Aunt Emelia’s Mandarin Orange Cake
In When Wounds Heal, Jedidiah, for the first time in his life, is brave enough to celebrate a holiday with Maggie and participate in a tradition of the family he has come to love. Emelia’s mandarin orange cake is served at the Memorial Day barbecue in Robert and Emelia’s backyard, and Jedidiah declares it the best cake he has ever eaten. He immediately asks Maggie to learn to make it. Later, in When God Leads, he chooses Emelia’s mandarin orange cake for his groom’s cake.
Ingredients
- white or yellow cake mix
- ¾ cup oil
- (4) eggs
- (1 or 2) 11 oz cans mandarin oranges
- 8 oz container frozen whipped topping
- 8 oz can crushed pineapple
- small package instant vanilla pudding
Instructions
Cake:
Add to a large mixing bowl: cake mix, ¾ cup oil, eggs, (1) can mandarin oranges with juice. Mix with mixer at medium speed for 3 minutes or until well blended. Transfer batter to greased and floured cake pan(s). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in two round cake pans or 35 minutes in a 13×9 inch pan. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Frosting:
Mix the pineapple with juice and pudding mix together. Let set for a few minutes until slightly thickened. Fold thawed whipped topping into pineapple/pudding mixture until well blended. Frost the cake and refrigerate until ready to serve.
If desired, before serving, drain a second can of mandarin oranges and use it to garnish or decorate the cake.