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Pea Pickers Cake

Pea Pickers Cake (also known as Cool Whip Cake), a childhood favorite that's easy to make and full of mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple! Recipe at Little Figgy Food
Yes, Pea Pickers Cake, that’s the name!

Completely southern and completely tasty. I remember going to my BFF’s and her mom would always be up to something delicious in the kitchen. In the late of summer and fall, she would always be making up Apple Cakes/Breads to share, and we always looked forward to them. Then one day this cake happened! Pea Pickers Cake. Of course, I wanted it all, but I did share as my manners screamed in my ear telling me to. Gaaahhh, dagnabit! BUT the good news now, is that I’m all grown up and can make it all by myself. Still, I share, and *secretly* I may or may not keep an extra bit of the frosting for myself. 😉

Pea Pickers Cake (also known as Cool Whip Cake), a childhood favorite that's easy to make and full of mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple! Recipe @LittleFiggyFood
This Pea Pickers Cake is so easy to make, and I have found that keeping a stash of the ingredients in the cupboard can save you in a pinch if you need want to satisfy that sweet tooth.

Pea Pickers Cake (also known as Cool Whip Cake), a childhood favorite that's easy to make and full of mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple! Recipe @LittleFiggyFood
I’ve been a bit obsessed with my bundt pan lately and I’ve found that this cake lends itself nicely to being prepared in that notorious pan. All though, if you prefer, you can bake 2 – 3 layers in eight or nine inch pans, frosting in between and all around.

Pea Pickers Cake (also known as Cool Whip Cake), a childhood favorite that's easy to make and full of mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple! Recipe @LittleFiggyFood
This cake has a light and delicate crumb and I love the rough texture that the crushed pineapple gives this fluffy frosting! It’s a great dessert to share with friends and family and celebrate the warmer weather!

Pea Pickers Cake (also known as Cool Whip Cake), a childhood favorite that's easy to make and full of mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple! Recipe @LittleFiggyFood

Enjoy!

Pea Pickers Cake, a.k.a. known as Cool Whip Cake, a childhood favorite that's easy to make and full of mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple! Recipe at Little Figgy Food

Pea Pickers Cake

Yield: 8 - 10
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

A super easy cake to enjoy during the warmer months, Pea Pickers Cake, with a subtle hint of mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple!

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 1 box mix of Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Cake
  • 1/4 cup Oil, such as Canola or Vegetable Oil
  • 1 - 15 oz can Mandarin Oranges plus juice
  • 4 Eggs

For the Frosting:

  • 16 oz Cool Whip, cool whip topping
  • 1 - 20 oz can Pineapple, crushed and drained, reserving the juice
  • 1 - 3 oz box Instant Vanilla Pudding

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour your pan.
  2. In a large bowl, add the Cake Mix, Oil, Mandarin Oranges and juice, and Eggs, mix on low and then increasing to medium speed and mix until well combined and the oranges have broken apart, about 5 - 8 minutes.
  3. Pour the batter into a greased and floured cake pan, and bake for about 40 - 45 minutes for a (12-cup) bundt pan or 25 - 30 minutes in a round pan, bake until the top is golden, and test with a cake tester, knife or skewer to see if when inserted, it comes out clean.
  4. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and transfer to a cooling rack to completely cool.

For the Frosting:

  1. In a large bowl, mix together the Cool Whip, drained Pineapple and Vanilla Pudding.
  2. If the frosting is too stiff, you can add in the Pineapple juice a little at a time until you have your desired consistency.

To Assemble:

  1. Once the cake has completely cooled, place on serving plate or stand.
  2. Generously frost cake and serve.

Enjoy!

Notes

If preparing in 8 inch round pans, reduce the cooking time to about 25 - 30 minutes, testing cake to see if it's done. Frost between layers and serve.To make cupcakes, reduce cooking time to about 18 - 22 minutes, test for doneness.

Pea Pickers Cake (also known as Cool Whip Cake), a childhood favorite that's easy to make and full of mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple! Recipe @LittleFiggyFood

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41 Comments

      1. When we lived in Baton Rouge, Margaret Ann, my neighbor next door from Vicksburg, introduced me to the Pea Pickers Cake. Being a transplanted Yankee, I had never heard of or had this kind of cake before. It is simply amazing! More than forty years later, I am still making this luscious dessert, especially in the warmer months. My grandkids love it and it’s one of the few desserts my husband is interested in eating. Everyone I pass the recipe to has made it and loves it too and especially like that it is so easy to make. Your ingredients and measurements are exactly what my friend had in her recipe that she gave me back in 1979.

        1. Hello Katherine! Thank you so much for your comment, I love to hear family food stories like this, you made my day and I’m so happy that y’all love it as much as I do!

  1. You made my day with this recipe because I had it YEARS ago…a friend made it for my birthday…and I’ve lost track of the recipe over time. This cake looks fantastic!!!

  2. I’ve never heard of this cake before. The idea of the Mandarin orange with the butter cake sounds delish! Truly it sounds like the perfect, easy to whip up sweet treat in the summer time.

    1. Yes, in my area of the south, it has always been called a pig-picking cake. It’s the perfect dessert after a pig-pickin’ and if you don’t know what that is, you are definitely not from the south! There is nothing like smoked pork, potato salad, slaw, bread, baked beans, and this wonderful cake!

  3. Been making this cake for decades. And yes it is awesome. I seem to run out of frosting and all my spoons mysteriously get dirty when it is frosting time.?

    1. You know you’re baking something irresistible, when you have a pile of dirty spoons from “taste testing”!

    1. Thank you Josie! Yes, the cake should be stored in the refrigerator due to the topping, covered and up to 3 days. 🙂

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