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    Home » Desserts » Orange Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Published: Mar 13, 2018 · Modified: Nov 12, 2021 by Pam

    Orange Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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    Orange Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting are an amazing take on white cupcakes. The orange flavor is subtle in the cupcake and a bit bolder in the frosting.

    orange cupcake with others around

    White cupcakes with an orange twist

    I love white cake. There is something pure, delicate and simple about it. Yet somehow, white cake means special occasions – birthdays, weddings, baby showers.

    These orange cream cupcakes are really just white cupcakes with a delicate orange twist. The big orange flavor comes from the cream cheese orange frosting.

    They are perfect any time of year, but especially appropriate in the winter when citrus is at its best, or in the spring, when the fruity flavor just shouts that warmer weather is here to stay a while.

    orange cupcake with orange cream cheese frosting with 2 more in back

    White cake is a little tricky to get moist and delicate and still keep it that glorious, pure white color. I experimented with a lot of combinations and proportions until I got it just right.

    Orange extract gives the cupcakes a hint of subtle orange flavor.

    How many cupcakes will this recipe make?

    I actually get 14. When piping a good bit of frosting on top you don’t want a tall, domed cupcake so I only filled my cupcake liners ⅔ full. If you don’t plan to pipe your frosting on fairly high you can fill the liners ¾ full and make only 12.

    Our Key Lime Cupcakes in mini-size are yet another version of this same recipe. White with a twist of lime!

    If you’re more of a cookie person, you’ll want to try these Key Lime Cookies and Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies with Brown Butter.

    Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

    What a fun and mouthwatering frosting! Around here we love, love, love anything with cream cheese in it. You can easily tell by the dishes we create using it.

    Our Mini Chocolate Chip Cheesecakes are a fine example as is our Smoked Fish Dip (Beach Bar Style).  But, frosting with cream cheese is really the crowning glory of cream cheese recipes – the icing on the cake!

    orange cupcake on doily with oranges in back

    If I’ve got time I make this frosting the night before I put it on the cupcakes. Keep it refrigerated overnight and then let it come to room temperature so it will be the right consistency to pipe or spread easily.

    The orange flavor comes from grated orange zest and extract and the time those ingredients spend together just make for a fabulous frosting. The orange flavor really pops!

    If you don’t have time for that it’s still going to be a wonderful orange buttercream frosting, but if you do, why not give it a whirl?

    If you love unique frosting flavors you’ll also want to check out our Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Frosting. It goes great on fall treats like cupcakes, cookies and sheetcakes.

    Several Ways to Frost Your Cupcakes

    You can certainly frost your cupcakes the simple, old fashioned way and just spread the icing on with a knife or small spatula.

    If you want that “piped” on look, but don’t have piping bags or tips you can always add the frosting to a baggie and cut off one corner.

    I’ve used that method plenty of times for filling deviled eggs (like our Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs), frosting cupcakes or decorating anything with whipped cream.

    several orange cupcakes

    This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on an affiliate link and buy something, we may receive a very small commission.  It does NOT result in additional charges to you or cost you anything extra. Click here for our full privacy and disclosure policy. As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

    I use a Wilton 1M decorating tip for making these cupcakes. A 12 inch decorating bag was just right for holding this amount of frosting and you can order both, as well as any number of other decorating tips by clicking these links:

    • A Selection of Decorating Tips can be ordered here
    • decorating bags can be ordered here
    • closure clips for decorating bags

    For another look and an equally delicious cupcake be sure to check out our Blueberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

    Garnish ideas for easy orange cupcakes

    Now here’s where the fun comes in. The possibilities are of course, endless. I didn’t have orange sprinkles, but that would be really festive. What I did have was pearly non-pareils and they were so pretty.

    I also used small orange curls and tiny little wedges of orange (you would only want to do that right before serving – no longer than an hour before). And, you can never go wrong with a little mint leaf.

    Oh, and sanding sugar. It gives your orange cupcakes a little sparkle. Here’s a whole list of ideas:

    • orange curls
    • orange sprinkles
    • sanding sugar
    • orange slices (little wedges)
    • mint leaves
    • mini edible orange butterflies (these are awesome!)

    If you love mini cupcakes (and who doesn’t?) you’ll want to make These. Carrot Cake Cupcake Mini’s are perfect when you want to offer something sweet that’s just a couple of bites.

