• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sweet Mouth Joy
  • Home
  • About
  • Bars & Slices
  • Breads & Muffins
  • Brownies & Blondies
  • Cakes
  • Cakesicles & Cake Pops
  • Cheesecakes
  • Cookies & Biscuits
  • Frostings & Decorations
  • Sauces & Condiments
  • Contact
  • Blog
menu icon
go to homepage
  • St. Patrick's Day
  • Easter Treats
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • St. Patrick's Day
    • Easter Treats
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Frostings, Fillings & Decorations

    Orange Buttercream Frosting with Orange Extract

    Published: Aug 1, 2022 · Modified: Jan 19, 2023 by Kachina · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    This dreamy orange buttercream frosting recipe is super simple, tangy and delicious! Made using orange extract, this homemade frosting is quick and easy to make, yet full of bright orange flavour.

    orange buttercream being frosted onto a cupcake
    Jump to:
    • ✏️ Recipe creation
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • ♻️ Substitutions / Variations
    • 📖 Method
    • 🎥 Recipe video
    • 💭 Top tips
    • ❔Recipe FAQs
    • 🧁 Frosting uses
    • 🍪 Other goodies
    • 📋 Recipe
    • Orange Buttercream with Orange Extract
    • 💬 Comments

    ✏️ Recipe creation

    This best-ever orange buttercream is creamy and dreamy, perfect for adding a zesty summer twist to your desserts and sweet snacks.

    I use it on my double citrus lemon orange cupcakes and Terry’s chocolate orange cupcakes!

    This orange-flavoured American-style buttercream is made from scratch. Only 4 ingredients and ready in 15mins! You can use either orange juice or milk to get a smooth, light and fluffy consistency.

    It’s simple to make and so quick, using butter and powdered sugar in a classic buttercream. This deliciously light orange buttercream frosting is an easy way to pack tangy orange flavour into your desserts.

    Perfect for topping cupcakes, cakes, cookies, desserts and more!

    🥘 Ingredients

    orange buttercream frosting recipe ingredients in bowls with labels

    This orange buttercream recipe calls for the following ingredients:

    • Unsalted butter: room temperature for a softened butter that’s easier to beat.
    • Powdered icing sugar: sieve your confectioners’ sugar for a smooth frosting.
    • Orange extract
    • Orange juice (or milk): fresh or bottled orange juice works great.
    • Salt (optional)

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    Top tip: For accuracy, it’s best to weigh your ingredients rather than using cups.

    ♻️ Substitutions / Variations

    Ingredient substitutions

    If you don’t have orange extract, swap this for fine orange zest (1 ½ orange’s worth / 2 tbsp). Be sure to also use orange juice (not milk) in the recipe.

    For a creamier frosting (orange creamsicle style!), add milk to your frosting instead of orange juice. If you’ve got quite thick frosting, you can add a little of both (½ tablespoon at a time).

    Use fresh orange juice over bottled where you can, but if you don’t have fresh oranges, you can swap for bottled in a pinch.

    Flavour options

    For a boozy orange frosting, you can swap the lemon juice for Cointreau (orange liqueur) – perfect to make grown-up treats!

    To make blood orange buttercream, swap your regular fresh orange juice for blood orange juice. You can also tint your frosting with a few drops of orange and red colouring to help the colour match.

    You can make orange blossom buttercream by swapping the orange extract for orange blossom water extract instead.

    Vegan option

    To make vegan orange frosting, you can swap the butter for a firm dairy-free butter (baking block). You must use the solid kind rather than a liquid or soft variety.

    Gluten-free

    This is a gluten-free orange buttercream recipe. Be sure the goods you’re frosting are gluten-free too. For example, check out these gluten-free chocolate cupcakes!

    📖 Method

    recipe steps 1 to 4 to make orange buttercream frosting

    Step 1: Beat the butter (either by hand, using an electric mixer or stand mixer) until pale, light and fluffy. This could take several minutes.

    Steps 2 - 3: Sieve half of the icing sugar into the butter and beat until combined, then repeat this with the remaining half of icing sugar.

    Steps 4 - 5: Add in the orange extract, juice (or milk) and salt (if using), mixing until only just smooth.

    recipe steps 5 to 8 to make orange buttercream frosting

    Steps 6 - 7: If using, beat in a few drops of orange food coloring until the desired colour.

    Step 8: Use your buttercream to frost cupcakes, cakes, cookies and more!

    🎥 Recipe video

    Check out the recipe video below for how to make homemade orange buttercream!

