Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes Recipe

Course: Cake, cupcakes

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 45

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 452kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

These orange creamsicle cupcakes are bursting with that nostalgic citrus-and-cream flavor you loved as a kid! Made with cake mix and a luscious creamy filling, they’re soft, fluffy, and full of orange-vanilla goodness. Perfect for summer parties, birthdays, or anytime you want a fun, easy dessert that tastes like a classic creamsicle.

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US Customary - Metric

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.

Video

Notes

*No orange extract? Try lemon extract with a touch of vanilla for a similar citrus-cream vibe.

**No butter extract? Just double the vanilla.

Tips:

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.

Make-Ahead: You can bake the cupcakes up to 2 days before filling and frosting. They will keep well at room temperature without the frosting or filling.

Storage: Store orange creamsicle cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition