Yummy, Moist and Tangy Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes are made using fresh orange juice and also topped with rich Orange infused buttercream frosting. The post in detail explain both the recipes with video tutorial. First time I made these cupcakes a few years back for my neighbor
kid’s birthday. Everyone appreciated the taste of cupcakes and especially its taste with orange buttercream frosting (recipe follows). Also I recorded the video clips during the first time of preparation itself and my apologies for not being a super professional video since it happened a long time back. Later I have made this recipe umpteen times before posting it here. So the frosting videos I shot on different days while making it for different occasions.
Jump To
Orange Recipes
- Orange Glow Chiffon Cake
- Eggless Orange Tutti Frutti Cake
- Orange Cranberry Cookies
- Orange Broiche
- Eggless Orange Pancakes
- Orange Ice Cream (Coming Soon)
- Orange Peda
If you try these ORANGE CUPCAKES, please don't forget to rate and comment your feedback at the bottom of the post. Also if you have any questions do feel free to leave a comment for the same. I will try to answer it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on Instagram for day to day menu ideas , instant recipes, healthy bakes and garden tips! Follow me on YouTube for clear video tutorials especially on baking recipes with Recipe Cards or Pinterest for healthy snack ideas and Facebook for recipe updates!
Eggless Orange Cupcakes
If you are looking for eggless version of orange cupcakes using fresh orange juice do click Eggless Orange Cupcakes
Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
As said previously the orange flavored buttercream frosting well pairs with these cupcakes and tastes like orange creamsicle, that’s the name of popular flavored popsicles / ice cream bars. Since these cupcakes melts in mouth just like that and if you are a die hard fan of those popsicles or orange flavor then these Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes is yours 🙂 Also you can core the cupcake and add filling inside it if you wish.
Can this cupcake batter be prepared in handheld mixer?
I have shown the preparation in professional stand mixer but sometimes I do using handheld mixer and there is not much difference in texture when you do so.
Do you remember the Cassata Ice Cream?
Well here is the Orange Creamsicle Cake I used as a base for it 😊 This is a two in one recipe, used a portion of batter for a sheet cake and the rest made as Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream Frosting. The base for popular cassata ice cream recipe is here. Clickable link below 👇
Know About Ingredients
Flour
Either cake flour or regular all purpose flour/maida works. If using unbleached all purpose flour do replace 1 tbsp flour with corn starch for light cupcake texture.
Leavening Agents
The purpose of leavening agents in this orange cupcakes is to attain a soft and moist texture, the citric in the fresh orange juice reacts with leaving agents to give that nice texture. Also I use double acting Baking Powder and Soda that means it reacts two times, the first reaction happens when mixing with liquid ingredients and second reaction takes place during baking/exposed to heat. If not using double acting do add 1/4tsp more baking powder in this recipe. Don’t add too much baking soda which gives more brown crust to the recipe.
Orange Zest
Fresh outer layer from the orange skin is called orange zest and for easy separation of zest do freeze it before taking off. When its frozen then you can easily grate using veg grater which comes off quickly. Do refer how to prepare orange zest HERE.
Egg Whites
I mostly prefer eggless version or just egg whites in my baking. The egg whites here in this recipe gives light and fluffy texture to the cupcakes. Also it helps to set and hold the shape of the cupcakes. Since I do mostly for parties I couldn’t avoid adding it. If you like Eggless Orange Cupcakes do check the recipe HERE.
Sugar
I use organic white sugar or raw sugar cane for this recipe. Yes you can see the cupcakes I made with raw cane sugar at the end of the video where I shown the texture of cupcakes using handheld mixer. If using raw cane sugar do powder it before adding with soft butter while creaming.
Butter
The butter I use is unsalted and for both cupcake batter and frosting it has to be in room temperature. Butter gives nice rich flavor and structure to the baked goods.
Orange Cupcakes Creamsicle Batter Preparation
- In a mixing bowl add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, mix well and keep aside (Pic 1).
- In another large mixing bowl / food processor bowl cream soft / room temperature butter until it blends/combined in medium – high speed(Pic 2).
- Add sugar and continue creaming until its looks pale and fluffy cream.
- Add yogurt and it helps to cream the butter and sugar if preparing in minus cold weather like me :-).
- Add egg whites in batches and it looks fluffy / creamy or curdled after its addition (Pic 3).
- Curdled mixture is normal and after adding flour it becomes a perfect batter (Pic 4).
- Now add first batch of the flour mixture.
