Sunshine Cupcakes

I have run across this cake more than once in my life, and I love it because it has pineapple in it.  Yeah, I love stuff with pineapple in it, and this cake is light and fruity and reminds me of Florida.  I usually make it as cupcakes because it makes the serving size easy and they look great!  You make also bake it in a 9” x 13” cake pan.  Bake for the length of time noted on the box of cake mix.  So here is how to make Sunshine cupcakes.

Step 1:

Supplies for the Cake:
1 yellow cake mix
½ cup margarine (softened)
1 (15 oz.) can Mandarin Oranges (drained)
½ cup juice from Mandarin Oranges
4 whole eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
24 cupcake papers
2 cup cake pans
Colander (not shown)
Bowl (not shown)
Mixer (not shown)

Step 2:

Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine cake mix,

Step 3:

margarine,

Step 4:

½ cup juice,

Step 5:

eggs, and vanilla. 

Step 6:

Beat for 4 minutes on medium high.  

Step 7:

Add the drained oranges

Step 8:

and beat until pieces and broken up and small (about 1 minute). 

Step 9:

Scoop the batter into the cupcake paper lined cupcake pans, filling the papers 2/3 to ¾ full. 

Step 10:

Bake for 19-24 minutes until golden brown and the cake springs back when lightly touched.  Remove from the oven cool.

Step 11:

Supplies for the Frosting:
1 (4 oz.) package of vanilla pudding mix
1 (20 oz.) can of crushed pineapple (drained, save the juice)
½ cup powdered sugar
4 oz. whipped topping (about 1 cup volume, thawed frozen topping or dry power mixed up)
Extra Mandarin Orange Slices (for garnish)
Measuring cups
Colander (not shown)
Bowl (not shown)
Mixer (not shown)

Step 12:

With the mixer, beat the pudding mix with the pineapple juice. Beat in the sugar and the whipped topping.

Step 13:

Finally add the crushed pineapple. 

Step 14:

And mix well.

Step 15:

Spread some over each cool cupcake and refrigerate for several hours.  When ready to serve, place a mandarin orange slice on top of each cupcake as garnish. 

Step 16:

I don't make these very often because I want to eat the whole batch myself.  Enjoy!