The Best Pig Pickin' Cake Recipe Ever - Our WabiSabi Life (2024)

A Pig Pickin’ Cake is a dessert that includes the flavors of mandarin oranges, pineapple, and whipped cream. It has been a favorite for decades at picnics and family reunions. Pig Pickin Cake is also known as a Mandarin Orange Cake or a Pig Lickin’ Cake.

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Pig Lickin’ Cake

Have you ever heard of a Pig Pickin Cake? It’s one of the most delicious desserts around! You’ll love this recipe because it has all the flavors you love, like mandarin oranges and pineapple. Plus, it’s easy to make with just a few ingredients. Whip up some whipped cream and get ready for an amazing dessert experience!

This cake is so good that your family will be begging for more. Make sure to save some leftovers in the fridge for later

Why is it called Pig Pickin’ Cake?

So how does a cake with mandarin orange cake get called a pig pickin cake? It is because it is a classic dessert that is often served at a pig pickin’ So what is a pig pickin’? That is a special type of picnic that they often have in the South. A whole pig is roasted and then the guests pick their meat. Typically, the pig is served with coleslaw, pasta salad, potato salad, broccoli salad, and things like Cowboy Caviar.

How to Store This Cake

While I don’t love keeping cakes in the refrigerator, this is one of those cakes that you really need to. Between the type of frosting that is used, plus the fruit, you want to make sure it is stored in the refrigerator or else it will go bad quickly.

Be sure to keep it in an airtight container or covered well. I like to use this cake carrier. It covers the cake well as well as makes it easier to move.

How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?

You will want to keep this cake in the refrigerator for at least 3 days. If you want the cake to last this long, it is important that you have stored it properly.

Can You Freeze This?

This old-fashioned Pig Pickin’ cake can be frozen. You want to make sure you freeze it in a way that the frosting won’t stick to the wrapping. I like to freeze it before I wrap it. Place the cake on a plate, whether as a whole or cut into slices. Then place it in the freezer. Then after about an hour, you can remove it, wrap it well in plastic wrap and then place it back in the freezer. The cake will last for about 6 months.

Do I use Canned Fruit or Fresh?

The recipe calls for canned mandarin oranges and canned pineapple. You will want to make sure you buy the kind of mandarin oranges that aren’t water-packed because the syrup adds to the flavor. While I have heard of people using fresh fruit in this recipe, I personally prefer to use canned.

Another reason I like using canned fruit, besides the texture of the fruit with this cake is time-saving. After all, I’m serving this at a picnic. It is hard to find time before the picnic to make the cake and then cut up the fruit, so canned works better for me.

Can You Make This Recipe Ahead of Time?

The cake itself can be made ahead of time and wrapped well. You can even freeze it up to 6 months in advance.

I actually like to make the cake earlier in the day and let it sit out. The cake is much easier to spread the frosting over when it’s at room temperature.

If you need it to be frozen, simply wrap it tightly and put it into the freezer.

Cake Mix or From Scratch

I am using a mix for my recipe. I typically use white, that’s because the white looks stunning but you can also use the yellow mix as well. You can also use a homemade recipe, however, this dessert is usually made from a mix. I think this is because it is another time-saving technique since pig pickin’s are often very busy.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

There are so many reasons you are going to love this Pig Pick’n Cake. Of course, the main reason is that is freaking delicious. It is one of the best flavor combinations you can ask for and when you bring it together in cake form, what more can you ask for.

More reasons that you will love this cake

• Classic Recipe- There is a reason that a recipe becomes a classic. It is because it is made by each generation and gets better with time. You also know that it will turn out, time and time again.
• Versatile– The cake works for everything. Just because this Mandarin Orange Cake is called a pig lickin’ cake, doesn’t mean that you only make it for a pig pick’n. You can make it for any kind of picnic or potluck, but it also works great for holidays. Or even just a weeknight dinner.
• No Special Ingredients– You can easily find the ingredients for this anywhere. You can order most of them online and can even find many of them at a convenience store if you can’t get to the grocery store.
• Moist and Delicious– Do I have to say more

Tips for Making a Mandarin Orange Cake using Cake Mix

This is pretty straightforward to make, but here are some simple tips to make it even easier to make.

• What kind of mix do you use for this recipe?

You can use any white or yellow cake mix. The original recipe calls for a white mix, however, I have made it with both. The yellow tends to be a little bit richer with the flavor and it really does look stunning.

• Do you use homemade frosting for this recipe or can you use from a can?

You can make your own frosting of course. However, the original recipe calls for canned whipped cream. So I am going to stick with that. You can even make your own whipped cream if you want.

If you decide to use a homemade frosting recipe, what flavor goes well with it?

This Mandarin Orange Cake would actually work well with any flavor of homemade frosting. However, I think a vanilla frosting is best. It is rich and you don’t need a lot of it to get the job done.

• Can I use other fruit?

This can be made with lots of other fillings, including:

Ripe bananas or strawberries between each layer- I would recommend making these fresh so they aren’t mushy.

Any kind of canned fruit. Cherries in this recipe as well.

• What Kind of Pan Do You Use?

I like to make this in round pans and make it as a layer of cake. You can also make it in a 9* 13-inch pan as well.

How Much Does it Cost to Make This Pig Pickin’ Dessert

As of when I wrote this post, using Kroger’s to get the ingredient it costs about $6.33 to make this cake. That is a great price for such a great dessert. I like that it costs under $10 to make so it is something that is inexpensive to bring to a picnic. This comes out to about $0.53 cents per serving.

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Ingredients

• Cake Mix– You will be using white cake mix for this recipe.
• Vegetable Oil– You can use Canola Oil as a substitute.
• Eggs– Be sure to use these at room temperature.
• Water– This will be added into the batter.
• Oranges– You will be using Madarin Oranges for this recipe.
• Pudding– You will need vanilla pudding to add into the frosting.
• Pineapples– These will need to be crushed.
• Whipped Topping– This will be used to make the frosting for the cake.

How to Make a Pig Pickin’ Cake

To start, turn on your oven and prepare your pans.

First, combine the vegetable oil, water, mandarin orange juice, and egg whites in a bowl.

Secondly, add the mandarin oranges into the mixture and combine.

Thirdly, add the batter into the pans, and bake by following the directions.

Next, combine whipped topping and vanilla pudding into a bowl.

In addition, combine the whipped topping and crushed pineapple putting until fully incorporated.

Finally, place in the fridge until ready to serve.

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