Everyone loves orange desserts and Orange Creamsicle cake is a wonderful addition to all your summer parties! A vanilla orange cake that is bursting with orange flavor and topped with a fluffy mascarpone or whipped cream frosting that no one will be able to resist.
The flavor combination of tart orange sherbet and creamy vanilla ice cream is classic and so nostalgic! A combination of tart, sweet, and tangy flavors creates the perfect balance. The ingredients in this cake recreate that childhood memory in a cake that won't melt in your hand! It is the perfect summer dessert.
Ingredients
Orange juice concentrate: This ingredient is perfect for getting the most orange flavor into the cake. It is orange juice that has had a lot of the water removed, so the orange flavor is intense. This is why you add cold water to it when you make a pitcher of orange juice from concentrate. It adds a lot of flavor without too much liquid. You will need to cook your orange juice down if you are using fresh, to remove some of the water.
Citric Acid: This is a weak, naturally occurring acid found in citrus fruits and is what you taste on the outside of sour candies. A little bit adds some tartness, but you don't want to add too much as it will throw off the chemical balance of the cake.
Orange zest: Orange juice adds a lot of flavor, but the zest is where the fragrant uniquely orange flavor and smell come from. Adding orange zest gives the cake another layer of flavor and has the whole house smelling like an orange grove
Cake Flour: This type of flour has a protein level of 9% or less, so look for a flour that specifies protein content or ask your local flour supply. If you're located in another country, you can find cake flour but it might need to be ordered online. In the UK, look for Shipton mills cake and pastry flour.
Step-by-Step Instructions
I love making sheet cakes because they don't require a ton of complicated decorating. Mascarpone frosting or stabilized whipped cream both go really well with this cake, it all depends on your preference. Top with some fresh orange slices and you're ready to serve!
Making Orange Cake
- Preheat your oven to 335℉ and make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature (milk, eggs, orange juice, butter).
- Prepare a standard rectangle 9-inch x 13-inch sheet cake pan with cake goop on the sides and parchment paper on the bottom. This recipe will also work in two 8" round cake pans.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine together the cake flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk and set aside.
- Measure the milk, orange juice concentrate, oil, eggs, extracts, and zest in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the room-temperature butter to the dry ingredients in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
- Add in ⅓ of the wet ingredients mixture, turn it up to medium speed, and mix for one full minute. The batter will look lighter in color and fluffier. Make sure to scrape the bowl.
- Add in the drops of food color and citric acid and mix until combined.
- Slowly pour in the remaining liquid and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake it for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan, and then flip it out onto a cooling rack. You can also leave it in the pan and serve it from there.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, place it on a serving tray.
Making Mascarpone Frosting
- Mascarpone frosting is the perfect pairing, but stabilized whipped cream is a great, light combination as well.
- In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese and mix with the whisk attachment or an electric mixer.
- Once the chunks have smoothed out, add the vanilla and powdered sugar and blend until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks.
- Fold about 2 cups of whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Repeat with the remaining cream until it's all incorporated.
Decorating the Cake
- Frost the top (and sides, optional) of the cool cake with a plentiful amount of fluffy mascarpone frosting.
- Slice fresh oranges into wedges and place them on top of the cake in a geometric pattern.
- Pipe some shells of frosting in a pattern on top of the cake.
- Store this cake wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Because of the mascarpone cheese frosting, the frosted cake needs to be refrigerated if you are not serving it within 2 hours. The whipped topping can melt at warmer temperatures, so take note if it is exposed to sunlight.
FAQ
Yes, if you use fresh orange juice straight, it will have a lighter orange flavor than the concentrate. Or, you can cook the orange juice down to remove some water so the flavor is more concentrated.
You can substitute mascarpone cheese with some similar options, however, the taste will be slightly different. You can sub cream cheese, creme fraiche, ricotta cheese, blended cottage cheese, or full-fat sour cream.
Yes, this cake is very stable. Using the reverse creaming method creates a great cake to layer and stack. You can bake it in cake rounds or squares, it would be a really pretty wedding cake!
Absolutely! Use the end of a wooden spoon and poke holes in the baked cake while it is still in the pan. Then pour a prepared box of orange jello over the cake and let it soak in the fridge until it sets up.
Related Recipes
Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9" x 13" cake pan
Ingredients
Orange Cake Ingredients
- 10 ounces cake flour
- 10 ounces granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon citric acid optional
- 6 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 7 ounces orange juice concentrate defrosted at room temperature
- 4 ounces milk warmed
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons orange extract
- 1 zest orange
- 2 ounces vegetable oil
- 1-2 drops yellow food coloring
- 1 drop orange food coloring
Mascarpone Frosting
- 16 ounces mascarpone cheese softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Making Orange Cake
- Preheat your oven to 335℉ and make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature (milk, eggs, orange juice, butter).
- Prepare a standard rectangle 9-inch x 13-inch sheet cake pan with cake goop on the sides and parchment paper on the bottom. This recipe will also work in two 8" round cake pans.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine together the cake flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk and set aside.
