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.

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)

Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine cake mix,

margarine,

½ cup juice,

eggs, and vanilla. 

Beat for 4 minutes on medium high.  

Add the drained oranges

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

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

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

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)

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

Finally add the crushed pineapple. 

And mix well.

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. 

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