- Alternate flour with milk and orange juice (Pic 4), can make 3-4 batches of flour in handheld mixture or spoonful of flour as shown in professional stand mixer.
- After the last batch of flour, add vanilla / orange extract (Pic 5) and orange zest (Pic 6).
- Always do reserve few tsp milk from the recipe and if needed adjust the consistency of batter with it.
- Drop the batter in each cupcake liners, fill 2/3 like shown in video @4:19 minutes or in Picture 7.
- Bake in preheated oven at 350 F/ 180 C for 15-17 minutes or until toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean (Pic 8).
- Allow to cool on a wire rack, can add frosting once cooled completely or store in a air tight container and refrigerate the cupcakes till use.
Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes Ingredients
Ingredients For 12-14 Medium Cupcakes
All Purpose Flour – 1 and 1/3 Cups
Orange Juice – 3.5 Tbsp
Milk – 2 Tbsp or More
Unsalted Butter – 8 Tbsp at Room Temperature
Sugar – 3/4 Cup
Thick Yogurt / Sour Cream – 3 Tbsp
Vanilla Extract / Orange Extract – 1tsp
Orange Zest – 1/2tsp
Egg Whites – 2 Large
Baking Powder – 1.5tsp
Baking Soda- 1/4tsp
Kosher Salt – 1/4tsp
Orange Orange Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
Icing Sugar/Powdered Sugar – 2.5 Cups or More
Soft Unsalted Butter – 1/2 Cup (8 Tbsp)
Orange Juice – 2 Tbsp
Orange Food Color – 2 Drops
Vanilla or Orange Extract – 1/2-1tsp
Orange Buttercream Frosting Preparation
- Cream the room temperature butter (Pic 1) in a mixing bowl until the butter blends/incorporated.
- Now add half of the powdered sugar (Pic 2) and in slow speed mix until combined.
- Add orange juice, vanilla or orange extract (Pic 3) and continue whipping the cream.
- After the liquid addition it looks fluffy and who say no if you get a chance :-).
- Add remaining sugar , for soft and smooth butter cream do add 2 cups of icing sugar.
- If the cream looks thin its because of more orange juice/liquid in the cream, do adjust with more powdered sugar for either soft or stiff buttercream.
- Also I use thick homemade orange juice for this recipe, pic 4 & 5 is between soft and stiff buttercream frosting.
- If thin do limit adding the juice and the buttercream looks thick or hard add drops of milk/juice or water and beat until the right consistency reached.
- For stiff buttercream keep adding tbsps of icing sugar as shown in the video @9:36minutes or Pic 6 above.
- Once this consistency is attained add the buttercream in a piping bag fitted with Wilton 1M tip.
- Make roses with soft buttercream as shown below or do frost the 🧁 like shown in the video @9:44minutes.
- Slice oranges as shown in video @8:48minutes and do decorate over cupcakes.
- You can bake the cupcakes ahead and do whip the cream ahead, store them in refrigerator or freezer and thaw before decorating.
- Also whip the thawed cream before using.
Video Tutorial
How to pipe the Buttercream Frosting
- Cut the piping bag to fit the tip like shown and insert the tip in to it (Pic 1).
- Add the already prepared cream and squeeze to remove excess air out of the bag (Pic 2).
- Keep the piping bag/angle straight and start decorating cupcakes from outer circle.
- Video tutorial has very clear decorating videos so please do check it.
- From outer make several swrils and end up at the center like shown in pic 3.
- The perfect stiff orange buttercream frosting cupcake is shown in the picture 4.
Print Card
Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream Frosting
- All Purpose Flour – 1 and 1/3 Cups
- Orange Juice – 3.5 Tbsp
- Milk – 2 Tbsp or More
- Butter – 8 Tbsp at Room Temperature
- Sugar – 3/4 Cup
- Thick Yogurt – 3 Tbsp
- Vanilla Extract / Orange Extract – 1tsp
- Orange Zest – 1/2tsp
- Egg Whites – 2 Large
- Baking Powder – 1.5tsp
- Baking Soda- 1/4tsp
- Kosher Salt – 1/4tsp
- Icing Sugar/Powdered Sugar – 2.5 Cups or More
- Soft Butter – 1/2 Cup 8 Tbsp
- Orange Juice – 2 Tbsp
- Orange Food Color – 2 Drops
- Vanilla or Orange Extract – 1/2-1tsp
Do i use unsalted butter or regular?
Unsalted butter…