Orange Cupcakes

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These perfectly moist and fluffy orange cupcakes are topped with a tangy orange cream cheese frosting for a burst of juicy orange flavor in every bite.

Orange ranks as one of my top favorite flavors, neck and neck with chocolate. Every year, I whip up an orange cake for my dad’s birthday, a family favorite that my kids can’t seem to get enough of.

And after a spree of chocolate desserts for Easter, I decided to pivot to oranges before peak citrus season is over. Oranges at this time of year are at their sweetest and juiciest!

This is not to say that you won’t be making these orange cupcakes all year around, because you will. After my healthier orange loaf cake became a weekly request from my kids last year, it’s clear that the love for orange runs in the family.

So, while I’m usually making these mini chocolate cupcakes at this time of year, I thought it was high time to get some orange cupcakes on the site!

They are absolutely fabulous and I’m confident you will love them, especially if you’re as big a fan of oranges as I am.

Why You’ll Love these Orange Cupcakes

• These cupcakes are moist, soft, fluffy, and infused with fresh orange flavor. The texture is perfect.

• These orange cupcakes are super simple to make. You don’t need to be a pro at baking, or at piping fancy frosting swirls to make these!

• The orange cream cheese frosting on top pairs perfectly well with the citrus flavors in the cupcake. It’s tastes like a creamsicle in cupcake form! I tested them with an orange flavored buttercream too, but decided tangy cream cheese frosting was the ideal match.

Ingredient Notes

For the Orange Cupcakes

Cake Flour

Cake flour is a finely milled, light flour with a lower protein content compared to all-purpose flour—usually around 7-9%. This lower protein level means less gluten is formed during the mixing process, which results in a finer, softer texture in baked goods. It’s bleached, a process that further alters the protein structure, allowing it to absorb more moisture and fat.

This is why cake flour is ideal for cakes and cupcakes, as it produces a delicate crumb and a tender texture. Using cake flour in these orange cupcakes specifically helps achieve that light, airy consistency that makes them so enjoyable to eat!

But if you don’t have any cake flour and don’t want to buy it, all purpose flour will also work, although the texture will be somewhat less tender.

Kosher Salt

Salt in desserts enhances the flavors of the other ingredients. If you’re substituting with table salt, use a bit less since it’s finer. You can skip it altogether if you’re using salted butter.

Baking Powder

Acts as the leavening agent, helping the orange cupcakes rise and become fluffy. Do not substitute this with baking soda, they act differently.

Unsalted Butter

You’ll need unsalted butter for both the orange cupcakes and the cream cheese frosting. Make sure you use room temperature butter for easy mixing. Salted butter can be used instead.

Canola or Vegetable Oil

The oil adds moisture to the cupcakes, making them tender and soft. You can use either, as they’re both neutral oils. You can use all butter instead if you like, but I like a little oil for moisture.

If you don’t want to use vegetable oil, you can also use a light-tasting olive oil. I use that in my orange loaf cake, as well as in many of my other baked goods, and the flavor is lovely!

Granulated Sugar

You can use granulated white sugar or cane sugar. I have not tested this recipe with any alternative sweeteners

Eggs

You’ll need a whole egg and an additional yolk to give the orange cupcakes structure and richness. The extra yolk also gives them some extra orange color. Make sure they’re at room temperature for better incorporation.

Whole Milk

Milk adds moisture to the batter and I really recommend using whole milk here because the higher fat content really helps yield a moist cupcake. Make sure your milk is also at room temperature milk so it blends more smoothly with the batter.

Fresh Orange Juice

For the best flavor, use fresh orange juice (from the oranges you’re gonna be zesting anyway!). While most of the orange flavor in these cupcakes comes from the zest, the acidity of the orange juice combined with the milk creates a slightly less acidic buttermilk-like substance that gives a nice tangy flavor.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

Note: This recipes yields enough frosting for 12 modestly-frosted cupcakes , like you see in the photos. If you would like to pipe large swirls of frosting onto your cupcakes, consider doubling the recipe and adding an extra cup or two of icing sugar to make a stiffer frosting suitable for piping.

