Moist and fluffy cupcakes with creamy orange frosting make for the most delicious homemade orange cupcakes! The cupcakes are so tender and flavorful. They remind me of eating a creamsicle, but in cake from!
Steps for Making Orange Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream
- Prep the Ingredients: In a bowl or measuring cup, mix together the orange juice and sour cream. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Make orange sugar: Add the sugar and orange zest to a bowl. Rub together the ingredients until fragrant. It will smell so fresh!
- Cream the butter: Add the butter and mix on medium speed until light and airy, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the eggs: one at a time. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and mix to combine. With the mixer on low, stream in the sour cream mixture and mix to combine. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix to combine.
- Bake!
- Whip the buttercream
- Decorate! tint half the buttercream with orange gel food coloring and follow the directions below.
How it Works
Three factors are responsible for the super moist and fluffy cupcakes: sour cream (see above), cake flour, and the creaming method.
Due to its lower protein content, cake flour makes baked good softer and fluffier. These cupcakes are no exception. However, sometimes this leads to too soft cakes that start to crumble, so I like to use a combination of both cake and all-purpose flour for softness and structure.
The cupcakes are made using the creaming method. This mean air is whipped into softened butter and granulated sugar to create a lighter, fluffier batter.
You will love making these orange cupcakes all year long. The orange zest makes them bright and summery, while the vanilla adds creaminess that is perfect for making during peak citrus season (winter).
This orange cupcake recipe uses sour cream in the batter. The sour cream is acidic and higher in fat that regular milk. Both of these characteristics make the cupcakes tender and contributes to their moistness.
This was inspired by my blueberry cupcakes and the flavors of this orange pound cake. I added orange zest and fresh orange juice to the batter and topped with creamy orange buttercream frosting that I tinted half orange.
Ingredients
This cupcake recipes uses a delicious sour cream vanilla cake base. It is made with common baking ingredients and a fresh orange:
- Orange - you will need both the zest and juice
- Cake flour - a combination of both cake and all-purpose flour make the fluffiest cupcakes, but see Substations if you don't have any
- All-purpose flour - often cake flour can be too soft, so I like a combination of the two
- Sour cream - it adds moisture and acts as a tenderizer
- Unsalted butter - make sure that it is softened to room temperature since this recipes used the creaming method for lightness
- Vanilla extract - you can also use vanilla bean paste for more intense creamsicle vibe
- Large eggs
- Powdered sugar - sifted, as needed, for the buttercream
See recipe card for quantities.
Tools and Equipment
This recipe uses the creaming method, so you will need an electric hand or stand mixer. During the mixing process, air is forced into the butter to lighten the batter that can't be achieved by hand. You will also need:
- Muffin tin
- Rubber spatula
- Spring-loaded scooper
- Cupcake liners
- Piping bag and tip
- Plastic wrap
Substitutions
- Cake Flour - For every cup of cake flour, measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons. Add back 2 tablespoons of either corn starch or arrowroot powder to get 1 cup of cake flour.
- Sour Cream - Replace both the sour cream and milk with equal parts buttermilk.
Variations
Any Citrus Cupcakes - use the same recipe but swap in lime, grapefruit, lemon, or tangerine juice and zest for the orange.
Cream Cheese Cupcakes - the floral and zesty orange cupcakes would go really well with tangy cream cheese frosting.
Chocolate Orange Cake - love orange? Try this three-layer chocolate orange cake!
Decorating Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
These orange cupcakes were decorated with a two-tone orange buttercream. It is the same recipe, but half is tinted with orange gel food coloring.
Make the orange buttercream. Despite its name, it is mostly white in color.
Tint half the buttercream orange. Use a piping bag to pipe long strips of each color on a piece of plastic wrap.
Roll up the plastic to make a log. Twist the ends and snip off one side.
Slide the buttercream log into a piping bag (cut end down first). Swirl the buttercream on top of the cupcakes.
Hint: No need to waste piping bags. Start with the white buttercream then use the same bag to pipe out the orange half. Slide a piping tip down into the opening and use the same piping to decorate.
Storage
Store the cupcakes at room temperature for up to 2 days. Cover in a cake box or in an air-tight container.
In order to extend their freshness, transfer leftovers in an air-tight container to the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Unfrosted cupcakes may be wrapped in bundles of 4 or 6 and stored in the freezer for up to one month.
Likewise, wrap leftover buttercream in plastic and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to thaw and rewhip the frosting before using.
Orange Cupcake Recipe FAQs
You don't have to use cake flour, but cake flour has a lower percentage of protein compared to all-purpose flour that makes the cake softer. See Substitutions for making your own cake flour alternative.
Sour cream! This magic ingredient adds moisture from fat and tenderness from acidity.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Fluffy Homemade Orange Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Orange Cupcakes
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- ¾ cup (95g) cake flour
- ¾ cup (95g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tea baking powder
- ¼ tea baking soda
- ¼ tea kosher salt
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ½ cup (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tea vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
For the Orange Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted as needed
- 2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon milk or cream
- 2 tea orange zest
- 1 tea vanilla extract
Instructions
To Make the Orange Cupcakes
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
- In a bowl or measuring cup, mix together the orange juice and sour cream. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a bowl using an electric mixer, add the sugar and orange zest. Rub together the ingredients until fragrant .Add the butter and mix on medium speed until light and airy, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, waiting until each incorporates into the batter. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and mix to combine. With the mixer on low, stream in the sour cream mixture and mix to combine. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix to combine.
- Evenly distribute the batter into the cupcake tins, filling each about ¾ of the way full. You should get 14 to 16 cupcakes.
- Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Cool the cupcake on a wire rack before icing.
To Make the Orange Buttercream
- Using a stand (or hand) mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-low speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute.
- Turn the mixer off and add the powdered sugar, orange juice, orange zest vanilla, and orange blossom water (if using). Begin mixing on low speed until the ingredients come together - scraping the bowl occasionally.
- Turn up the speed and mix at medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until the buttercream is light and fluffy. If needed, add the milk until desired consistency is achieved. The buttercream should spread smoothly without tearing the crumb of the cake but thick enough that it holds shape when piped.
Lena
Great recipe! I love the creamsicle flavor. I know orange isn't the most popular flavor, but they are just so good!
Prunella
Omg I just baked these and they were delightful what a joy
Michelle
This is hands down the most delicious dessert I’ve made. My in-laws have orange trees in their backyard, so I used freshly picked oranges for my cupcakes. My husband and I could not stop eating them. They icing is very sweet so I cut back to a very thin layer and this was the perfect amount of sweetness for my household.
stylesweet
I am so glad you liked the recipe! Thank you!
Tara Miller
Making these all spring long! I loooove the creamsicle flavor. So good!
Flora
You think I could use this recipe for a layer cake? What size? Thank you!
stylesweet
Hi! For sure. This is a smaller recipe, but could be a two or three-layer, 6-inch cake. You can double the recipe for a larger three-layer, 8 or 9-inch cake. Thanks!
Michaela
Dumb question—but do you use a special cupcake liner? Why do these look nicer than mine haha?
stylesweet
lol not dumb! These are sadly discontinued liners from Wilton. You might be able to find brioche liners that have a similar wavy edge. I wish I could find more - they are so cute!