My Orange Creamsicle Cake Tastes Just Like Summer
This orange creamsicle cake tastes just like the sweet ice cream treats I used to enjoy when I was a kid. The secret is using real orange concentrate and white chocolate ganache for the frosting! Whipped cream could would also be super tasty!
My dad used to buy a huge bag of the creamsicle ice cream treats that that came in that little plastic cup and had tiny wooden spoons to eat them. By the end of the summer the last ones where always a little freezer burned but that didn’t stop us from sneaking one on really hot days.
When one of my brides asked for an orange creamsicle flavor for her anniversary cake I was secretly super excited to experiment! I love the combination of of sweet tartness from the oranges combined with the creamy vanilla white chocolate ganache.
Orange Creamsicle Cake From Scratch
This orange creamsicle cake is made from scratch! No box mix or jell-o packets needed. The secret to this amazing texture is the cake flour but this cake get’s all it’s orange flavor from real oranges.
It’s super important to use the right kind of flour for this recipe. I actually played around with an AP flour version which I though would be great but the texture was more like orange corn bread. Not good.
The other thing you’re gonna need is some stuff that tastes like oranges (obvi). We’re going to use some defrosted orange juice concentrate from a can, orange zest and orange extract. I also use a TINY bit of citric acid (optional) to up that zesty bite in the cake.
How To Make Orange Creamsicle Cake
To make a creamsicle cake you need some orange juice concentrate (usually in the frozen desserts section), one fresh orange, orange zest and cake flour. Depending on your area you might need to do some hunting for these ingredients but most can be found at the grocery store.
This cake uses the reverse mixing method so you combine your flour, sugar, baking powder, citric acid and salt in the mixer bowl. Then you add in your room temperature butter and let it mix with the paddle attachment until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
While that is mixing combine your milk, oil, extracts, orange concentrate, eggs and zest. Make sure your eggs, milk and concentrate are all ROOM TEMPERATURE (sorry for yelling but it’s really important lol).
Add about 1/3 of your liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix on medium for one full minute. Don’t worry, you’re not going to over-mix but if you don’t mix it for a minute then you’ll end up with crumbly corn-bread so don’t worry! Let it mix!
This is where I also add a drop of yellow and a drop of orange food coloring to bring out that pretty orange sherbet color that reminds me of ice cream but you can totally just leave it natural and have a more pale orange colored cake.
Add in a little more of the liquids and then scrape the bowl so that everything is mixing together evenly. Then add in the rest of the liquid just until combined. After the batter is mixed, I grease my pans with some cake goop and bake them in the oven at 335℉ for 30-40 mins until a toothpick comes out clean.
Orange Creamsicle Frosting
I feel like there are a lot of things you could pair with this orange creamsicle cake. You could go with a simple easy buttercream for a stacked cake or wedding cake. Whipped cream for a simple one tier treat for your family and friends. Or white chocolate ganache which to me has the perfect vanilla flavor to pair with the orange flavor.
For my white chocolate ganache I use my friend Caked By Cynthia White‘s recipe which is a 3.7 to 1 ratio. She’s very exact lol. I’m not THAT exact and went with a 3:1 ratio meaning for every three pounds of chocolate I used 1 lb of heavy cream. If you want a firmer ganache you can use 4:1. I have not tested this recipe using candy melts but I know that my water ganache drip uses a 6:1 ratio and sets up firm enough to ice with.
Orange Creamsicle Cake With Orange Soda
You can make an easy version of this cake by using a white box cake mix and some orange soda like orange crush or fanta. Combine your mix, eggs and oil with 2 cups orange soda. Bake as directed and top with some yummy whipped cream!
Orange Creamsicle Cake With Jell-O
Some people really like the flavor of creamsicle cake using the addition of orange jell-o. The process is much like the cake with soda and is often referred to as orange creamsicle poke cake. You’ll need one box of orange cake mix and 3 ounces of orange jell-o. Mix your box mix up with the eggs, milk etc that it calls for and bake as directed. Combine your jell-o with 1 cup hot water and 1 cup cold water. Allow to cool down at room temp. Poke holes in your baked cake and pour the jell-o mixture on top. Refrigerate 2-3 hours.
Top the cake with whipped cream! An easy and tasty summer treat.
You’re going to love this cake! Watch how I made my orange creamsicle cake in my video tutorial.
Like this recipe? Be sure to check out our Lemon Cake Recipe and our White Chocolate Buttercream!
Orange Creamsicle Cake
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 10 oz (284 g) cake flour
- 10 oz (284 g) granluted sugar
- 1/2 tsp (1/2 tsp ) salt
- 1 1/2 tsp (1 1/2 tsp) baking powder
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) baking soda
- 1/4 tsp (1/4 tsp) citric acid (optional)
- 6 oz (170 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 7 oz (198 g) orange juice concentrate defrosted at room temperature
- 4 oz (113 g) milk room temperature
- 4 large (4 large ) eggs
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) orange extract
- zest 1 (zest 1) orange
- 2 oz (57 g) vegetable oil
- 1-2 drops (1-2 drops) yellow food coloring
- 1 drop (1 drop) orange food coloring
White Chocolate Ganache
- 24 oz (680 g) White chocolate
- 8 oz (227 g) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Cake instructions
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature (milk, eggs, orange juice, butter). Preheat your oven to 335℉
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine together your flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk and set aside.
