• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Restless Chipotle

  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Start Here
    • Ingredients Substitutions
    • Tips for Measuring Ingredients Accurately
  • About
  • Shop
  • Your Recipe Box
  • Meal Plans
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • My Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Start Here!
  • Videos
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Recipe Box
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • My Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Start Here!
  • Videos
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Recipe Box
×

Home » Recipes » Cake Recipes

Pig Pickin' Cake Recipe

Published: Mar 1, 2023 Last Updated: Mar 1, 2023 by Marye 1598 words. | About 8 minutes to read this article.

Pig pickin' cake is a sweet, moist orange cake is topped with a decadently creamy pineapple topping that's totally addictive! Some people call it "sunshine cake".
Total time 30 minutes
Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
A serving of mandarin orange cake on a plate.
Pig pickin cake with text overlay for pinterest
Pig pickin' cake with text for Pinterest.

This easy southern recipe is a favorite for taking to barbecues (Pig Pickin’s), potlucks, and church suppers. One bite and you'll know why!

Overhead view of cake with oranges on top.
Jump to:
  • ❤️ Why you'll love it
  • 🧾 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 🥫 Storage
  • 📖 Variations
  • 💭 Things to know
  • 👩‍🍳 FAQs
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 🍽️ Serve with...
  • 🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
  • 📞 The last word
  • Pig Pickin' Cake
  • 💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love it

  • Easy recipe—you basically just mix, blend, or beat everything together!
  • Made with simple boxed cake mix (or swap in homemade) and sweet mandarin oranges!
  • The frosting is a light, creamy, totally addictive pineapple whipped topping.

Pig pickin' cake tastes unique and nostalgic all at the same time.

Some people call it "sunshine cake" because it is the perfect, easy summertime dessert—it's guaranteed to brighten your day!

🧾 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

Ingredients for Pig Pickin' Cake.

🔪 Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Step by step images showing how to make this recipe.
  1. Mix together the cake ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Pour batter into prepared pan, bake, and cool.
  3. Fold the instant pudding mixture and pineapple into the whipped cream.
  4. Spread frosting on top of cake and add (optional) orange segments.

🥫 Storage

Just like your grandma would recommend, Pig Pickin cake recipes usually advise letting the cake chill in the refrigerator overnight for the best result. It actually tastes best the next day!

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.

A piece of cake being removed from the pan.

📖 Variations

  • Instead of rum in the recipe, you can use bourbon for a different, yet equally satisfying flavor.
  • Try a yellow cake mix instead of white.
  • For more orange taste, add a teaspoon of frozen orange juice concentrate or a teaspoon of orange extract to the reserved mandarin juice.
  • You can substitute white chocolate instant pudding for vanilla.
  • For a more tropical taste, stir some sweetened coconut flakes into the whipped topping.
  • Drizzle leftover pineapple juice over the cake while it's cooling to make it extra moist and yummy!
  • This cake recipe works really well with a homemade cake mix if you don't want to use a box.
  • You can use about ⅔ of a container of Cool Whip (about two cups) instead of making your own whipped cream. You can also use my homemade whipped topping instead of whipped cream. It holds up great if you are making it ahead of time or if the cake will be outside in warm weather.
  • Instead of using one 9"x13" pan, you can make this recipe in two 8" cake pans (use the round cake pans.) Stack the cake layers and spread the pineapple frosting in between and on top of the cake. Garnish with mandarin orange slices and a sprig of mint for a rustic, eye-catching layered cake.

💭 Things to know

Expert Tip: Drain the pineapple well and thoroughly pat it dry with paper towels. If too much moisture remains, it will make the topping watery when you fold it in.

  • When making whipped cream, your tools need to be extra cold! Place a metal bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), the cream, and beaters (or whisk attachment) into the freezer for a few minutes before beating to make the best whipped cream ever!
  • However, make sure the rest of your cake ingredients are at room temperature before starting to bake. This way, they'll blend together more evenly.
  • You can use either a handheld or stand mixer to make Pig Pickin' cake.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

Can you freeze Pig Pickin' cake?

The answer is sort of. The unfrosted cake portion freezes quite well. Wrap it tightly in plastic and freeze for up to three months. Let thaw in the refrigerator. However, the topping does not freeze well, so I'd make that after thawing your cake, a day or so before serving.

Why is it called "Pig Picking" cake?

This easy cake was a traditional favorite at pig roasts, where guests would "pick" the meat off of a roasted pig. Even though there's no bacon in the cake, the name stuck around.

Is this the same as Pig Lickin' Cake?

