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.
Sharman says
I just made the Orange Creamsicle cake. Both layers cratered something fierce. I am a seasoned baker so I am not used to fails. After a little research I am wondering if it is the oven temp. I went with 335 but am wondering if 350 would have been a better choice. Any thoughts? (it smells delish)
The Sugar Geek Show says
Hmm I bake all my cakes at 335 to prevent over-browning and even tops. It does have a lot of sugar in it which can cause craters. As long as it looks ok on the inside I'd say its ok 🙂
Bryanne says
Hi I was asked to make this for a birthday cake. i was planning on decorating the top as a beach. can i use the white chocolate ganache frosting like buttercream and pipe it or is the consistency off? let me know when you can thanks
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you can pipe it if it gets too firm then warm it for 5 seconds in the microwave to soften it up again but be careful not to overheat or it will become liquid again and you'll have to let it set up to peanut butter consistency again.
Bryanne says
Perfect! Thank you!!!
Abhi says
Can you flavor the ganache using extracts?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Definitely!
Abhi says
when should you flavor the ganache?
The Sugar Geek Show says
You can add flavor in at any time
Abhi says
Can you add liquid food coloring to color the ganache?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you can
Abhi says
Thank You!!!! You're Amazing!!!!!??
Amanda says
I can’t wait to try and hope to come back with a review😄🤗. I’m going to use this for cupcakes 🧁 🍊
Vams says
Can I substitute every 1 cup of butter with 3/4 cup vegetable oil? I read somewhere that you can do that and was wondering if it would work for this recipe.
Elizabeth Marek says
I haven't tried that 🙂 Let me know if it works out
Vams says
All of the recipes I have seen for orange creamsicle cake require fresh orange juice not orange juice concentrate. Why do you use from concentrate instead of fresh juice?
Elizabeth Marek says
Because the flavor is concentrated 😀 meaning stronger in flavor. Just like you would reduce fresh strawberry to make a strawberry concentrate to bake with.
Vams says
So could I just make an "orange reduction" by cooking orange juice?
Elizabeth Marek says
Probably, but I haven't tried it. I would think you'd need to use whole oranges, not just juice but I'm not 100% sure. Sounds like a fun experiment!
Vams says
Will this recipe be enough for 3 6” pans?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes, definitely
Vams says
Can I stack these cakes using stabilized whipped cream? Please reply soon because I have to stack and decorate them tomorrow!!! ❤❤ Thanks! You're amazing! 😁👌
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes you can
Katie says
Hi Liz. The cake looks delicious! I would really like to try to make this cake for my mother who loves orange creamsicle ice cream. She is gluten intolerant so we would have to substitute the flour. I know you said cake flour was important to making this recipe. Do you think this cake will turn out ok using gluten free flour and should I adjust any of the other ingredients due to the change in flours? Thank you. Also I just want to say how much I enjoy watching your YouTube shows. They are fun, inspiring, and truly works of art!
Elizabeth Marek says
You can use a flour like cup 4 cup or bobs red mill 1:1 baking mix