Quick and easy orange frosting recipe (orange buttercream icing), made with simple ingredients and perfect for Summer desserts. It's fluffy, creamy, tastes great on cakes, cupcakes, cookies. Variations like orange cream cheese frosting also included.
Summer is in full force and that calls for this HOMEMADE orange frosting from scratch, also known as orange CREAMSICLE frosting.
It's delicious, fluffy, creamy, zesty and packed with citrus flavor.
It has a NATURAL pale orange color but, I always add orange gel coloring to make the color even more vibrant.
Use it to make frosted orange cookies or use it as an amazing orange cake frosting.
The orange flavor comes from 3 ingredients:
- Orange zest
- Orange extract
- Orange juice
I also want to make it very clear that this is NOT an orange whipped cream frosting because it does not use any whipped heavy cream. This is also NOT an orange icing glaze because the consistency for that is thinner and it's typically used as a drizzle on top of cakes, cookies and rolls.
Orange cream cheese frosting vs. Orange buttercream frosting
The cream cheese version has cream cheese as an ingredients and the buttercream version is made with butter and shortening or just butter with NO cream cheese.
Both taste great. However, there are 2 issues with cream cheese orange frosting:
- The cream cheese flavor overpowers the citrus flavor.
- Cream cheese is not a very stable ingredient, which makes the frosting difficult for piping.
Use this orange frosting for:
- Carrot cake
- Angel food cake
- Orange cake
- Chocolate cake
- Cupcakes
- Cinnamon rolls
- Biscotti
- Bundt cake
- Vanilla cake
- Muffins
- Sugar cookies
How to make orange frosting?
Start off by creaming together butter and shortening. Then, mix in orange zest and extract. Start mixing powdered sugar, alternating with orange juice until frosting is fluffy. Mix in orange gel coloring, if you like. Enjoy!
Tips for easy orange frosting:
- Use both, butter and shortening, to maximize the stability of this icing. If you make an āall butterā frosting, it will be a bit unstable in warmer temperatures and melt easily.
- DON'T make plain orange buttercream frosting with orange extract/ orange extract frosting because the orange flavor is not strong enough and very artificial.
- The vibrancy of this orange colored icing can be enhanced with gel food coloring. DON'T use liquid food coloring since it's "watery" and can "thin" the consistency of the icing.
- If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- If the icing is too thick, add more orange juice or water.
- To make chocolate orange frosting, add Ā½ cup - Ā¾ cup cocoa powder. You will have to add some water get the desired consistency.
- To make a lemon orange frosting, replace Ā¼ cup of orange juice with Ā¼ cup mixed orange and lemon juice. Also, replace 2 tablespoon orange zest with 1 tablespoon orange zest and 1 tablespoon lemon zest.
- To make vegan orange frosting, replace butter with vegan shortening.
- To make orange cream cheese frosting, follow the recipe below but omit shortening and add 4 oz cream cheese. You may have to add some additional powdered sugar to get the desired consistency.
Other orange desserts:
Orange Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- ā cup Butter Unsalted
- Ā½ cup Shortening
- 2 tablespoon Orange zest
- 1 teaspoon Orange extract Or orange emulsion oil
- 4 cups Sugar Powdered
- Ā¼ cup Orange juice
- Orange gel coloring
Instructions
- Cream butter and shortening in a mixing bowl.
- Add orange extract, orange zest and mix again.
- Start mixing sugar (1 cup at a time), alternating with some orange juice until frosting becomes light and fluffy.
- Mix in orange gel coloring. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Read all my tips above.Ā
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.Ā
- This recipe is enough to fill and frost one 8Ć2 cake OR 24 cupcakes.
Ak Brown
Ye, I'm getting fat on icing this weekend, that looks YUMMY!
Abeer Rizvi
Hahaha. If you are a fan of citrussy treats, you are gonna love this icing!
melissĆ
This is totally worth making!
Abeer Rizvi
I really hope you make it and don't forget to share pictures!
Kam Kay
This looks delicious. Yummm!
Abeer Rizvi
Thanks!
Adriana
This looks so simple, pretty and yummy! I definitely need to try this!
xo Adriana
Abeer Rizvi
It truly is very simple and much easier than some citrussy frostings I have seen
nur
Can this frosting be used under fondant?
Abeer Rizvi
Yes, it can be used under fondant.
Evon Lim
What can I replace with shortening? Can replace with 1/2 cup of butter?
Abeer Rizvi
You can replace with butter. However, using some shortening in this recipe gives the icing its stability and I highly recommend it.
Kathy
What is emulsion oil?
Abeer Rizvi
It's similar to extracts but stronger because they don't evaporate in baking.
Munmun
After frosting the cake, do I need to refrigerate the cake or it can stay out for a day or two?
Abeer Rizvi
I would definitely refrigerate the cake.
Dana
Great I mixed butter and cream cheese 50 50 and put it on spice cake it was wonderful
DK
I made this frosting today for Halloween, and used it on chocolate and orange cupcakes. The frosting turned out great- texture, flavor, and ease. This one is definitely a keeper!!
Hogan Schneider
Yum! I'm vegan so I subbed in Earth Balance for the butter, and it turned out delicious. I used it on a chocolate and orange marbled layer cake. So good! Thanks for the recipe!
Charlotte Saari
Hi! This is more of a question then a comment but I am making a chocolate orange cake for a friends birthday and I was wondering if I make a chocolate cake and put this frosting on it if you think the chocolate will over power the orange flavor?
Abeer Rizvi
I think that would be a delicious combination. You would still enjoy the chocolate and orange flavors in different textures.
Ana
Absolutely delicious! I just made this for the top of our Gingerbread cake and my husband and I both taste-tested it first to make sure it would be good with the Gingerbread cake and it is perfect!!
We made the orange buttercream frosting. I shredded the orange zest and made the orange juice fresh myself. The only deviation I did was with the orange extract. I didn't have any. So in its place I used almond extract (1 TBS) and then squeezed 2 TBS of orange juice into the 1 TBS of almond extract. It still turned out absolutely delicious so I can't wait to try this recipe again after I get Orange Extract.
Thank you so much!