    This recipe made our top 10 of annual favorites. Click over here to see them all. 

    one orange cupcake without others around

    Orange Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

    Pam
    Perfect for any occasion, this easy recipe for orange cupcakes has a subtle orange flavor in the cake and a bolder orange flavor in the frosting.
    4.93 from 28 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Servings 14 cupcakes
    Calories 239 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Orange Cupcakes

    • ½ cup butter, room temperature
    • ¾ cup sugar + 2 Tablespoons
    • 2 egg whites
    • ¾ cup sour cream
    • ¼ cup milk – 1 teaspoon
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 teaspoon orange extract
    • 1 cup plain flour + 2 Tablespoons
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

    • ¼ cup butter room temperature
    • 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon orange extract
    • 1-2 teaspoons orange zest
    • 3 cups powdered sugar

    Instructions
     

    Orange Cupcakes

    • Beat sugar and butter together with electric mixer for 2 minutes..
    • Add egg whites one at a time, beating on low speed for about 30 seconds after each.
    • Add sour cream, milk, vanilla and extracts and beat on low speed for about 1 minute.
    • In separate bowl combine dry ingredients.
    • Add to wet ingredients gradually, and beat lightly after each addition.
    • Fill lined muffin tins ⅔ full.
    • Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake additional 8-10 minutes, or just until cake springs back when lightly touched in center.
    • After 5 minutes remove cupcakes from pan and allow to cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

    Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

    • Blend butter and cream cheese until fluffy.
    • Stir in extract, zest and and sugar and stir until smooth.

    Notes

    Frosting is best if made about 12 hours ahead of time and refrigerated. Allow to come to room temperature before using.
    If muffin tins are filled ¾ full 12 cupcakes can be made.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 239kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 140mgPotassium: 70mgFiber: 1gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 215IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    A few other recipes you’ll want to check out:

    brownies on stand
    Foolproof Brownies
    blueberry crumb cake cut into squares
    Blueberry Cream Cheese Crumb Cake
    Mini Strawberry Shortcake
    Strawberry Shortcake mini’s
    whole boston cream pie
    Boston Cream Pie
    ambrosia in bowl with cherries and pecans behind
    Traditional Ambrosia
    apple cider coffee cake on cake stand with slice on plate
    Apple Cider Coffee Cake

    Categories: Desserts Tags: dessert

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Diana says

      March 13, 2018 at 11:04 am

      Love the sound of orange Cream cheese frosting! Sounds very refreshing and perfect for this season.

      Reply
      • Pam says

        March 13, 2018 at 4:03 pm

        Thanks, Diana. It’s pretty yummy!

        Reply
    2. Danielle says

      March 13, 2018 at 11:42 am

      5 stars
      Any kind of orange dessert is good with me! I would want to lick that frosting out of the bowl!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        March 13, 2018 at 4:03 pm

        Haha Danielle! You would have to fight my husband for the frosting bowl.

        Reply
        • Buddy says

          March 17, 2018 at 11:17 am

          The bowl was gone but I did get to lick the beaters.

          Reply
    3. Ben Myhre says

      March 13, 2018 at 12:12 pm

      5 stars
      I’m with you on the simple. Some of the best things are simple. This cupcake looks absolutely delicious.

      Reply
      • Pam says

        March 13, 2018 at 4:02 pm

        Thank you so much, Ben!

        Reply
    4. Rebecca says

      March 13, 2018 at 12:21 pm

      These look fantastic!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        March 13, 2018 at 4:02 pm

        Thank you, Rebecca!

        Reply
    5. Hayley says

      March 13, 2018 at 12:30 pm

      5 stars
      These look amazing! And thanks for the tips on piping on the icing. I’m not really a baker but I think I can manage it with a plastic baggie!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        March 13, 2018 at 4:01 pm

        Thanks, Hayley! The baggie trick is so easy!

        Reply
    6. Brooke says

      June 04, 2018 at 8:32 pm

      5 stars
      These are amazing and so fun to decorate. They taste better than any store bought mix and I would highly recommend these to anyone who would like some cupcakes with and orange twist. My family loves them!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        June 04, 2018 at 9:47 pm

        Brooke, We’e so glad you loved the cupcakes. They were fun to decorate. We could have tried lots more ideas ourselves. Cupcakes are just the best!

        Reply
    7. Jackie says

      August 20, 2018 at 6:42 pm

      5 stars
      My son wanted orange cupcakes for his birthday so I chose this recipe to make. They are delicious!! They have a nice texture and butteriness to them that FAR surpasses any cake mix. Unfortunately, my first double batch had to be thrown out because my orange extract was funky. So to avoid another trip to the grocery store for orange extract, I remade them with a couple substitutions (based on what I had on hand) — I used 2 tsp orange zest instead of (1 tsp) orange extract, and orange juice instead of the milk. Additionally, I reduced the sugar to 1/2 C as I felt it could be reduced (knowing the icing would add a lot of sweetness). I made them a couple days ahead of time and froze them. They froze really well (without the icing). Once thawed, they were still nice and moist. I loved the tip with the two icing bags. I quickly learned not to overfill the bags ’cause once the two bags are combined together, it can become a lot to fit into one bag, with one tip. I ended up with icing oozing out the top.

