R is for Recipes: Delicious Citrus Cake with Pineapple Vanilla Frosting
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I don’t know about you, but when the weather starts to turn warmer, I prefer to serve a dessert that is light and refreshing. This citrus cake recipe has been in my recipe box for a long time and was passed down to me from my dear Aunt Jackie. As I was looking for a light, fresh dessert for my Easter menu this year, I came across this recipe card and decided this would be the perfect cake to serve. Boy, it did not disappoint! This cake is moist and flavorful and the frosting is light and airy. I garnished each piece of citrus cake with a mandarin orange slice for a perfect springtime look. Yum! I can’t wait for you to try this recipe. Are you ready to learn how to make your own delicious citrus cake? Here we go:
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 Duncan Hines Butter Golden cake mix
- 1 11oz can of mandarin oranges including juice
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
Frosting
- 1 8oz tub of whipped topping
- 1 20oz can of crushed pineapple with juice
- 1 3.4oz box of instant vanilla pudding
- 1 11oz can of mandarin oranges, drained, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour the pans. This recipe can be made in a 9x13 inch pan or as a layer cake using 3 8 inch round cake pans.
- For the cake: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, oranges with juice, eggs and oil. Mix until well blended. Pour into the prepared cake pans. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Allow to cool thoroughly before frosting.
- For the frosting: Separate the crushed pineapple from the juice by pressing it through a mesh strainer. Combine the instant pudding mix with the pineapple juice - it will start to set up. Fold in the crushed pineapple. Fold in the whipped topping. Frost the cake liberally and garnish with mandarin oranges. Refrigerate before serving and to store any leftovers.
Helpful Tips
- Make your cake ahead of time and prepare the light, fluffy frosting the day you plan to serve it.
- This recipe can be made in either a 9×13 inch pan or as a layer cake using 3 8-inch round pans.
- The original citrus cake recipe called for vegetable oil – I substituted coconut oil instead and loved the dense, moist texture of the cake. I have been substituting coconut oil in many of my recipes lately and have been pleased with the results.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family has. It is definitely a keeper. Light and refreshing, but packed with satisfying flavor. What else might you garnish this citrus cake with? Perhaps a wedge of fresh pineapple in addition to the oranges? I would love to hear from you in the comments. Happy baking, my friends! I hope you enjoy every delicious bite! Xoxo -Cristina
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