From what I know, it is! Depending on where you grew up, this mandarin orange cake had quite a few nicknames: some call it Pig Picking cake, others even say it's Pea Pickin' cake. We just call it delicious.

Can I use a white cake mix instead of yellow?

You can swap white or orange cake mix in a pinch, and I bet your family won't notice the difference. However, for the best, most moist orange cake, follow the instructions to the letter. It's grandmomma's recipe, after all!

Cake being served.

📚 Related recipes

  • Southern Peach Dump Cake is the easiest treat you'll ever make—thankfully so, because your friends will beg for this one over and over!
  • Another favorite for Southern barbecues, this Texas Sheet Cake is dense, rich, and oh-so fudgy!
  • When you crave a classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake, this is the easy recipe you need!
  • Orange layer cake has ALL the citrus flavor in a classic triple layer cake.
  • Close up of the finished cake in a bowl.
    Strawberry Punch Bowl Cake
  • A thick layer of white frosting on the whisk attachment of a mixer.
    Best Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
  • A piece of red velvet poke cake with a fork next to it.
    Red Velvet Poke Cake
  • Closeup of squares of gingerbread on a cake plate.
    Gingerbread Recipe

🍽️ Serve with...

  • Grilled Chicken Breast
  • Texas-Style BBQ Macaroni Salad
  • Brazillian Grilled Pineapple
  • Dr. Pepper Baked Beans

🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.

  • 13x9-inch baking pan
  • electric mixer

📞 The last word

Pig Pickin' Cake is a southern recipe that's a favorite for taking to barbecues, potlucks, and church suppers. Bright mandarin oranges and sweet pineapple combine with boxed butter cake mix for an easy summertime dessert that goes together quickly and just couldn't be easier.

Don't wait too long to make this cake! Invite some friends over for coffee and put this on the table - you'll definitely win the good neighbor award!

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Closeup of a piece of cake.
4.79 from 41 votes

Pig Pickin' Cake

Print Pin Recipe Save Go to Collections
Prevent your screen from going dark
Pig pickin' cake is a sweet, moist orange cake is topped with a decadently creamy pineapple topping that's totally addictive! Some people call it "sunshine cake".
Course Dessert - Cake
Cuisine American - Southern
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Chill: 4 hours
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings:16
Calories:214
Author:Marye Audet-White
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment Needed

  • Stand mixer

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 1 box yellow butter cake mix
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 14 ounces mandarin oranges, ½ cup juice reserved
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons spiced rum, optional
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Frosting

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

I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying purchases.

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!

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.
  • This works really well with a homemade cake mix if you don't want to use boxed.
  • You can also use my homemade whipped topping instead of whipped cream. 🙂 It's especially good if you are making the cake ahead of time or it will be outside in warm weather.
  • Bourbon is a nice substitute for the rum.
  • Add a teaspoonful of frozen orange juice concentrate to the reserved mandarin orange juice for more orange flavor.
  • Substitute white chocolate instant pudding for the vanilla.
  • Stir in some sweetened, flaked coconut to the topping.
  • 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 Facts

Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 257mg | Potassium: 41mg | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 0.9mg

Sign up for the emails and never miss another recipe!!

    We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.

    First published March 17, 2018. Last updated with more helpful tips and information March 1, 2023 .

    More Southern Cakes for All Occasions

    • Closeup of blueberry cream cheese coffee cake with a bite taken out of it.
      Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
    • Feature image for the pineapple upside down cake recipe.
      Old Fashioned Pineapple Upside Down Cake
    • Close up of a square of white Texas sheet cake showing the pecans on the top.
      White Buttermilk Texas Sheet Cake
    • A serving of pumpkin cake with a bite taken out of it.
      Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    About Marye

    With a 40 year focus on the importance of family and a passion for southern comfort food, Marye Audet-White is an expert in melding the two together effortlessly. Marye's a NY Times Bestselling author with 10 cookbooks under her belt and her recipes have been featured in Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Today, House Beautiful, Texas Living, Food & Wine, and many more.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Terry

      March 25, 2023 at 8:22 am

      Hi Marye! Firstly, I hope you have a GREAT trip! Secondly, I have questions. Several, in fact. I've never seen yellow butter cake mix. Is there anything I can add to a regular yellow cake mix to get the same flavor? Same with the pudding mixes. I've never seen either French vanilla, or white chocolate. Granted I live in (almost) central Alberta, Canada 🍁 🇨🇦 - but we do have a Walmart Supercenter & 3 other large grocery chain stores. Any suggestions as to what I could add to a regular vanilla pudding mix to amp up the flavor? Maybe vanilla extract? Shaved white chocolate? I REALLY want to make this to share with friends & neighbors, but don't want to sacrifice flavor, just for the sake of sharing. Any & all words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated! Many thanks!