    💭 Top tips

    • For creamy frosting, beat your butter until it’s pale, light and fluffy before adding your other ingredients. This could take several minutes.
    • This recipe makes enough orange buttercream to frost 12-15 cupcakes or a single layer 8-inch round cake. Scale up by ½ to frost a 2 layer 8-inch round cake.
    • If you want a stronger orange colour, you can add orange (or red and yellow) food colouring to your buttercream. I recommend using a gel to prevent adding too much liquid.
    • Make sure you’re using cooled desserts to frost, not ones fresh from the oven!
    lemon orange cupcakes with orange buttercream frosting swirls and a lemon slices

    ❔Recipe FAQs

    How long does homemade orange buttercream last?

    Your orange buttercream should last for up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

    Can you freeze orange buttercream?

    Yes! You can freeze your orange buttercream frosting in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost and re-beat before use.

    Can you make orange buttercream ahead of time?

    Yes, you can make your orange frosting ahead of time and either keep it in the fridge (up to 4 days) or freeze it (up to 3 months) until you’re ready to use it.

    How do you get rid of air bubbles in frosting?

    To get rid of air bubbles in your frosting, beat it on a low speed using a paddle attachment before using it. The whisk attachment can sometimes add too much air.

    Alternatively, you can stir it with a spatula or wooden spoon by hand for a few minutes.

    How do you thin orange buttercream?

    If your orange icing is too thick to pipe, then you can add more orange juice or milk (½ tablespoon at a time) to thin the frosting until you get the desired consistency.

    How do you thicken orange buttercream?

    If your frosting is too thin, you can try chilling it in the fridge for 15-20mins before use. Alternatively, you can beat in a few more tablespoons of butter to thicken it.

    How do you fix split orange buttercream?

    You can beat in ¼ cup / 40g of white chocolate (melted) to help thicken or fix split frosting. This will also add some delicious flavour to your orange buttercream!

    lemon cupcake with orange buttercream and a lemon slice and fresh lemon and fresh orange behind

    🧁 Frosting uses

    You can use this orange butter icing to frost your cupcakes, cakes, cookies, blondies or brownies. It’s especially great as a macaron filling! For layer cakes, try using it as an orange cake filling as well as a cake topping.

    Frost your baked goods with this homemade buttercream by spreading it on generously with an offset spatula or knife.

    Alternatively, you can pipe your buttercream using a piping bag and a piping nozzle of your choice. When I frost cakes and cupcakes, I usually use the nozzles from this large piping tip set.

    Amounts

    This recipe makes enough to frost roughly 12-15 cupcakes or a one layer 8-inch cake.

    Scale up by ½ the recipe if using it for a filling as well as outside the cake 2-layer 8-inch cake.

    To frost a cake fully (outside coating and between layers), you’ll need to double this recipe (scale up by x2) for a 3-layer round 6-inch cake.

    For a 3-layer round 8-inch cake, triple this recipe (i.e. scale up by x3).

    Depending on how sweet you like your traybakes, you’ll only need half the amount of this frosting recipe for an 8-inch square-sized traybake.

    Spread a thick layer across your cooled traybake before cutting it into slices.

    Great goodies to frost

    Orange buttercream goes great on the following treats:

    • Gluten-free chocolate cupcakes
    • Funfetti cupcakes
    • Bailey’s cupcakes
    • Vanilla melting moment heart cookies
    • Lemon loaf cake
    • Vanilla cake pops

    🍪 Other goodies

    Looking for some other goodies to make?

    A big citrus fan? Why not check out this lemon curd? It’s also a perfect cake filling. Swap in the orange buttercream to this lemon curd cake recipe for a delicious double citrus curd cake - the perfect summer birthday cake!

    Chocolate and orange are a match made in heaven. Swap the chocolate orange ganache for orange frosting in this chocolate orange cake – yum! Or use this frosting to top this easy chocolate orange cheesecake.

    For some other great frosting ideas, why not check out this lemon white chocolate no-cream ganache, lemon buttercream, raspberry buttercream, Bailey's buttercream or pink buttercream.

    Other Related Recipes:

    • lemon cupcake with orange buttercream and a lemon slice
      Lemon Orange Cupcakes
    • Easy Terrys chocolate orange cupcakes with orange buttercream
      Easy Chocolate Orange Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream (Using Orange Extract)
    • lemon curd cake on a cake stand with lemon curd and lemons
      Lemon Curd Cake with Lemon Buttercream
    • Chocolate orange cake recipe with chocolate orange ganache
      Best Chocolate Orange Cake with Orange Zest and Juice

    Looking forward to some new recipes? Check out my Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest pages for a few sneak peeks and some sweet inspiration!

    Or if you’d like to hear about our latest recipes, why not subscribe to our newsletter?

    📋 Recipe

    orange buttercream being frosted onto a cupcake

    Orange Buttercream with Orange Extract

    Kachina
    The best easy and creamy orange buttercream frosting made using orange extract!

