The Pig Pickin' Cake is light and airy with Cool Whip and crushed pineapple included in the frosting ingredients.
This recipe was published in 2008 in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as Mama Rene's Pea Pickin' Cake, which apparently is another name for this cake, a creation of the convenience food era but still delicious. The recipe tester suggests Duncan Hines Butter Golden cake mix.
Ingredients:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, in light syrup
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
1 (3.4-ounce) box vanilla instant pudding
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, in juice
PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-by-2-inch cake pans; set aside.
COMBINE cake mix, eggs, oranges with syrup and oil in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy and the oranges have pureed until smooth into the batter, about 4 minutes.
DIVIDE batter among the prepared pans. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the cakes to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the wire rack to cool completely.
PREPARE the frosting: In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the Cool Whip, pudding mix and crushed pineapple until smooth. To assemble, place one layer on a cardboard cake round. Spread with frosting. Repeat with remaining layer. Finish with remaining frosting.
12 servings
Per serving: 386 calories (percent of calories from fat, 46), 4 grams protein, 47 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 20 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 72 milligrams cholesterol, 336 milligrams sodium
Photo: Juli Leonard - The News & Observer
