This delicious and easy Mandarin Orange Cake is the perfect summer dessert! Sweet mandarin oranges delicately flavor a boxed cake mix that is topped with a 3-ingredient Pineapple Frosting that adds the perfect touch to this citrusy cake. And it all goes together in just 10 minutes then bake!
Table of contents
Easy desserts made with cake mix
I love baking but when summer rolls around the last place I want to be is in a hot kitchen. So when it comes to making a dessert, I fall back on something simple, quick, and easy. And it all starts with a boxed cake mix!
I usually opt for my Banana Crunch Cake, Chocolate Poke Cake, or Pumpkin Dump Cake but, when my sister introduced me to this Mandarin Orange Cake, I knew it would become my new summer favorite.
Why you'll love this cake
Quick & Easy: It takes less than 10 minutes to gather the ingredients for the cake and whip them together. Then just pour in a pan and bake. And the pineapple frosting you can make with your eyes closed! Just pour in a bowl, stir, and spread on the cake.
Potluck Dessert: It's always a big hit at potlucks and has been for decades. It has many names including Pig Pickin' Cake, Pig Licking Cake, and Sunshine Cake.
Sweet & Moist: Mandarin oranges are as good as candy in my book. They're super sweet and juicy and flavor the cake magnificently.
Light Frosting: The pineapple frosting is light and airy, perfect for the heat, and complements the citrusy cake with its own touch of tropical flavor.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this delicious cake:
For the mandarin cake:
- Yellow cake mix, Duncan Hines recommended
- Vegetable oil
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vanilla Extract
- Canned mandarin oranges
For the creamy pineapple frosting:
- Cool Whip
- Instant vanilla pudding
- Canned crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
How to make Mandarin Orange Cake
To make the cake:
- In a large bowl combine cake mix, oil, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and mandarin orange segments.
- Beat with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes or until well combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
To make the frosting:
While the cake is cooling you can make the whipped pineapple frosting. This is even easier to pull together than the cake!
- Just combine the Cool Whip, pineapple (syrup and all), and the dry pudding mix in a bowl.
- Fold it together until well mixed. And that's all there is to it!
- When you're ready to frost your cool cake, just dollop it on and spread evenly.
- Once frosted, chill for about 1 hour to allow the frosting to set before serving. Of course, it tastes great even without cooling it, if you just can't wait!
To dress it up, garnish the top with orange slices and sprigs of mint. Now that looks like one delicious dessert! It's the perfect cool summer dessert for family gatherings, southern barbecues, and special occasions like Father's Day. I'll just bet this easy Mandarin Orange Cake recipe with its moist cake and creamy sweet frosting will become your new go-to dessert too. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
Make it a layer cake in two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
With Cream Cheese Frosting - Use store-bought or homemade cream cheese frosting instead of Cool Whip and instant pudding mix.
With coconut - add 1 cup of sweetened coconut flakes to the frosting. Sprinkle the top of the cake with them too.
A great make ahead cake
This cake is one you want to make in advance and let it chill in the refrigerator. It will last up to 4 days.
Storing the cake
The frosted cake and leftovers should be covered and stored in the refrigerator. Freezing is not recommended because the frosting will not hold up after thawing.
Frequently asked questions
No way, Jose! Just pop them straight out of the can into your bowl. They'll naturally break up a bit as you mix everything together, and that's exactly what we want!
No draining needed! Those oranges go straight from can to cake. Easy-peasy.
You betcha! Toss in the pineapple and syrup straight from the can right into the frosting. It sounds like it might get soggy, but trust me, it won't! The dry pudding mix helps keep things thick and fabulous.
Ah, tricky! Regular whipped cream might not hold up. But if you're feeling adventurous, try stabilized whipped cream.
More easy dessert recipes
Fruit Cocktail Cake - bake up this sweet cake with fruit cocktail inside and topped with a crunchy topping of pecans and coconut. Plus it takes just 10 minutes to whip up.
