Orange creamsicles were always my favorite ice cream truck treat, and these orange creamsicle cupcakes bring that nostalgic flavor to life in cupcake form! I layer orange and vanilla cake batter, fill the cupcakes with a creamy center, and top them with a swirled orange buttercream for that signature citrus-cream combo. These dreamsicle cupcakes are my go-to when I’m craving that summery flavor… even in the middle of winter!
Creamsicle Cupcakes with Cake Mix
I love how easy these orange creamsicle cupcakes with filling are to make! Starting with a boxed vanilla cake mix keeps things simple and ensures a consistent result every time. A touch of orange extract and food coloring then transforms the batter into bright, cheerful layers that look just as good as they taste!
The creamy whipped filling inside adds a surprise center that melts in your mouth, and the swirled orange buttercream on top ties it all together. These creamsicle cupcakes are always a hit for summer parties, birthdays, and bake sales. They’re so nostalgic, colorful, and completely irresistible!
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Bloom the Extract for Deeper Flavor
When testing these creamsicle cupcakes with cake mix, I discovered that stirring the orange extract directly into the oil and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes before mixing the batter gives a huge flavor boost. Because citrus extracts are oil-soluble, this short “bloom” time allows the orange essence to infuse into the fat, making the flavor more vibrant and noticeable after baking. It’s a simple pro-level trick I now use for all of my citrus-based cakes and frostings.
Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Cupcake Tin
- Hand Mixer
- Piping Tip Set (optional)
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
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
- 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 halfway down the cupcake.
- Fill a piping bag or a Ziplock bag and cut the tip off of the end. 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.½ cup unsalted butter, 4 cups powdered sugar
- 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.1 teaspoon orange extract, 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 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 the cupcakes and garnish with a gummy orange slice candy, if desired.
Notes
- I love the look of the two layers of cake batter, but you can skip the food coloring if you prefer.
- For extra citrus punch, add 1 teaspoon of fresh orange zest to the frosting or swirl a small spoonful of orange marmalade into the batter before baking.
- 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.
- For the freshest texture, I recommend filling the cupcakes the same day you plan to serve them. Whipped cream fillings can slowly absorb into the cake, softening the center over time.
- If you need the cream filling to hold up longer for parties or warm days, stabilize it with 1 tablespoon of instant vanilla pudding mix or 1 teaspoon of gelatin dissolved in warm water before whipping.
- If your frosting feels too stiff to pipe, add a splash of orange juice. If it’s too soft, chill it for 10 minutes before piping for cleaner swirls.
- To get that perfect creamsicle swirl, make sure both frosting colors reach the piping tip evenly. I like to use an open-star tip (Wilton 4B) for a soft-serve look, but a Ziplock bag with the corner snipped off also works.
How to Make Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes with Cake Mix Step-by-Step
Mix the Cake Batter: Preheat your oven to 350°F, line a 12-count cupcake tin with paper liners, and set aside. Mix 13.25 ounces (1 box) of vanilla cake mix, 1 cup of water, ⅓ cup of oil, and 3 large eggs together. Take care not to overmix, as this could cause the cupcakes to turn out dry.
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 gently until just combined. Set aside for now. This step is optional–if you’d prefer all of your batter to be one color, leave it plain or color (and flavor!) it all orange with 3-4 drops of food coloring and 1 teaspoon of orange extract.
Portion the Cupcakes: Scoop the plain batter and fill 12 cupcake liners evenly, a little more than halfway. I like to use a cookie portion scoop for this part, so the cupcakes turn out even.
Layer the Cupcakes: Top each of the 12 cupcakes with a scoop of the orange batter (I used about 1 tablespoon per cupcake). I left mine layered like this because I found the colors were less muddy this way. If you’d like, you can gently swirl the batters together with a skewer or toothpick before baking.
Bake the Cupcakes: Bake your orange creamsicle cupcakes in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before filling or frosting.
Mix the Filling: In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat 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 vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon of butter extract. If you don’t have butter extract, you can simply leave it out and just use vanilla.
Core 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 halfway down the cupcake. I like to use a twisting motion to remove the core cleanly.
Fill the Cupcakes: Fill a piping bag or a Ziplock bag with the cream filling and cut the tip off the end. Squeeze an equal amount of cream filling into each of the holes. I used about 2 teaspoons per cupcake, but you don’t need to be exact.
Beat the Frosting: In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, cream together ½ cup of room-temperature unsalted butter and 4 cups of powdered sugar. This may take a few minutes to go from a crumbly stage to a creamy stage.
Flavor the Frosting: 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. Again, this step is optional, and you can leave the frosting plain white or color it all orange if you prefer.
Prep the Frosting: 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. This will cause the frosting colors to swirl together when you pipe them.
Frost the Cupcakes: Frost your orange creamsicle cupcakes with the swirled orange frosting as desired (I used a Wilton 4B open star tip!) I topped each of mine with a gummy candy orange slice for fun!
How to Store and Freeze
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. If freezing, I recommend freezing unfrosted, unfilled cupcakes and frosting separately. Thaw at room temp, fill, and frost before serving for the freshest texture.
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