Cheese

I recommend using full fat cream cheese for the frosting. Lower fat option might yield a softer frosting which will not set as well.

The cream cheese provides a tangy contrast to the sweetness of the powdered sugar and complements the orange flavor.

Icing Sugar

Also known as powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar, it gives the frosting its smooth, creamy texture. I opted for less icing sugar in this frosting than I typically use (for instance in this orange layer cake) to keep it as tangy as possible and not too sweet. This means the frosting is softer and not really suitable for piping. I like to spread it on with a spatula or butter knife instead.

Orange Zest

This is for the perfect orange flavor in the cupcakes! You’ll need fresh orange zest for both the orange cupcakes and the orange frosting.

How to zest an orange

Zesting oranges, or any citrus fruit is easy, especially with a zester. One of my favorite and most frequently used kitchen tools is this microplane zester. There are a couple of ways to zest an orange using a zester, so use whichever feels most natural to you.

Method 1

For the first method, hold the orange in your dominant hand and the zester in the other hand with the teeth facing up. Place the orange on top of the zester and hold everything over a bowl. Scrape the orange in an upward motion against the teeth, rotating the orange to go over the whole peel. With this method, the zest will fall directly into the bowl below as you zest.

Method 2

For this method, you will hold the zester in your dominant hand instead, and the orange in the other hand. Place the zester on top of the orange with the teeth facing down and scrape the zester over the orange, gathering the zest inside the tool (the curved edges will hold it in). Rotate the orange to get all the zest.

Method 2 is my preferred method, because I feel I have greater control and a better grip of the tool and fruit, and I can also better see exactly which parts of the skin I have already zested, which helps avoid getting too much of the bitter white pith. You can see this method in action in the video in the recipe card.

Other methods for zesting

If you don’t have a zester, you can use a vegetable peeler to remove long strips of peel and then finely chop it. Or you can use the smallest holes of a box grater or handheld grating tool.

Regardless of the method used, the idea is to get only the very top layer of the peel, avoiding the bitter white pith.

Step-by-Step Instructions

For the Orange Cupcakes

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a 12-cup cupcake pan by lining it with cupcake liners.

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter, oil, and sugar on a medium speed with an electric mixture until the mixture is light and fluffy, which should take about 3 to 4 minutes. You can also do this in the bowl of a stand mixer.

1. Mix in the whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and orange zest until everything is well incorporated, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.

1. Mix the milk and orange juice in a measuring cup.

1. On a low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and the milk/orange juice mix to the butter mixture, alternating between the dry and wet ingredients in three parts, and mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

1. Evenly distribute the cupcake batter in the cups, filling each about three-fifths full. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. This recipe makes exactly 12 cupcakes.

1. Move the orange cupcakes to a wire rack after 5 minutes and let them cool completely before frosting.

For the Orange Frosting

1. To make the cream cheese frosting, mix the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl on medium speed until smooth.

1. Add in the vanilla extract and orange zest, mixing until fully blended.

1. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.

1. Use a small offset spatula to spread the cream cheese frosting on the cooled orange cupcakes.

How to stiffen the cream cheese frosting

If you want a thicker, creamy orange buttercream frosting for your cupcakes, or want to pipe some generous swirls of frosting, double the amount of the frosting and increase the quantity of the confectioners’ sugar by one or two cups, until you reach the desired consistency.

Chilling the frosting will also help to stiffen it. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and pipe on your orange cupcakes!

I like to sprinkle some fresh orange zest on top of the cupcakes but you could leave them plain or add some orange sprinkles or orange slices on top of each cupcake.

Storage Instructions

If you’re not frosting the orange cupcakes right away, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Ensure they’ve cooled completely before placing them in the container to prevent condensation, which can make the tops soggy or sticky.

For frosted cupcakes, store in the refrigerator. Place them in an airtight container to keep the frosting from absorbing any fridge odors and to ensure your orange cupcakes remain moist. They will keep well for up to 3 days.