Why is mandarin orange cake called pig pickin cake?

Pig Pickin' cake is frequently enjoyed at summer BBQs, parties, and other community events, and got its ear-catching nickname from being served at large events where whole pigs would be roasted and eaten . As people would pick apart the pig, dishes like Pig Pickin' Cake would be dished out as well.

What is another name for pig pickin cake?

What Other Names Does Pig Pickin' Cake Go By? Call it what you like, from Mandarin Orange Cake to Mandarin Pineapple Cake, Pea Pickin' Cake, Sunshine Cake, or Pineapple Orange Cake. The name may vary, but the easy prep and summery flavor is the same. Whatever you call it, your guests will be calling out for seconds!

What is Chinese husband cake?

Originating from Hong Kong, Lao Gong Bing's main ingredients include: fermented red bean curd, peanuts, sesame, five star anise, butter and salt . The popular Husband Cake is the saltier counterpart to one of two famous pastries in Hong Kong; the other being the famed wife cake pastry.

How many mandarins a day is ok?

(3) The recommended daily requirement for Vitamin A and C are met by consuming approximately 4 Mandarin oranges . The juice sacs of Mandarin oranges carry an abundance of amino acids. Asparagine, arginine, aspartic acid, proline and glutamine are the most dominant non-essential amino acids in the mandarins.

Why do Chinese eat oranges after meals?

A typical Chinese “dessert” consists of simple orange slices. Oranges are considered to bring good fortune . This is a much different tradition than the custom of the “fortune cookie” after a meal, which is in fact a purely Western invention and is not practiced at all in China.

Can you freeze mandarin oranges whole?

Yes,you can freeze the oranges, either whole or in sections to hold on to until a later time . As long as the oranges are fresh and have a better flavor, freezing won't make a huge contrast in their taste or raised texture. Use frozen mandarins within 10 months.

What is pig pickin cake made of?

Once baked, the cake is traditionally topped with a whipped frosting that includes chunks of pineapple and its juice. What ingredients go into it? Most of the recipes for Pig Pickin' Cake include box yellow cake mix, canned mandarin oranges, eggs, and butter or vegetable oil.

How did hummingbird cake get its name?

Originally, it was called the “Doctor bird cake”, a nickname for a Jamaican variety of hummingbird called the Red-billed Streamertail. The name came from the way the bird's long beak probes flowers, like a doctor inspecting a patient .

What does the nickname plum cake mean?

The term "plum" originally referred to prunes, raisins or grapes . Thus the so-called plums from which English plum puddings are made "were always raisins, not the plump juicy fruits that the name suggests today."

Why are mandarin oranges called Christmas oranges?

Christmas Oranges In Canada, they're a Christmas tradition . Japanese immigrants popularized the fruit in the Great White North around the late 1800s. It's Japanese custom to give mandarins around the New Year as a symbol of good fortune.

Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe (Pig Pickin'Cake)

45 minutes

Home > Recipes > Desserts > Cake > Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe (Pig Pickin Cake)

4.96 from 83 votes

by Lisa Longley

posted: 08/11/22

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

Jump to Recipe

by Lisa Longley

posted: 08/11/22

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

Jump to Recipe

This Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe is the stuff of legends. You may have grown up calling it Pig Pickin Cake. Everyone who tries this cake needs the recipe and then is shocked by how few ingredients you need to make it.

Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe (Pig Pickin'Cake) - Simple Joy (2)

PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

You only need SEVEN ingredients to make this orange pineapple cake, and that includes the frosting!

This is a classic cake recipe that lots of you grew up eating and loving at family gatherings, church picnics, and back yard BBQs. I got this recipe from my neighbor and fell in love immediately.

Anywhere she takes this cake people need the recipe. And for good reason. It is moist, packed with flavor, and best of all it is super easy to throw together.

Reader Review

I made this cake for work and it was a winner! Everyone loved it, I will be making this again and again. Thank you!

Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe (Pig Pickin'Cake) - Simple Joy (3)

Ingredients for Orange Cake

One of the best parts about this cake is how few ingredients you need to make it!