- In a separate container, combine your milk, orange juice, oil and eggs, extracts and zest. Whisk to combine.
- Add your room temperature butter to your flour mixture and attach your paddle attachment. Mix on low until mixture resembles coarse sand.
- Add in 1/3 of your wet ingredients mixture. Turn your machine up to medium and mix for one full minute. Mixture will look lighter in color and appear fluffier. Don't skimp on the time or the structure of your cake will not develop and it will collapse. Scrap your bowl with a spatula to make sure your batter is fully mixing at the bottom.
- Add in your drops of food color, your citric acid then add in 1/2 of your remaining liquid. Let incorporate on low and then add in the rest of the liquid. Mix until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pans (I like to use cake goop) and bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out cleanly. Wrap and chill cakes in plastic wrap before torting and filling.
White Chocolate Ganache Instructions
- Microwave chocolate in microwave safe bowl for 1 minute to soften. Bring heavy whipping cream just to a simmer then pour over chocolateMake sure the chocolate is fully coveredLet set for 5 minutesWhisk gently to combine cream and chocolate, do not incorporate airPour into a shallow pan or dish to let stiffen up to buttercream consistency. Then stir until creamy before icing your cake. If your ganache is too firm, microwave for 10 seconds to soften and then stir until ganache is the desired consistency.
Nutrition
Loving the new format with the additional recipes for the mix folks!
Thank you!
Do you weigh your heavy cream for ganache or is that a liquid measurement (16 oz)?
The measurement is the same but I weigh everything for ease
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.
That would be super tasty!
Can’t wait to try it out! Thanks Liz!
Can you make this in round pans?
Yes of course, you can put cake batter in any shape pan you have 🙂
Would the ganache hold up under fondant or would I need to make it thicker (use the 4:1 ratio)?
Ganache is very firm and can definitely hold up under fondant
can you use this cake for carved cakes?
Sure can, I just used this for a giant sculpted wolf cake. Just chill your cakes before carving
Can I use orange essential oil instead of orange extract? Also, would red palm oil be good in place of vegetable oil?
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
I just like the innovative idea to prepare orange cake.
Thanks for sharing the cake recipe in details.
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?
It has to be concentrated or it wont have enough flavor 🙁 You can find concentrate in the frozen section of grocery stores
I searched in frozen sectio of all prominent stores but couldn’t find 🙁
Hey! It should be with the frozen fruit….it took me forever to find it myself!!
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.
LOVE it! Liz, what type/brand of white chocolate do you use?
I use the guittard white chocolate in bulk from winco 🙂
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?
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 😀
Can you use sour cream in place of milk?
It might change the chemical balance of the recipe since sour cream is acidic but you can always do an experiment 😀
Can this recipe be used for cupcakes?
This orange creamsicle cake can definitely be used for cupcakes!
Do you think one could substitute ANY frozen concentrate for the orange? I’m specifically thinking a strawberry lemonade concentrate. It SEEMS that sugar-wise they are all very close.
I have thought about doing the same thing and I think it would work! Let me know if it does!
Well…I tried it with the only strawberry lemonade concentrate I could find (which, unbeknownst to me at first contained “1/3 less sugar than regular lemonade). It wasn’t great. Flavor wasn’t strong enough. Back to the drawing board.
love it gona try
Can this cake be made in advance and will it remain fresh? How long in advance? Thanks.
Like anything the longer it sits the less fresh it will be. I bake my cakes the day before I use them. Or they can be baked and frozen until you need them.
Hey Liz!!
Can I do a 1/2 ganache, 1/2 buttercream to top this if I don’t have enough white chocolate?
I’m the baker at a university kitchen, and I’m wanting to say goodbye to summer with something extra special…will this recipe multiply out to 6 times, and still act the same?
Yes you can, that sounds tasty!
Thank you for his awesome recipe! I used this and adapted it with my own gluten free flour blend and it was amazing! As always, you rock!
What size of pans did you use?
Two 8″ round pans or three 6″ round pans. You can use any pan size you like though and just adjust the amount of batter.
So, nice cake recipe, I will use this recipe. thanks for sharing
Are you using a liquid citric acid? If so, what brand or where to buy? And if I can’t find liquid could I use powder and when would I add this ingredient if using powder?
I’m using powdered citric acid. It’s usually by all the canning supplies. Add it in with the vanilla
Hello! I’m one of those weird people who doesn’t like butter. Could the fat in the batter be substituted with shortening or other? Thanks in advance!
I have not tried that but you can definitely give it a test