Orange creamsicle cupcakes embody the taste of summertime! Remember back in the day when you’d head to the local diner (or diner-themed restaurant) and grab an orange soda float? We’ve packed that deliciousness into an orange cream cupcake treat!
Summertime just pairs wonderfully with certain flavors and dishes, doesn’t it? Seafood and corn on the cob, potato salad and burgers on the grill…and for dessert, lovely snacks like orange creamsicle cupcakes! These cupcakes are, essentially, orange cream soda compacted into a little bitty cake. They’ll be a hit at your next picnic for sure!
Here’s the light and fluffy recipe…
Orange Cream Cupcakes: Ingredients & Utensils
Yield: 18-24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 12-14 min
Ingredients
For the batter/cake:
- 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 squeezed or store bought 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 decorations/toppings:
- Candied slices
- Our jimmies or another of your favorites (we’ll talk more about sprinkles in the decoration section!)
- Straws (ditto!)
Utensils & Other Items
- Cupcake liners (we recommend our solid navy cupcake liners!)
- Cupcake pan
- Whisk
- Bowls
- Toothpick
How To Make Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
For the batter/cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and fill pan with cupcake liners.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
- Beat in orange and vanilla extracts, orange juice, and zest until well combined.
- Gradually add dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk.
- Beat until well combined. (Batter will be thin!)
- Divide batter into cupcake liners, filling each about ⅔ full.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely on wire rack and frost.
For the swirl frosting:
- Beat butter until fluffy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, alternating with heavy cream and vanilla.
- Whip until fluffy or at your desired consistency.
- Frost cooled cupcakes. Tutorial on our two tone swirl frosting here.
- Decorate as desired with jimmies, candied oranges, straws etc. (Again, we have a whole section for that down below!)
Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes: Tips For Decoration
Here’s the best part of any Sweets and Treats post…the decoration tips! If you need suggestions, look here.
For the sprinkles…
As we suggested, we think our jimmies go best with this recipe! We also recommend these other orange sprinkles (all here on the Sweets and Treats shop):
We have a few fitting mixes, too, like our Orange Crush mix or Peach Tea mix.
For the liners…
We used our quatrefoil navy liners in this recipe. But, our solid navy cupcake liners will truly make your orange cream cupcakes pop! We also have other navy liners in various patterns, like rugby stripes and polka dots. Alternatively, if you want orange liners, we have plenty of those, and white liners, too.
For the paper straws…
Bring back memories of orange soda floats by sticking adorable paper straws into your cream cupcakes! Try these for decoration:
- Our navy-colored straws (like the solid ones, or the striped ones) would pair wonderfully with the navy liners!
- Alternatively, try matching paper straws (in dots or rugby stripes, for example) to really set off that orange cupcakes aesthetic.
- If you’re looking for something really unique, our bamboo-themed straws or wood-themed straws could look like stems/leaves.
Did you enjoy these orange creamsicle cupcakes?
These cupcakes taste just like those cream sodas you enjoyed as a kid! (Or maybe you still enjoy them…we don’t judge! We’re all about indulgence!) Comment down below with your thoughts on these creamsicle cupcakes. Did you adore them? Did you get creative with them? Did you leave anything out or use substitutions? We always want to hear from you!
We have lots more to discover on Sweets & Treats blog!
You KNOW we’ve got a million and one cupcake recipes to try here on the blog! Well, maybe not that many…but quite a few, and you’ll love them all! Check out…
- Easy Watermelon Cupcakes
- Monster Cookie Dough Cupcakes & Frosting
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Easy Strawberry Banana Cupcakes