Everyone who tastes this cake has loved it, even the pineapple haters and it's perfect for that neighborhood potluck party or that last-minute dinner invite from friends and family.
The recipe is super easy to make and it starts with using any brand of cake mix!
Then with those tiny little mandarin oranges, pineapple, and that fluffy whipping frosting using instant pudding, it's an unforgettable cake with that first bite.
The cake can be made in layers, a sheet pan, or even a bundt pan just the times for baking will need adjusting.
If you like doctored cake mix recipes you may also like to try our Jailhouse Rock Cake one of Elvis Presley's favorite cakes when he was alive.
This orange pineapple cake is one of the summers refreshing desserts save this recipe for your next backyard barbecue, it's the perfect ending to that great picnic outing.
Just scroll to the bottom to print off the recipe if you're not interested in the tips and suggestions below.
Step-by-Step Simple Orange Pineapple Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13 x 9 sheet pan
- Prepare the cake mix with the sugar, oranges with juice, oil, and eggs
- Bake the cake to package instructions then cool it completely
- In the meantime make the instant pudding frosting
- Frost the cake and garnish with our suggestions below under tips if desired
- Refrigerate leftovers
Ingredients To Gather for this Orange Pineapple Cake Recipe Cake Batter
- Cake Batter:
- oil
- mandarin oranges with juice sugar
- eggs
- sugar
- Frosting:
- whipped topping instant French vanilla or regular vanilla instant pudding
- crushed pineapple drained
Tips and Suggestions:
- make a triple-layer cake with 3- 8inch pans or use one of our other suggestions
- drain the pineapple juice, not the mandarin oranges
- any fruit can be used as mentioned
- add coconut to the cake for another tropical-tasting cake
- use whipped real cream instead of whipped topping
- chopped raisins are a nice garnish
- cool the filling and cake completely before adding the frosting
- for a thinner frosting add a little bit of pineapple juice to the instant pudding frosting
- refrigerate leftovers covered
Pans to Use (just use the package instructions for time):
- Sheet cake: 13 x 9 around 25 to 30 minutes
- Bundt pan: 9 -inches around 45 to 50 minutes
- Round pans: 2- 9-inch around 20 to 25 minutes
- Note: use the toothpick method (place in the cake when it comes out clean, the cake is cooked)
Fruit Substitutions
- mango
- bananas
- blood oranges
- peaches chopped fresh or canned drained
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Perfect Orange Pineapple Cake
We love making mom's 1960s vintage cake in her memory, this is so perfect especially during the warmer spring and summer months.
It's super easy even when you hate to bake this will be a winning dessert.
The best part about this recipe is it's adaptable to using other fruits making this a tropical delight!
Orange Pineapple Cake
Yield: 15
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 45 Min
Mandarin orange cake and crushed pineapple make this cake moist and full of sunshiny citrus sweet flavors. The perfect summer cake with a fluffy whipped pineapple frosting.
Ingredients
- Cake Batter:
- 1 box yellow cake or butter cake mix
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1- 15-ounce can of mandarin oranges with juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- Frosting:
- 3 cups of whipped topping (I usually buy 2 - 8 ounce tubs and use 1 and a half of the other)
- 1 small 3.4-ounce package of instant French vanilla or regular vanilla instant pudding
- 1 - 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple drained
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil spray a 13 x 9 sheet pan or use 3 8-inch round pans for a tiered cake.
- Beat the cake mix with oranges and juice, sugar, oil, and eggs for around 3 minutes using an electric mixer.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake to the cake mix package instructions for the size of your pan, usually 35 minutes.
- Cool completely.
- Add the drained pineapple to a medium-sized bowl, with instant pudding and combine it evenly.
- Fold in the whipped topping until blended.
- Spread on cooled cake.
- Garnish with orange peel and pineapple if desired.
Notes
Tips and Suggestions:
- make a triple-layer cake with 3- 8inch pans
- for more orange flavor add 1 teaspoon of orange extract and 1 tablespoon of grated mandarin orange peel
- always drain the pineapple juice
- another fruit can be used as mentioned
- add coconut to the cake for another tropical-tasting cake
- use whipped real cream instead of whipped topping
- chopped raisins are a nice garnish
- cool the filling and cake completely before adding the frosting
- for a thinner frosting add a little bit of pineapple juice to the instant pudding frosting
- refrigerate leftovers covered
Fruit Substitutions
- mango
- banana slices
- blood oranges
- peaches canned with juice
- fruit cocktail with juice
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