- Measure the milk, orange juice concentrate, oil, eggs, extracts, and zest in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the room-temperature butter to the dry ingredients in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
- Add in ⅓ of the wet ingredients mixture, turn it up to medium speed, and mix for one full minute. The batter will look lighter in color and fluffier. Make sure to scrape the bowl.
- Add in the drops of food color and citric acid and mix until combined.
- Slowly pour in the remaining liquid and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake it for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan, and then flip it out onto a cooling rack. You can also leave it in the pan and serve it from there.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, place it on a serving tray.
Making Mascarpone Frosting
- In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese and mix with the whisk attachment or an electric mixer.
- Once the chunks have smoothed out, add the vanilla and powdered sugar and blend until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks.
- Fold about 2 cups of whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Repeat with the remaining cream until it's all incorporated.
Decorating the Cake
- Frost the top (and sides, optional) of the cool cake with a plentiful amount of fluffy mascarpone frosting.
- Slice fresh oranges into wedges and place them on top of the cake in a geometric pattern.
- Pipe some shells of frosting in a pattern on top of the cake.
- Store this cake wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Because of the mascarpone cheese frosting, the frosted cake needs to be refrigerated if you are not serving it within 2 hours. The whipped topping can melt at warmer temperatures, so take note if it is exposed to sunlight.
Notes
- Weigh your ingredients to avoid cake failure. Using a kitchen scale for baking is super easy and gives you the best results every single time.
- Make sure all your cold ingredients are room temperature or slightly warm (butter, milk, eggs, to create a cohesive batter. Curdled batter causes cakes to collapse.
- No buttermilk? You can make your own buttermilk
- To prevent blueberries from sinking, I wash them (to get them wet) then roll them in flour. Then I add them to the batter halfway through baking
- Do not fall for the "just add cornstarch to regular flour" trick. It does not work for this recipe. Your cake will look and taste like cornbread. If you can't find cake flour, use pastry flour which isn't quite as soft as cake flour but it's better than all-purpose flour.
- Make your own pan release (cake goop!) The best pan release ever!
- If you're in the UK search for Shipton mills cake and pastry flour. If you're in another part of the country, search for low protein cake flour.
- Need more help with making your first cake? Check out my how to decorate your first cake blog post.
- Mascarpone frosting is the perfect pairing, but stabilized whipped cream is a great, light combination as well.
- In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese and mix with the whisk attachment or an electric mixer.
Janie says
Can you use sour cream in place of milk?
The Sugar Geek Show says
It might change the chemical balance of the recipe since sour cream is acidic but you can always do an experiment 😀
Myrna says
Plan on making this today! The video shows three pans but the picture is a two layered cake. Did you bake 3 cakes or 2?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Three 6" layers or two 8" layers is what the recipe makes. I may have eaten one layer to make sure it was delicious, you're not supposed to notice lol 😀
Mee says
LOVE it! Liz, what type/brand of white chocolate do you use?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I use the guittard white chocolate in bulk from winco 🙂
Brenda J7armusz says
Oh my goodness gracious, this cake made me feel like I was in heaven!!! ????. If you are a fan of orange then this is the cake for you!!!!!! Lizzo this is absolutely amazing. Thank you.
Limy says
I searched in frozen sectio of all prominent stores but couldn't find 🙁
Kaitie says
Hey! It should be with the frozen fruit....it took me forever to find it myself!!
Limy says
Nice recipe! I wanted to make this but unfortunately I couldn't find find frozen orange concentrate. Can I substitute both fresh orange juice or any other alternative?
The Sugar Geek Show says
It has to be concentrated or it wont have enough flavor 🙁 You can find concentrate in the frozen section of grocery stores
Puneet says
I just like the innovative idea to prepare orange cake.
Thanks for sharing the cake recipe in details.
Michele Elliott says
Can I use orange essential oil instead of orange extract? Also, would red palm oil be good in place of vegetable oil?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Oh qood question! I'm not for sure on either but I don't see why not 🙂 I have used grapeseed oil in the past and it was great
Marcia says
can you use this cake for carved cakes?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Sure can, I just used this for a giant sculpted wolf cake. Just chill your cakes before carving
ADWinfrey says
Would the ganache hold up under fondant or would I need to make it thicker (use the 4:1 ratio)?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Ganache is very firm and can definitely hold up under fondant
Jennifer says
Can you make this in round pans?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes of course, you can put cake batter in any shape pan you have 🙂
Bruny Amaro says
Can’t wait to try it out! Thanks Liz!
Nevia says
Thanks Liz! This recipe is right on time. I have a client who wants an orange creamsickle cake. I’m going to make it and report back. I might pair it with an orange curd or a tropical fruit filling.
The Sugar Geek Show says
That would be super tasty!
Martha T says
Do you weigh your heavy cream for ganache or is that a liquid measurement (16 oz)?
The Sugar Geek Show says
The measurement is the same but I weigh everything for ease
Lauren Cortesi says
Loving the new format with the additional recipes for the mix folks!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Thank you!