      Reply
      • Jackie says

        August 20, 2018 at 7:00 pm

        Oops. Just realized it was another website that had the tip about the double icing bags when using two different colour icings. Sorry for any confusion there! 🙂

        Reply
        • Pam says

          August 21, 2018 at 11:06 am

          Haha…. I wondered what that tip was and was going to go back and check. If you used two colors of icing I’d love to see a photo of your cupcakes. They sound beautiful!

          Reply
      • Pam says

        August 21, 2018 at 11:04 am

        So glad they turned out for you, Jackie (even with that extra trip to the store 🙂 We always enjoy hearing how others made adaptations to our recipes. That’s how we all learn and improve. And yes, on the freezing. I’ve frozen those cupcakes too with great success.

        Reply
    8. nikkole says

      October 10, 2018 at 4:59 pm

      Can I substitute orange juice for milk? Really want to boost the orange flavor since I’m frosting them with dark chocolate.

      Reply
      • Pam says

        October 10, 2018 at 5:08 pm

        I think you would be okay with that. Another idea would be to add a spoonful of orange zest to the batter.

        Reply
    9. Jet says

      January 10, 2019 at 2:56 pm

      Hi, I would like to makr a larger batch of cupcakes. Should I simply use a multiple of the amounts given in the recipe?

      Reply
    10. Judith says

      February 05, 2019 at 5:27 am

      These cupcakes are ridiculously delicious! My family inhaled them (Well I helped). The ultimate recipe. I will keep forever.

      Reply
      • Pam says

        February 05, 2019 at 12:09 pm

        Thanks so much, Judith! So glad you and your family loved them!It always so nice when someone comes back to let us know they tried one of our recipes!

        Reply
    11. Clorinda says

      March 16, 2019 at 12:31 pm

      5 stars
      These cupcakes are amazing. But should I use salted or unsalted butter for the frosting?

      Reply
      • Pam says

        March 17, 2019 at 9:50 am

        Clorinda, Either would work just fine. If you use unsalted you may want to add just a pinch of salt, but I don’t think you’ll be able to tell a difference. Whichever you use, it’s going to be delicious.

        Reply
    12. Maribel says

      September 15, 2019 at 10:24 pm

      5 stars
      I followed the recipe exactly as is, they are soooo good!! My daughters loved the cupcakes,, they are very picky and said they were soft and delicious.

      Reply
      • Pam says

        September 17, 2019 at 1:46 pm

        That’s awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Maribel.

        Reply
    13. Sue says

      May 22, 2020 at 10:23 am

      5 stars
      I absolutely love this refreshing flavor combination, I’ll be making up a batch this weekend!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        May 22, 2020 at 10:30 am

        Hope you enjoy them, Sue!

        Reply
    14. Haley D. Williams says

      May 22, 2020 at 10:27 am

      5 stars
      So bright and citrusy! Love how the orange flavor was perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the cupcake

      Reply
      • Pam says

        May 22, 2020 at 10:30 am

        Thank you, Haley!

        Reply
        • Sonia says

          May 22, 2020 at 2:09 pm

          Wow! Theses look and sounds super delicious and easy to make! Can’t wait to make them.

          Reply
          • Pam says

            May 25, 2020 at 12:54 pm

            Thanks, Sonia! We hope you love them.

            Reply
    15. Sujatha Muralidhar says

      May 22, 2020 at 10:38 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely awesome recipe, such a pantry staple ingredients. Cant wait to try.

      Reply
      • Pam says

        May 22, 2020 at 11:45 am

        Hope you enjoy Sujatha!

        Reply
    16. kim says

      May 22, 2020 at 12:12 pm

      5 stars
      What a delicious recipe! These are so perfect for summer and the whole family enjoyed them!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        May 22, 2020 at 12:45 pm

        So happy to hear you loved them. Thanks,Kim!

        Reply
    17. Erica says

      January 24, 2021 at 9:51 pm

      5 stars
      These cupcakes have perfect texture. Do you know how the recipe performs as a cake? Thanks

      Reply
      • Pam says

        January 25, 2021 at 10:46 am

        We haven’t tested that, Erica. If you do please come back and let us know!

        Reply
    18. Judy says

      July 14, 2021 at 7:15 am

      5 stars
      I was looking for something different for the Fourth of July and decided to try this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly as listed and they turned out wonderful. They were moist and had a subtle and refreshing orange flavor. Everyone loved the cupcakes, even the kids were going back for seconds and inhaling them. My husband who usually prefers chocolate, loved these cupcakes. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        July 14, 2021 at 3:11 pm

        Thank you so much for letting us know, Judy! It means a lot when readers take the time to tell us how much they enjoy our recipes and give us a star rating. XXXOOO

        Reply
    19. Cassandra says

      March 19, 2022 at 10:20 pm

      5 stars
      Hello! I’m a home baker and would love to find out where you buy your liners. They are so vibrant and beautiful! Can’t wait to try this recipe!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        March 21, 2022 at 10:18 am

        We get a lot at craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Michaels. Also, Amazon is a great source!

        Reply

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