      Reply
      • Marye

        March 29, 2023 at 1:30 pm

        Just use melted butter in place of the oil in the mix - that should do it. Add an extra teaspoon of vanilla to the mixture you're adding pudding mix to... I think you'll be fine! Sorry - I've been on vacay.

    2. Maggie Boyle

      August 08, 2022 at 7:48 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for a potluck and so many made a special trip to find me and tell me how wonderful it was. A few asked for the recipe and I gave them a link to your page. This is really the second time I made it and both times it was amazing but I got busy and forgot to reply to your comments. A friend asked me to make one for his birthday and as I dislike cake mixes and won't have kool-whip in my home, I searched for hours to find your recipe from scratch among those others.
      Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this with us.

      Reply
    3. Debe Van Auken

      January 13, 2022 at 3:21 pm

      5 stars
      This cake is awesome! I make it often because my family loves it and I think my roommate would eat the whole thing given the opportunity!

      Reply
    4. Debbie

      March 22, 2021 at 5:41 pm

      BEST CAKE EVER!!! First time making it and it was awesome! This one gets a gazillion stars!!

      Reply
    5. Lana Drake

      February 01, 2021 at 12:03 pm

      It's called Pea Pickin' Cake, I've known it as this for a while, all my life 🥰

      Reply
      • Marye

        February 01, 2021 at 12:14 pm

        There are a lot of names for it. 🙂 Here it's pig pickin' cake. A friend knows it as pig cake... LOL!

      • Renee

        July 03, 2022 at 8:35 am

        5 stars
        Awesome recipe! I hate cool whip, so I appreciate using natural whipped cream instead.
        In both the Carolinas, we call it pig pickin cake. It’s interesting that there are different name variations!

    6. Barbara Tignor

      February 26, 2019 at 8:10 am

      Never heard of the Holy Cow Cake. Want to try it too !!!

      Reply
      • MARYE AUDET-WHITE

        February 27, 2019 at 9:54 pm

        It is SO good! Let me know what you think!

    7. Laila Soubra

      March 22, 2018 at 7:21 pm

      Can't wait to try this cake, looks addictive.

      Reply
    8. Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

      March 21, 2018 at 12:18 pm

      5 stars
      I don't think I'd be able to resist it either. And only an Italian mamma would say I need to put some meat on my bones -- although I was very thin at one time. Now, I'm waiting for the Holy Cow cake.

      Reply
      • Marye Audet

        March 28, 2018 at 11:54 am

        LOL! She was not Italian - I think ALL southern mama's have some Italian genes

    9. Lea Ann (Cooking on The Ranch)

      March 19, 2018 at 7:40 am

      Thanks for sharing this recipe. It's one I need to try soon. Pinning.

      Reply
      • Marye Audet

        March 20, 2018 at 8:27 am

        Thanks! It's one of my favorites

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Love it? Give it 5 stars!




    Primary Sidebar

    Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

    Hey Y'all, I'm Marye.

    NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies.

    More about me →

    🐰 Easter

    • Closeup of a finished roll for the feature image.
      Easy Easter Rolls
    • Easter chicks cookies in a dish.
      Nutter Butter Easter Chicks
    • Very close shot of pineapple casserole showing the texture of the cracker crumb topping.
      Southern Pineapple Casserole Recipe
    • A cropped view of this recipe in a glass bowl for the feature image.
      Banana Pudding Recipe from Scratch

    👑 Reader Favorites

    • A marble plate displays a strawberry bundt cake with 2 slices cut to show the red cake color.
      Strawberry Pound Cake Recipe
    • Wooden spatula removing fried potatoes out of iron skillet.
      Crispy Fried Potatoes
    • A sliced loaf of english muffin bread.
      English Muffin Bread Recipe
    • Two finished loaves of Amish white bread cooling on a table.
      No Fail Amish White Bread

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • About Marye Audet-White
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy
    MaryeAudet Whiteandherchildren Dec

    Featured in:

    Companies that Marye Audet-White and Restless Chipotle have been affiliated with.

    Contact Marye

    • Contact

    My new blog for bread bakers:

    Love baking bread? Click here to check out my new blog!

    Logo for breadcrumbs in the butter blog.
    Check out my new blog!

    Copyright ©2006 - 2023 Restless Chipotle Media, LLC