    Rate this recipe here:

    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine Fusion
    Servings 12 servings

    Equipment

    • Sieve
    • Hand mixer (optional)

    Ingredients
     

    • 175 g (¾ cups) unsalted butter softened
    • 425 g (3 ½ cups) powdered icing sugar
    • 1 teaspoon orange extract
    • 3-4 tablespoon orange juice or milk
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt optional

    Instructions
     

    • Beat the butter (either by hand, using an electric mixer or stand mixer) until pale, light and fluffy. This could take several minutes.
    • Sieve half of the icing sugar into the butter and beat until combined, then repeat this with the remaining half of icing sugar.
    • Add in the orange extract, juice (or milk) and salt (if using), mixing until only just smooth.
    • Use your buttercream to frost cupcakes, cakes, cookies and more!

    Video

    Notes

    Serving size:
    • This recipe makes enough frosting for roughly 12-15 cupcakes, or to frost a single-layer 8-inch cake.
    • Scale up the recipe by ½ to fill and frost a 2-layer, 8-inch cake generously.
    Storage: Keep orange frosting in an airtight container in the fridge. It should keep for up to 4 days.
    Freezing: You can freeze your orange frosting in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost and re-beat before use.
    Top tips:
    • Use softened room temperature butter for ease of mixing.
    • For creamy frosting, beat your butter until it’s pale, light and fluffy first. This could take several minutes with an electric mixer.
    Substitutions:
    • If you don’t have orange extract, swap this for fine orange zest (1 ½ orange’s worth / 2 tbsp). Use orange juice not milk if doing so too.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 13mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 373IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.03mg

    Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online nutritional calculator, actual values may vary.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetmouthjoy or tag #sweetmouthjoy!

    More Tasty Frostings, Fillings & Decorations Recipes

    • bailey irish cream chocolate ganache in a bowl with baileys and baking chocolate.
      Baileys Irish Cream Ganache
    • baby pink frosting buttercream icing piped onto a pink buttercream cake.
      Pink Buttercream Frosting
    • purple ube buttercream frosting in a piping bag on a cake
      Ube Buttercream Frosting
    • easy lemon buttercream frosting in a mixing bowl with lemons behind
      Lemon Buttercream Frosting

    Sharing is caring!

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Reen

      August 29, 2022 at 2:18 pm

      5 stars
      Tried this and it was a bomb. I used less orange juice and the consistency was walahhh.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Kachina from Sweet Mouth Joy

    Hi there! I'm Kachina, and I'm a smidge obsessed with baking. I love making all things sweet and I hope I can convince you to join in my addiction by sharing some of my favourite dessert recipes with you.

    Happy baking!

    More about me →

    Easter Desserts

    • Easter chocolate bunny rabbit sitting in a muddy hole made of chocolate cake and chocolate frosting with mini eggs decorating it
      Chocolate Easter Bunny Cake
    • Easter chocolate cornflake nest cakes in cupcake liners topped with mini eggs
      Chocolate Cornflake Nest Cakes
    • hot cross bun muffins with golden syrup glaze and icing cross
      Hot Cross Bun Muffins (Without Yeast)
    • Easter Chick Lemon and Vanilla Cupcakes
      Lemon Chick Cupcakes
    • Malteser bunny chocolate malt cupcakes
      Chocolate Bunny Cupcakes
    • best Easter bunny cake and cupcakes ideas in a collage
      Best Easter Bunny Cake Ideas

    More Easter dessert recipes→

    Popular Recipes

    • golden syrup dripping off spoon
      Best Substitutes for Golden Syrup
    • matcha green tea cheesecake with matcha powder dusted on top and oreos in front with a bowl of matcha on the side
      Matcha Green Tea No-Bake Cheesecake
    • baby pink frosting buttercream icing piped onto a pink buttercream cake.
      Pink Buttercream Frosting
    • strawberry cake filling sauce being spread onto a cake layer with a jar of strawberry filling behind
      Strawberry Cake Filling
    • lemon white chocolate cake recipe
      Lemon White Chocolate Cake
    • orange buttercream being frosted onto a cupcake
      Orange Buttercream Frosting with Orange Extract

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Sweet Mouth Joy

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Read More

    Accept Decline Cookie Settings
    I consent to the use of following cookies:
    Cookie Declaration About Cookies
    Necessary (0) Marketing (0) Analytics (0) Preferences (0) Unclassified (0)
    Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.
    We do not use cookies of this type.
    Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers.
    We do not use cookies of this type.
    Analytics cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously.
    We do not use cookies of this type.
    Preference cookies enable a website to remember information that changes the way the website behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in.
    We do not use cookies of this type.
    Unclassified cookies are cookies that we are in the process of classifying, together with the providers of individual cookies.
    We do not use cookies of this type.
    Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient. The law states that we can store cookies on your device if they are strictly necessary for the operation of this site. For all other types of cookies we need your permission. This site uses different types of cookies. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages.
    Cookie Settings