The Fruity Discontinued Pillsbury Cake Mix That Deserves A Second Chance

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Over the years, some boxed cake mix flavors have disappeared from store shelves, like malt and black walnut. But, when it comes to other gone-but-not-forgotten flavors, there's no shortage of discontinued Pillsbury foods we wish were still on shelves (we miss you, Pink Lemonade Angel Food Cake Mix). Today, we're zeroing in on one such retired favorite: Orange cake mix, the retro flavor that deserves a comeback.

Pillsbury's orange boxed cake mix debuted in 1955, and its claim to fame was scientific: The innovative mix featured flavor crystals made from real oranges, promising to deliver fresh fruity flavor while sparing home bakers of the Nifty Fifties the trouble of hand-zesting their citrus rinds. According to a print advertisement from 1955, "These tiny crystals are the Pillsbury secret, and they're right in the mix. They're made from the peel and fruit of select, tree-ripened oranges. They give you the kind of orange cake never possible before with any recipe [...] You couldn't do a nicer thing for your family." Per the packaging, the dry mix also included dried eggs, requiring only the addition of milk to form a luscious batter. 

While we can neither confirm nor deny the factuality of any crystal claims, one thing seems clear: Pillsbury's orange cake mix arrived right on time for the market. The treat would have been a contemporary of other favorite fruit-forward confections of the 1950s, like pineapple upside-down cake and Hawaiian Sunset cake with vanilla pudding mix and oranges.

Bright, cheery orange cakes gained popularity during the 1920s, blossoming even further during the creative baking pop of the 1950s. During this era, home bakers began experimenting with different cake techniques and flavors. One 1953 orange cake recipe printed in "Ladies' Home Journal," for instance, uses airy, meringue-esque beaten egg whites for a chiffon-cake-like texture. Meanwhile, boxed cake mix was a Depression-era invention, patented in 1933, which brought convenience factor to home bakers' confectionery research and development.

Pillsbury's retired orange cake mix might have initially been inspired by a similarly innovative fan recipe. In 1950, Pillsbury hosted its second-ever annual bake-off competition, and the Grand Prize was awarded to Lily Wuebel of Redwood City, California, for her "Orange Kiss-Me Cake." The raisin-dotted treat featured an entire orange (pulp, skin, and juice included) plus a crunchy topping made from walnuts, cinnamon, and reserved orange juice.

Befitting the times, the treat was ostensibly named after the musical "Kiss Me, Kate," which had then-recently opened on Broadway in 1948, or else as a nod to Kissimmee, Florida, and the state's orange production. Whatever the inspiration, Pillsbury's discontinued orange cake mix and its fruity flavor crystals marked a major innovation in the food world. The now-iconic, orange-flavored drink mix powder Tang was invented shortly thereafter in 1957, and over the years, Tang has similarly been incorporated into other orangey baked goods, like the "astronaut pie" that dominated the 1960s. We're craving another taste.