Mandarin Orange Cake (Made From Scratch)

This beautiful made-from-scratch Mandarin Orange Cake is easy to make, especially with the help of little hands. It’s a fresh twist on an old classic – Mandarin Orange Cake made without Cool Whip or cake mix. Just fresh, flavorful, beautiful cake.

A New Take On A Vintage Citrus Cake

I love the holiday season and all of the parties, traditions and family fun that comes along with it. For a moment, it seems everyone is more focused on family, friends and giving – the way it should be all year. It brings me so much joy.

The holidays remind me a lot of my mom and the fun we shared together during the holidays. I am blessed that my sister has been joining me in the kitchen for a little family fun! The girls enjoy holiday baking as well. My sister, Isla and I made this beautiful Mandarin Orange Cake to celebrate.

It’s a fresh twist on an old favorite, because it’s made from “scratch”.

A Fresh Twist on Classic Mandarin Orange Cake

My mom always made Mandarin Orange Cake with yellow cake mix, Cool Whip, pudding and canned pineapple. I’m convinced that’s simply because 80’s advertising made everyone feel like they couldn’t do it on their own.

This Mandarin Orange Cake recipe is truly quick and easy and worth the extra steps for fresh flavor. With just a couple additional (staple) ingredients, you can whip up this amazing cake on a whim!

Let’s skip the boxed cake mix and cool whip and give this easy recipe a whirl!

Ditch The Cake Mix

This made from scratch Mandarin Orange Cake is foolproof and will make you wonder why you’ve ever bought a mix. It comes together in just 25 minutes and is so easy to decorate. It’s the perfect dessert to wow your guests for spring, summer, fall and winter. It’s one of our summer favorites for every outdoor gathering!

There’s nothing better than Mandarin Orange Cake with fresh oranges. It makes the cake so moist!

Don’t be intimidated making a layer cake, it’s truly so simple and gives a nice cake to frosting ratio!

This Mandarin Orange Cake recipe is light and fluffy, much like it’s fruity icing.

Pig Pickin’ Cake

A funny name for a delicious cake!

Did you know that Mandarin Orange Cake is also known as Pig Pickin’ Cake? It’s a southern classic that’s been served for generations. It’s often called that because it is frequently served at pig roasts. The name refers to picking the tender meat off the pig. (But trust me, there’s no pork in this cake!)

While it’s typically deemed as a summer dessert, I feel oranges lend themselves well to fall and winter, too. It’s a delicious dessert any time of the year!

It’s moist, dense and oh so delicious!

mandarin orange cake with oranges on top

Mandarin Orange Cake Ingredients

Butter – Salted or unsalted, your preference.
Sugar– white granulated
Egg yolks– add a rich binding agent to this cake.
Mandarin oranges – crushed
Vanilla – you can make your own vanilla extract or of course, use any store bought brand
Milk – I like whole milk here, but anything you have on hand will work.
Cake flour – Cake flour is significantly different than regular flour. Be sure to use cake flour instead of traditional in this recipe.
Baking powder – this helps the cake rise!
Salt – it’s needed to balance the sweet citrusy flavors of this cake.

Frosting

Fresh Pineapple – crushed, you can substitute canned pineapple if you prefer.
Heavy cream – required to create the rich, creamy frosting that is the star of this cake!
Powdered sugar – creates the smoothest frosting imaginable!
Vanilla pudding mix – instant is best!

How to Make Mandarin Orange Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour 2 cake pans.
In a large bowl or mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, mandarin oranges and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, sift cake flour, baking powder and salt together.
Gradually incorporate into wet mixture alternating with milk until just incorporated.
Pour into baking pans. Bake 25-28 minutes or until the cake springs back after being touched or a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool completely (approximately 20 minutes) before turning onto rack or pedestal.

Mandarin Orange Cake Filling

Let’s be honest, the filling in this cake is everything! Fortunately, it’s quick and easy, even when making it fresh!

I make Mandarin Orange Cake filling with homemade whipped cream. You can even add a little cream cheese or coconut if you’d like! The options are endless!

If you’re not a big frosting fan, you can always cover it in my orange glaze, but this pineapple topping can’t be beat!

Beat heavy cream until stiff (if you must, you can substitute whipped topping).
Add powdered sugar, vanilla pudding mix and crushed pineapple.
Place one layer of cake onto your serving dish and fill with icing before placing the second layer on top.
Ice the top and sides until the cake is completely covered.
Garnish and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tips

How to Decorate a Mandarin Orange Cake

I couldn’t decide how to decorate the cake – to use mandarins whole, quartered, sliced or peeled. The options are endless!

So Isla peeled a few for me to test with – and snacked on them to reward herself for her efforts. That’s one of the many things we love about mandarin oranges, the kids can peel them themselves! After a few trials, we decided we liked using them sliced to create a star. Garnishing it with rosemary to makes the Mandarin Orange Cake feel festive for the holidays.

How to Store Pig Pickin’ Cake

Of course fresh is always best, but you’ll want to savor this cake as long as possible. Cover and store refrigerated, ensuring any exposed cake is covered in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. You can also freeze Mandarin Orange Cake for up to 30 days covered. Bring to room temperature to enjoy.

I hope your family loves this Mandarin Orange Cake recipe as much as ours! Please write a five star review and help me share on Facebook and Pinterest!

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