These tasty orange cupcakes are so easy to make! Top the cupcakes with orange and white buttercream, sprinkles, or candy.
These orange cupcakes aren’t only orange in color; they are orange-flavored too! Plus, the fluffy buttercream includes orange extract. You can decorate them with orange and black sprinkles for Halloween or add a gummy orange candy for summer.
Tonia’s Notes
I’ve had an orange creamsicle cupcake recipe on my website since 2013! But I wanted to update it with more orange flavor and share how to serve the cupcakes year-round.
The combination of the citrus cupcakes and creamy orange buttercream is dreamy! When my daughter asked if she could try a cupcake, she said she only wanted a little taste. But after one bite, she changed her mind and at the whole thing because it was so good!
How To Make Orange Cupcakes
Prepare Batter
Put the lemon cake mix, water, vegetable oil, eggs, unsweetened orange Kool-Aid drink mix, and orange food coloring in a mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Bake Cupcakes
Divide the batter evenly among 24 lined muffin cups. Bake at 350ºF for 19-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack.
Make Frosting
Beat the butter and shortening until creamy. Add half of the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low speed until well blended. Add the half-and-half, orange extract, and vanilla extract. Then, mix in the remaining powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
Remove about half of the buttercream and set it aside. Add orange food coloring to the buttercream in the mixing bowl and mix until evenly colored.
Decorate
Put the white buttercream in one pastry bag and the orange buttercream in another. (If your pastry bags aren’t big enough, add what you can and refill as needed.) Cut the tips off each of the filled bags and place them both in a third pastry bag fitted with a piping tip. I used an Ateco #846 closed star tip.
Add Toppings
- Halloween: Sprinkle with black and orange nonpareils.
- Thanksgiving: Add a mix of orange, red, brown, yellow, and green sprinkles.
- Autumn: Use yellow, orange, and brown jimmies or autumn-shaped sprinkles.
- Spring: Top with a gummy orange slice or white and orange sprinkles.
- Summer: Use an ice cream scoop to add a dollop of buttercream on top, then insert a short piece of a straw to make the cupcake look like an orange creamsicle float.
Recipe Tips
- Flavoring: If you want orange colored cupcakes without orange flavoring, use a white cake mix tinted with orange food coloring.
- Frosting: To use store-bought frosting, buy vanilla frosting and mix in orange extract and orange food coloring.
- Storage: Store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 1-2 months.
More Cupcake Recipes
Orange Cupcakes
Video
Ingredients
Orange Cupcakes
- 15.25 oz lemon cake mix
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- .15 oz unsweetened orange Kool-Aid drink mix
- orange food coloring
Orange Frosting
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup half-n-half
- orange food coloring
- ¼ cup sprinkles
Instructions
Orange Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Put the lemon cake mix, water, vegetable oil, eggs, unsweetened orange Kool-Aid drink mix, and orange food coloring in a mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Divide the batter evenly among 24 lined muffin cups.
- Bake at 350˚F for 19-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Orange Buttercream
- Beat the butter and shortening until creamy.
- Add half of the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low speed until well blended. Add the half-and-half, orange extract, and vanilla extract. Then, mix in the remaining powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
- Remove about half of the buttercream and set it aside. Add orange food coloring to the buttercream in the mixing bowl and mix until evenly colored.
- Put the white buttercream in one pastry bag and the orange buttercream in another. (If your pastry bags aren't big enough, add what you can and refill as needed.) Cut the tips off each of the filled bags and place them both in a third pastry bag fitted with a piping tip. I used an Ateco #846 closed star tip.
- Pipe the buttercream on the cupcakes and add desired decorations.
Renee @ Awesome on $20 says
These are pretty adorable. I’ve actually never tried scooping frosting before, but I’m so into it at this very moment. Thanks for sharing this great idea.
Tanya says
How have I gone so long without ever trying an orange float!!! That will be on my list to do before the start of school! That and make these cupcakes!
Vanessa Barker says
Thanks a lot tonia, now my mouth is watering and I’m thinking I need these for dessert tonight. My waist line doesn’t thank you, but my taste buds do!