[LadySam]

My Mother taught me how to make this cake as a youngster.
I'm sure she used some creative license as she did with lots of her cooking.

1-Butter Recipe cake mix
1-small can of mandarin oranges (8 1/4 oz)
2-package french vanilla instant pudding mix (3.4 oz)
1-can crushed pineapple (20 oz)
1-large container of original Cool Whip (16 oz)

Drain oranges (reserve juice)

Prepare cake mix as directed including the oranges in the mix and substituting the juice from the oranges for water. Add water to juice if needed to make the amount correct. (Or a little of the pineapple juice)

Bake as directed in round cake pans.

Completely cool and split layers. (Partially freezing the layers will make this easier)

Spoon about half of the pineapple out and allow to drain well.

Mix Cool Whip, 1 package of pudding mix and drained pineapple.
How much pineapple you use can be according to your taste preference.
You can't go wrong by adding a little more or a little less.

Add more pudding mix if you desire a stiffer icing, again, to your taste and consistency preference (I usually use about 1 1/2 package)

As you ice and stack layers, drizzle each layer with remaining pineapple and juice then ice on top of that.

Refrigerate and Enjoy

It's a recipe that you can play with a little to suit your own tastes and makes a cool fruity desert.

As for the icing that's left (if any) I drain the remaining pineapple, add that and the pudding mix that is left and my son eats it like ice cream.
And you don't have to wait until someone is having a pig pickin'.

[Wondergirl]

Sounds delicious -- and easy too!

(What's a pig pickin'?)

[LadySam]

I don't usually rely on Wikipedia too much, but they have this one right.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_pickin%27

[Wondergirl]

I'm a Tar Heel (until I was 10), lived in both the east and west parts of the state, but don't remember that sort of thing at all. I do remember banana sandwiches (white bread, Miracle Whip, sliced bananas) and orange Jello with sliced bananas. And of course fried chicken.

[LadySam]

Banana sandwiches with Miracle Whip are the best, MW must be a regional thing.
We get people from all over where I work and some have never heard of it.
Shame that you've never been in on a good ole pig pickin", as a family we had one every couple of years at my Aunts' house and they were great fun.
Since you were/are a Tar Heel, are you familiar with Bill Ellis BBQ or Parkers?

I'm getting hungry

[Wondergirl]

I lived there only until I was ten, so I missed getting into a lot of the Southern culture. My minister father had a parishioner who had a still or two back in the hills west of Taylorsville. :)