Mandarin Orange Cake

Mandarin Orange Cake


I will be the first to tell you that cake made from scratch is the best, but there are times that using a cake mix is a good thing.  This orange cake is perfect for the summer. It is cool, light, easy to make, beautiful to look at and very good!  What more could you ask for?  Make this and everyone will be asking for the recipe.
At school when making this cake I use 3 8- inch round cake pans making the cake higher.  At home I use  3 9-inch cake pans which works just as well.  It is  important that you line the cake pans with parchment paper or wax paper because the batter will stick to the pan due to the fruit in the batter. I tell you this because I have peeled many half  layers from a pan.  Not a pretty sight.  If you are looking for an easier way to serve this to a crowd it can be made in a 9 x 13 inch pan, but you will have quite a bit of frosting left.  Just eat it with a spoon.  This was the last demo of the year for my classes and they were begging for the spoon and the bowl.  Which I did and then the fighting began.
For steps to making a 3 layer cake and removing it from the pans.  Check this out for  step by step photos.  And one of my favorite blogs to read is Barbara’s Moveable Feast.  She posted a chiffon cake very similar to this one around Easter.  Check it out here.
I am enjoying my summer so far.  Hope that you are.  Enjoy this cake just made for summer.
Mandarin Orange Cake

• 1 box Duncan Hines Butter Cake mix
• 1/2 cup Wesson oil
• 1 11- ounce can mandarin oranges
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 eggs

Icing

• 1 12 ounce tub of Cool Whip
• small instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 16 oz. can  crushed pineapple

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine cake mix, oil, oranges with juice, sugar and eggs.  Mix at medium speed for 2 minutes.  Bake at 350 degrees in 3 greased, floured and lined with wax paper pans for about 20 minutes or until center of the cake bounces back when touched.  Cool in the pans for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool completely on cooling racks.
Icing
When I first made this cake I used only pineapple packed in syrup.  Now I use pineapple packed in its own juice.  What you use will make a big difference.  If you using pineapple packed in syrup don’t drain it.  If using pineapple packed in its own juice drain about 3/4 cup of the juice unless of course you would like the icing to slide right off the cake.  Save the juice.  If the icing seems to be too thick you can use it to thin it out a bit.
Mix pineapple with the instant vanilla pudding.  Stir in Cool Whip.  Frost the cake according to these directions. Store the cake in the refrigerator.  I think it is better the next day.
All ready to cut.


Happy Cooking,