time I’ve brought this cake to a potluck, the pan always returns completely empty.
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What Is So Good About Pig Out Cake
Jan Meeks generously donated this recipe. She says that you will eat so much of this cake, that you’ll make a pig out of yourself. This fruity cake is perfect for summer! It is cool and refreshing, you are going to love the fluffy pineapple frosting.
Whenever I have taken this cake to a potluck, the pan always comes back clean. This wonderful cake is now one of my favorites, and it may become one of yours as well.
Southern Pig Pickin’ Cake is really so good you are going to want to pig out when eating it, what could be better than sharing good times with friends when you can enjoy a pig picking cake?
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need:
- Yellow cake mix – Provides the perfect base for this semi-homemade masterpiece
- Large eggs – Add structure and richness to the cake texture
- Butter – Creates a tender crumb and rich flavor
- Vegetable oil – Ensures the cake stays moist for days
- Mandarin oranges – Infuse the cake with citrus flavor and moisture
- All-purpose flour – Helps strengthen the cake structure
- Crushed pineapple – Creates a tropical flavor base for the frosting
- Vanilla instant pudding mix – Stabilizes the frosting and adds creamy texture
- Powdered sugar – Sweetens the frosting without graininess
- Cool Whip – Creates a light, fluffy frosting texture
- Shredded coconut – Adds texture and tropical flavor to the frosting
How to Make Pig Pickin Cake
- Combine cake mix, eggs, butter, oil, and flour in a large mixing bowl. Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is well blended. Then, add the mandarin orange segments into the cake batter and blend with an electric mixer on low speed.
- Pour batter into a 9×13-inch prepared cake pan.
- Bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes. The cake may not appear done but should be brown on top.
- Cool the cake completely.
- Mix the pineapple (do not drain), pudding mix, and powdered sugar together really well. Let the mixture sit until it starts to thicken.
- Add whipped topping and coconut to the mixture and stir until well combined.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake.
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Southern Pig Pickin’ Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 15.25-ounce box yellow cake mix
- 4 eggs
- 4 ounces butter
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
Frosting
- 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple do not drain
- 1 3.4-ounce box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 16 ounces Cool Whip whipped topping
- 1 cup flaked coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, eggs, butter, flour, vegetable oil, and drained mandarin oranges.
- Pour the cake batter into a 9×13-inch baking pan, and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. The cake may not appear done but should be brown on top. Let cool, and cover with frosting.
- To make the frosting: Thoroughly combine the pineapple, instant pudding, and powdered sugar, and set aside until it begins to thicken. Mix in the whipped topping and coconut. Frosting must be refrigerated.
Notes
Nutrition
Storage Instructions
This cake must be stored in the refrigerator. The whipped cream topping does not hold well outside of refrigeration for extended periods of time.
- Keep refrigerated in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap
- Best consumed within 3-4 days
- Not suitable for freezing due to the whipped frosting
The History Behind Pig Pickin’ Cake
This beloved Southern dessert earned its unique name from being traditionally served at pig roasts (Southern barbecues where a whole pig is roasted and guests “pick” the meat). In Tennessee, a variation was called “Pea Pick’n Cake,” served when farmers helped each other harvest peas. By the 1980s, the recipe had spread through newspapers and women’s magazines under various names, including Pig Lick’n Cake, Celestial Snow Cake, Florida Sunshine Cake, and Mandarin Magic Cake.
The cake recipe made its way into newspapers and women’s magazines, so when the 1980s ′s rolled around, this was already a very popular cake. It has been given many different names, including:
- Pig Lick’n Cake
- Celestial Snow Cake
- Florida Sunshine Cake
- Orange Pineapple Cake
- Mandarin Magic Cake
It seems that Pig Pickin’ Cake is the exact cake, and its roots are in the South.
Like the convenience of cake mixes?
Here are a few more recipes for cakes using cake mix:
- Ambrosia Cake
- Angel Food Cake with Pineapple
- Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake
- Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Golden Pound Cake
- Sock It To Me Cake
Favorite Fruity Desserts
- Banana Split Cake
- Cherry Coffee Cake
- Fruit of the Forest Pie
- Kool Aid Pie
- Millionaire Pie
- Old Fashioned Apple Pie
Check out my easy cake recipes and the best family dessert recipes here on CopyKat!
Do you use pineapple packed in syrup or water?
I have made this with both, and either one makes no difference in how the cake turns out.
We call this Cotton Pickin’ Cake and would love an alternative to the Cool Whip…can’t eat it.
You can use whipped heavy cream that has been lightly sweetened with some powdered sugar that’s been blended into the dry pudding. Whip the cream until it begins to thicken, then sprinkle in the pudding/sugar as you finish whipping the cream to sturdy peaks. How much sugar you add is up to you and how sweet you’d like your cake topping/frosting to be, I use about 1/4-1/3 cup but you can add as much as a full cup for sweeter frosting. Fold in the WELL DRAINED pineapple. Failing to drain the juice will cause the frosting to separate. When adding sweetened coconut in addition to the pineapple, I skip the added sugar. Real whipped cream is so much more delicious than frozen “whipped topping”, and not really that much extra effort.
I can’t wait to give this a try! Looks delish!
This sounds so delicious and easy to prepare!
It does state 1/2 cup of margarine.
1/2 cup margarine
This recipe is confusing!! which ones are the cake ingredients and which ones are the icing ingredients??
I liked this cake, it was great!
What size baking dish and what size mandain oranges? Thank you! ;o)