Million Dollar Cake: Here's How to Make the Nostalgic Dessert

Prep Time:

25 mins

Bake Time:

27 mins

Cool Time:

2 hrs

Total Time:

2 hrs 52 mins

Servings:

16

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Layers of yellow cake, fluffy pineapple filling, and a cream cheese frosting star in this million dollar cake recipe. It's a classic recipe that's the perfect flavor combination of sweet fruit and vanilla cream. Thanks to shortcuts like boxed cake mix and instant pudding, you can have this easy cake ready with very little prep.

What Is Million Dollar Cake?

This million dollar cake recipe starts with a boxed cake mix and instant vanilla pudding. It's dressed up with mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple. The finished layer cake is topped with a fluffy whipped cream cheese frosting. Our recipe testers compared the flavor to a classic hummingbird cake. It's a nostalgic dessert that's a delicious nod to grandma's recipe box.

Million Dollar Cake Ingredients

This million dollar cake recipe starts with a boxed cake mix and goes from there. Read on for the inexpensive pantry ingredients you'll need to transform the mix into a showstopping dessert.

Mandarin Oranges: You'll need a large can of mandarin orange sections in light syrup for this million dollar cake recipe. When draining, be sure to reserve the syrup.
Cake Mix: We chose a yellow cake mix for this recipe but you could also use a white cake mix.
Heavy Cream: Rather than mixing the pudding with milk, we're using heavy cream for an extra-luscious filling.
Pudding Mix: When shopping, be sure to grab instant vanilla pudding mix rather than one that requires cooking.
Crushed Pineapple: A can of crushed pineapple is the final ingredient in the filling. Be sure to drain it well to ensure the filling isn't too wet.
Cream Cheese: For the frosting, you'll need one package of softened cream cheese. Do not try to make the frosting with chilled cream cheese or the topping won't be the correct texture.
Whipped Topping: A tub of whipped topping is the final ingredient in the frosting. If it's frozen, ensure it's completely thawed before mixing.

How to Store Million Dollar Cake

Using cream cheese and whipped topping in the frosting means this cake needs to be refrigerated. Store it covered in the fridge for up to three days.

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can mandarin orange sections in light syrup
1 (2-layer) package yellow cake mix
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 (3.4-ounce) package vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple in 100% pineapple juice, drained
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup frozen whipped dessert topping, thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment. Drain mandarin oranges; reserve syrup and set aside orange sections.
Prepare cake mix according to package directions with eggs and vegetable oil and replacing half of the water called for with the reserved mandarin orange syrup. Divide batter between the prepared pans and bake according to package directions. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen edges of cake from pan and turn out layers onto wire rack to cool completely.

Test Kitchen Tip: If cake tops are domed, trim with a serrated knife to flatten.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl beat heavy cream and pudding with an electric mixer on medium-high until lightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Fold in pineapple and let stand at least 5 minutes or until set.
Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with 2 cups of the pineapple mixture. Top with second cake layer.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium-high speed 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in remaining pineapple mixture and whipped topping until fully incorporated. Frost top and sides of cake with cream cheese frosting. Decorate cake with reserved orange sections.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

415	Calories
21g	Fat
51g	Carbs
5g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 16
Calories 414.8
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 20.9g	27%
Saturated Fat 10g	50%
Cholesterol 72.1mg	24%
Sodium 362.3mg	16%
Total Carbohydrate 50.8g	18%
Dietary Fiber 1.3g	5%
Total Sugars 32.9g
Protein 4.7g	9%
Vitamin D 0.6mcg	3%
Vitamin C 14.7mg	16%
Calcium 127.8mg	10%
Iron 1.1mg	6%
Potassium 200.2mg	4%
Fatty acids, total trans 0.4g
Vitamin D 23.1IU
Alanine 0.2g
Arginine 0.2g
Ash 2.1g
Aspartic acid 0.4g
Caffeine 0.1mg
Carotene, alpha 27mcg
Choline, total 41.6mg
Copper, Cu 0.1mg
Cystine 0.1g
Energy 1735.6kJ
Fluoride, F 2.2mcg
Folate, total 37.3mcg
Glutamic acid 1g
Glycine 0.1g
Histidine 0.1g
Isoleucine 0.2g
Leucine 0.4g
Lysine 0.3g
Methionine 0.1g
Magnesium, Mg 19mg
Manganese, Mn 0.5mg
Niacin 1mg
Phosphorus, P 180.9mg
Pantothenic acid 0.6mg
Phenylalanine 0.2g
Phytosterols 12.3mg
Proline 0.4g
Retinol 145.3mcg
Selenium, Se 6.3mcg
Serine 0.3g
Starch 0.1g
Theobromine 3.5mg
Threonine 0.2g
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 1.3mg
Tryptophan 0.1g
Tyrosine 0.2g
Valine 0.3g
Vitamin A, IU 727.7IU
Vitamin A, RAE 157.4mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.2mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.1mg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 11.5mcg
Water 111.8g
Zinc, Zn 0.5mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.