Peach Cobbler with Cake Mix - this cobbler couldn't be easier with only 3 ingredients and one baking dish. Delicious to eat and easy to clean up.
Pear Crisp with Gingersnaps - an easy-to-make dessert with sweet pear filling topped with a nutty gingersnap-oat crumble that bakes up to the perfect crunch.
Carrot Sheet Cake - a super moist cake with pineapple, coconut, buttermilk glaze, and cream cheese frosting.
Strawberry Lemon Cake with lemon cream filling and strawberry buttercream frosting.
Find more easy cake recipes here on 2CM!
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Mandarin Orange Cake with Pineapple Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 yellow cake mix
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 11 oz can mandarin oranges, not drained
Whipped Pineapple Frosting
- 8 oz container Cool Whip
- 3.4 oz vanilla instant pudding (dry)
- 20 oz can crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom of an 8x11-inch baking dish with nonstick spray then dust with flour.
Cake
- In a large bowl combine cake mix, oil, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and mandarin oranges. Beat for 1-2 minutes or until well combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Whipped Frosting
- In a large bowl, combine Cool Whip, dry vanilla instant pudding and crushed pineapple.
- Fold all ingredients together until combined.
- When cake is cool, spread whipped frosting over top of cake.
- Chill several hours prior to serving.
Notes
Nutrition
This post has been updated with an improved recipe and step-by-step directions. It was first published on June 18, 2017.
Noreen says
Wonderful light citrus dessert! I used 1/4 cup butter and the 1/2 cup oil, but no milk. My can of mandarin oranges was no sugar, in water & it worked just fine. The cake came out perfectly moist in a 9x13 pan. (It wasn’t too thin, either - nice height) I’ll have to try it in a smaller pan, when I find one.
For the frosting, I only had a can of pineapple chunks in its own juice. I took the can and puréed it in my food processor - worked great! I used Tru-Whip (no chemicals & no corn syrup
- I love it if I’m able to find it.) I’m going to sprinkle some coconut shreds over the top of the rest of my yummy cake. Thank you for the recipe! 🙂
Linda Warren says
Wow! Your changes sound delicious and so creative. Glad you enjoyed it as much as my family does.
Patsy says
I had this at my nieces on the wkend and everyone loved it! I’ll be making it and taking it to our next outing!
Linda Warren says
Hi Patsy, It's one of my favorites too! So glad you enjoyed it!
Jeanne Binggeli says
Is it an advantage to make the pudding/icing mixture the night before & ice the cake the next day to get really cold & firm?
Linda Warren says
The frosting is actually better when it is freshly made as it has a lighter consistency.
Doryl Tomain says
Can you use mandarin oranges in the frosting instead of pineapple?
Linda Warren says
I've never tried it with mandarin oranges in the frosting but I think if it is the same quantity as the pineapple and they are packed in a heavy syrup (which helps sweeten & flavor the frosting) that it would turn out delicious. Let me know if you try it because I think it would make a great option.
Sharon Medvecz says
I would love to try this recipe, however, I do not have an 8 x 11 pan. Would it work in a 9 x 13 or an 8 x 8 size pan? Thanks.
Linda Warren says
I believe it would work in a 9X13 pan but it won't be quite as thick. I would cut the cooking time and start checking if the cake is done after 25 minutes. I'm guessing it will probably take between 30-35 minutes. Let me know how it works out for you.
Allison says
Am I supposed to drain the crushed pineapples before putting them in icing mix?
Linda Warren says
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. I was away for Christmas and am just returning. The pineapple goes in as is, no draining. Hope you got a chance to try it and it came out well.
Sherry Briwn says
I loved this recipe....it was so easy and I had the ingredients on hand. It was delicious.
Linda Warren says
Glad you liked it! It's an oldie but a goodie! It always hits the spot during the warm weather and the kids would gobble it up if I let them.
Carol says
Is a large package of instant pudding equal to two 3.4 oz
Linda Warren says
Just use one 3.4 oz package. The large description is a little misleading and I have changed the recipe to reflect the appropriate size.