Orange creamsicles are my absolute favorite cold treat to get from the ice cream truck, and these orange creamsicle cupcakes taste just like the real thing! I stuffed layered orange and vanilla cupcakes with a creamy filling and topped them with a swirled orange buttercream to recreate this delicious popsicle flavor in cupcake form. These cupcakes are perfect for when I need a hit of that creamsicle flavor in the cooler months.
I just adore how cute these orange creamsicle cupcakes are. With vanilla cake mix and a homemade frosting and filling, they’re way easier to make than you’d think. I can’t wait to serve these at my next pool party!
Ingredients
- Vanilla Cake Mix: Makes these cupcakes super easy to throw together.
- Vegetable Oil: Adds moisture and richness to the cupcakes.
- Eggs: Help bind the cupcakes and keep them moist.
- Orange Extract: Adds rich orange flavor to the cake batter and the frosting.
- Food Coloring: While optional, if you’d like to achieve the swirled effect, you’ll need a few drops of orange food coloring. I recommend gel food coloring for the most vivid colors.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Makes the filling light and fluffy.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the cream filling and the frosting.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a warm and sweet flavor to the filling.
- Butter Extract: Enhances the creamy flavor of the filling.
- Butter: Unsalted butter forms the base of the frosting, giving it structure.
- Orange Juice: A bit of orange juice enhances the intense orange flavor of the frosting and helps thin it to the correct consistency for piping.
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How to Store
Store leftover orange creamsicle cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend waiting to fill and frost the cupcakes until thawed if frozen.
Tips for Success
- I love the look of the two layers of cake batter, but you can skip the food coloring if you prefer.
- Make sure that the cupcakes are fully cooled before filling and frosting them. I like to make the cupcakes the day before and then fill and decorate them the next day.
- I like to frost my cupcakes bakery style with a tip, but you can use a baggie with the corner cut off to pipe, or just spoon it on – the taste won’t change! I decorated these with a sugared orange candy. A slice of fresh orange will also look great or just a grating of orange zest.
Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 13.25 ounces vanilla cake mix (1 box)
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 2 drops orange gel food coloring optional
For the Cream filling
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon butter extract
For the Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature (1 stick)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 drops orange gel food coloring optional
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Cupcake Tin
- Hand Mixer
- Piping Tip Set (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count cupcake tin with liners. Set aside.
- Mix the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs together.13.25 ounces vanilla cake mix, 1 cup water, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 3 large eggs
- Scoop out 1 cup of batter and pour it into a small bowl. Add the orange extract and food coloring to this batter and mix until combined. The amount of food coloring is your preference. I personally used 2 drops of gel food coloring. Set aside.1 teaspoon orange extract, 2 drops orange gel food coloring
- Scoop the plain batter and fill 12 cupcake liners evenly. Then, top each of the 12 cupcakes with a scoop of the orange batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
For the Filling
- In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, mix together the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold in the extracts.½ cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon butter extract
- Fill a piping bag or a Ziplock bag and cut the tip off of the end. Poke a hole into each of the cupcakes either with a piping tip or the long end of a wooden spoon, creating a hole about half way down the cupcake. Squeeze cream filling into each of the holes. Set aside.
For the Frosting
- In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and powdered sugar. This may take a few minutes to go from a crumbly stage to a creamy stage. Add in the extract and 2 tablespoons of orange juice and mix until well combined. If the frosting is still too stiff to pipe then add more orange juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, to the frosting and mix until combined.4 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon orange extract, 2 tablespoons orange juice, ½ cup unsalted butter
- To create a two color swirl, split the frosting into two bowls. Add food coloring to one of the bowls and mix it in.2 drops orange gel food coloring
- Scoop each of the frostings into a piping bag, or Ziplock bag, and cut the tip off. Slide each of the bags, side by side, down into a piping bag that is attached with a tip. Frost as desired.
Notes
How to Make Creamsicle Cupcakes Step-by-Step
Mix the Cake Batter: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count cupcake tin with liners and set aside. Mix the 13.25 ounces (1 box) of vanilla cake mix, 1 cup of water, ⅓ cup of oil, and 3 large eggs together.
Color the Cake Batter: Scoop out 1 cup of batter and pour it into a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of orange extract and 2 drops of orange gel food coloring to this batter and mix until combined. Set aside.
Bake the Cupcakes: Scoop the plain batter and fill 12 cupcake liners evenly. Then, top each of the 12 cupcakes with a scoop of the orange batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
Make the Filling: In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, mix together ½ cup of heavy whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold in ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon of butter extract. Fill a piping bag or a Ziplock bag and cut the tip off of the end.
Fill the Cupcakes: Poke a hole into each of the cupcakes either with a piping tip or the long end of a wooden spoon, creating a hole about half way down the cupcake. Squeeze cream filling into each of the holes. Set aside.
Beat the Frosting: In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, cream together ½ cup of unsalted butter and 4 cups of powdered sugar. This may take a few minutes to go from a crumbly stage to a creamy stage. Add in 1 teaspoon of orange extract and 2 tablespoons of orange juice and mix until well combined. If the frosting is still too stiff to pipe then add more orange juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, to the frosting and mix until combined.
Color the Frosting: To create a two color swirl, split the frosting into two bowls. Add 2 drops of orange gel food coloring to one of the bowls and mix it in.
Frost the Cupcakes: Scoop each of the frostings into a piping bag, or Ziplock bag, and cut the tip off. Slide each of the bags, side by side, down into a piping bag that is attached with a tip. Frost as desired.
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