Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes recipe is bursting with fresh orange flavor and the best icing. Each bite tastes like a bakery cupcake, but the recipe is very simple! You are going to love this recipe.
These amazing orange cupcakes will take you back to summer days of eating an orange creamsicle pop. Orange juice in the cupcakes gives the entire recipe such a fresh flavor. The sweet icing really brings it all together and it one of our favorite orange desserts and an easy cupcake recipe.
You might also like Orange Brownies, Orange Creamsicle Cake and Orange Soda Cupcakes.
Why We Love This Recipe
It’s a simple recipe bursting with fresh citrus flavor. The cupcakes look stunning and taste even better! The easy step by step instructions are simple to follow and anyone can make homemade cupcakes for a great treat.
Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour. For the most accurate measuring, spoon the flour into the measuring cup instead of scooping.
- Baking Soda. Try one of the Best Baking Soda Substitutes if you run out.
- Granulated White Sugar. Just plain granulated sugar. It gives the cupcakes the perfect sweetness.
- Eggs. Room temperature is best so that it combines and bakes evenly.
- Orange Zest. Finely grated. Don’t skip this step because it gives the cupcakes so much fresh fruit flavor.
- Fresh Orange Juice. I recommend fresh juice.
- Orange Extract. Gives the recipe even more orange flavor.
- Buttermilk. This needs to be room temperature. You can make homemade Buttermilk.
Frosting
- Butter. I use unsalted butter at room temperature.
- Powdered Sugar. Sift before using so the frosting is really smooth.
- Milk or Heavy Cream. I prefer heavy cream, but you can use what you like.
Optional Decoration Ideas
- Candied Orange Slices. The old fashioned orange candy.
- Orange Jimmies Sprinkles. I like to use jimmies because they don’t bleed.
- Straws. This adds a cute touch.
How to Make Orange Cupcakes
- Step 1. Prepare the Oven and Muffin Pan – Preheat oven to 350 degrees and fill pan with cupcake liners.
- Step 2. Combine dry ingredients – Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Set aside.
Step 3. Next, get out a large bowl. Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.
Step 4. One by one, add the eggs in the butter mixture. Make sure to beat after each one. Add the orange juice, vanilla extract and zest.
Step 5. Gradually add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk. Mix all of the ingredients until well combined.
Step 6. Pour the batter into the cupcake liners. Don’t overfill them.
Step 7. Finally, bake the cupcakes for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
Step 8. While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting. Beat the butter until fluffy.
Step 9. Then gradually add powdered sugar, alternating with heavy cream and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.
Step 10. Frost the cupcakes once they cool completely with orange buttercream frosting. Then top with orange jimmies, candied oranges and straws if desire.
Pro Tips
- Muffin Pan Options – Make sure you have a good muffin tin to bake the cupcakes in. If you buy a good set, they will last forever. We also like these silicone muffin pans. They are just so easy to use because of the silicone.
- Mixes Options – Also, you certainly can use a hand mixer but we love our stand mixer. It gets a ton of use and to this day is such a good investment. We bake a lot so it is so handy and we love our mixer.
- Use Lime instead of Orange – Use Lime ingredients instead of orange or you can even mix the two. We love citrus flavored cupcakes.
- Cool before Frosting – Make sure to cool the cupcakes before frosting. This ensures that frosting doesn’t melt when you add it.
- Applying the Frosting – You can use a piping bag or a small spatula to apply the frosting.
- Use room temperature ingredients – Room temperature ingredients are the best for baking as they mix together more smoothly. Sit all the ingredients out on the counter and allow them to come to room temperature before making your cupcakes.
How to Decorate
These cupcakes are so fun to make. You can really decorate anyway you want and here are some fun ideas.
- Small Wedge Orange
- Orange Sprinkles
- Orange Straws are always fun
- Fondant Flowers
- Candied Orange Slices
Frequently Asked Questions
Cupcake liners are not required. It is something that I always forget to grab when I get supplies for this recipe. If you don’t have any, you will need to spray the cupcake pan with non-stick spray so cupcakes can easily be removed from the pan.
Using cupcake liners, do help with easy clean up on the cupcake pan.
Keep the cupcakes covered or in an airtight container at room temperature and they should last for up to 4-5 days.
Cupcakes will last about 5 days if stored properly. If you store in the refrigerator, make sure you cover and store in an airtight container.
More Easy Cupcake Recipes
- Lemon Cupcakes Recipe
- Low Calorie Lemon Cupcakes
- Margarita Cupcakes Recipe
- Angel Food Cupcakes
- Cherry Limeade Cupcakes
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Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
Ingredients
FOR THE CUPCAKES:
- 2 ½ cups flour all-purpose
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar white granulated
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 tablespoons orange zest finely grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons orange extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
FOR THE FROSTING:
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6-8 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- Optional decoration ideas
- Candied orange slices
- Orange Jimmies Sprinkles
- Straws
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the orange zest, fresh orange juice, orange extract, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix on low speed just until combined after each addition. Do not overmix. The batter will be fairly thin.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Frosting:
- Make the frosting: Beat the softened butter until smooth and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the milk and clear vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy.
- If the frosting is too thick, add a little more milk. If it is too thin, add additional powdered sugar until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Frost the completely cooled cupcakes. Decorate with orange sprinkles, candied orange slices, or straws, if desired.