Yellow Cake Mix: You can pick your favorite brand. Or you can even use a homemade recipe yellow cake mix.
Mandarin Oranges: These are for the cake and you will want to buy a can of these and not use a fresh mandarin orange, because you are using the juice too and want them completely peeled like you get in the can.
Oil: I love using vegetable oil most for recipes like this.
Eggs
Cool Whip: You can also use my recipe for stabilized whipped cream.
Vanilla Pudding Mix: This is for the frosting and you want to make sure you buy instant pudding mix, not the cook and serve kind. You will just be using the dry mix.
Crushed Pineapple: You will be using a 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple for the frosting, and you will use both the juice and the fruit.

How to Make Pig Pickin Cake

Make the cake. Combine the cake mix (you are not following the instructions on the box or using the ingredients it calls for), mandarin oranges, eggs, and oil. Pour into a 9 by 13 inch pan and bake for 40 minutes.
Make the frosting. Combine the cool whip, the undrained pineapples, and the dry pudding mix. Beat until smooth.
Frost the cake. Once the cake is completely cooled, frost it with the frosting, serve and enjoy.

Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe (Pig Pickin'Cake) - Simple Joy (4)

Making Ahead and Storing

For best results, this cake should be made right before serving or up to 24 hours in advance.

Leftovers should be covered and stored in the refrigerator. They can be stored for up to four days.

FAQ

Other Easy Desserts

I have lots of great dessert recipes that take short cuts from store bought ingredients. I love baking from scratch, but I love how fun and easy these are for the kids to make too!

Fudgey Peanut Butter Hand Pies
Easy S’mores Dip
Slow Cooker Hot Fudge Brownies
Samoas Poke Cake

If you make this great orange pineapple cake or any of my other desserts be sure to leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

4.96 from 83 votes

Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe

Serves: 20 pieces

(tap # to scale)

Prep: 5 minutes minutes

Cook: 40 minutes minutes

Total: 45 minutes minutes

This Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe is the stuff of legends. Everyone who tries this cake needs the recipe and then is shocked by how few ingredients you need to make it. Only SEVEN ingredients to make this orange pineapple cake, and that includes the frosting!

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Ingredients

For the Cake

1 box yellow cake mix (just the dry cake mix – 15.25 ounces)
1 15 ounce can mandarin oranges (undrained)
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil

For the Frosting

12 ounces cool whip (or our recipe for stabilized whipped cream)
1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple undrained
1 3.4 ounce box instant vanilla pudding mix (just the pudding mix)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 by 13 inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, with a hand mixer or a spoon, mix together the yellow cake mix, the can of mandarin oranges, the eggs and the vegetable oil. Pour into the prepare pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs, being careful not to over bake.
Let the cake completely cool.
In a large bowl whip together the cool whip, pineapple, and vanilla pudding mix. Spread over the cooled cake and serve!

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Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe

I’d love to see what you made! Tag me @lisasimplejoy and hashtag it #simplejoyrecipes!

Reader Interactions

Jula Zook says
POSTED ON 11/17/23 AT 04:49PM

I just made this dessert for a Thanksgiving carry in this evening so far it was delicious just tasting it I put mandarin oranges in the battery xnd decorated the top with mandarin oranges and a orange pieces on top
Reply
- Lisa Longley says
  POSTED ON 11/18/23 AT 12:05PM
  I’m so glad you liked it!
  Reply
Candace Wilson says
POSTED ON 12/16/23 AT 05:59PM
Can I substitute butter for the oil?
Reply
- Lisa Longley says
  POSTED ON 12/18/23 AT 08:56AM
  I haven’t tried that in this recipe, but I can’t think of why it wouldn’t work.
  Reply
Uttama says
POSTED ON 01/03/24 AT 07:06PM
If I use the stabilized whipped cream instead of cool whip, do I still need to add the instant vanilla pudding mix?
Reply
- Lisa Longley says
  POSTED ON 01/04/24 AT 11:58AM
  You do not, but you might want to add some vanilla extract to the stabilized whipped cream so it is similar.
  Reply
MamaT says
POSTED ON 02/04/24 AT 07:37PM
Try a little coconut in the frosting!
Reply
Amanda says
POSTED ON 02/13/24 AT 11:42AM

My mom makes this and just tops with cool whip, because I am not a fan of canned pineapple and its still magnificent
Reply
Brenda says
POSTED ON 03/13/24 AT 06:21PM

This cake is better after it’s been refrigerated
Reply