Recipe Summary
A super easy cake to enjoy during the warmer months, Pea Pickers Cake, with a subtle hint of mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple!
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 Pickin’ 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. 😉
Why Is It Called Pea Pickin’ Cake?
The name has a few origin stories floating around and nobody agrees on exactly which one is right, which is pretty typical for a recipe this old and this Southern.
The most widely accepted story ties it to the tobacco and cotton fields of the rural South, where farm workers and field hands would gather for outdoor celebrations after a long harvest season. A light, easy cake that could be made in large quantities and transported to a outdoor gathering was exactly what those occasions called for, and this one fit the bill perfectly. Over time the cake became associated with that kind of communal, outdoor eating and the name stuck.
Others connect the name more literally to pea harvests specifically, where similar end of season gatherings were common in farming communities across the Carolinas and Georgia. The cake would show up at church suppers, potlucks, and family reunions alongside whatever else came out of the season’s work.
What everyone does agree on is that Pea Pickin’ Cake, sometimes written as Pea Pickers Cake, is a Southern institution. Mandarin oranges in the cake, pineapple whipped topping over everything, and a lightness that makes it the kind of dessert people go back for a second slice of even when they swore they wouldn’t. Whatever the origin, it earned its place on the table a long time ago.
This Pea Pickin’ 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.
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.
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!
Make-Ahead Tips
Here’s something worth knowing about Pea Pickin’ Cake: it’s actually better the next day. This is not a cake that suffers from being made ahead. It improves. The whipped topping settles into the layers overnight, the mandarin orange flavor deepens, and the whole thing comes together in a way that a freshly assembled cake simply hasn’t had time to do yet.
Make it the day before. Bake the cake layers, let them cool completely, assemble with the pineapple whipped topping, cover loosely, and refrigerate overnight. Pull it out about 15 minutes before serving to take the chill off. This is genuinely the best way to serve it.
Keep it refrigerated. Because of the whipped topping, this cake needs to stay cold. It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days covered tightly. The texture actually stays remarkably good over that time, another reason it’s such a reliable choice for potlucks and gatherings where you need to get ahead of the cooking.
Freezing. The unfrosted cake layers freeze well for up to 2 months. Wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap then foil and freeze flat. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and assemble with fresh whipped topping before serving. The assembled cake with topping does not freeze well, so save the freezing for the layers only.
Enjoy!
Pea Pickers Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour your pan.
- 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.
- 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.
- Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and transfer to a cooling rack to completely cool.
- In a large bowl, mix together the Cool Whip, drained Pineapple and Vanilla Pudding.
- If the frosting is too stiff, you can add in the Pineapple juice a little at a time until you have your desired consistency.
- Once the cake has completely cooled, place on serving plate or stand.
- Generously frost cake and serve.
Notes
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