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Home › Recipe

Updated: Feb 16, 2025 · Published: Jun 8, 2023 by Elizabeth Marek · This post may contain affiliate links · 70 Comments

Orange Creamsicle Cake

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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.slice of orange cake

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. 

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  • Ingredients
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • FAQ
  • Related Recipes
  • Recipe

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

  1. Preheat your oven to 335℉ and make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature (milk, eggs, orange juice, butter). 
  2. 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.
  3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine together the cake flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk and set aside.dry ingredients in a glass bowl
  4. Measure the milk, orange juice concentrate, oil, eggs, extracts, and zest in a small bowl and whisk to combine. pouring milk into a bowl of orange concentrate
  5. 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.hand holding mixed dry ingredients
  6. 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.hand pouring cup of liquid into stand mixer bowl
  7. Add in the drops of food color and citric acid and mix until combined.hand holding food coloring bottle
  8. Slowly pour in the remaining liquid and mix on low speed until just combined. 
  9. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake it for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. pouring cake batter into a pan
  10. 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.hands lifting a cake out of pan with parchment paper
  11. Once the cake has cooled completely, place it on a serving tray.placing a cake on a cooling rack

Making Mascarpone Frosting

  1. Mascarpone frosting is the perfect pairing, but stabilized whipped cream is a great, light combination as well.
  2. 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. 
  3. Once the chunks have smoothed out, add the vanilla and powdered sugar and blend until combined. 
  4. In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks. pouring whipped cream into a bowl
  5. Fold about 2 cups of whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Repeat with the remaining cream until it's all incorporated.

Decorating the Cake

  1. Frost the top (and sides, optional) of the cool cake with a plentiful amount of fluffy mascarpone frosting. covering a rectangle orange cake with white frosting
  2. Slice fresh oranges into wedges and place them on top of the cake in a geometric pattern. slicing oranges with a knife
  3. Pipe some shells of frosting in a pattern on top of the cake.
  4. 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.orange creamsicle cake

FAQ

Can I use fresh orange juice instead of concentrate?

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. 

What if I can't find Mascarpone cheese? 

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. 

Can I use this cake as a layer cake?  

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! 

Can I make this an orange poke 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.

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Recipe

slice of orange cake

Orange Creamsicle Cake

This orange creamsicle cake tastes just like the frozen ice cream bars I used to enjoy when I was a kid. The secret is using real orange juice concentrate, orange zest and a super creamy frosting. This orange creamsicle cake recipe will be a huge hit, having you humming the ice cream truck song all day long. 
Print Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 2 hours hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 1097kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

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
US Customary - Metric

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

  1. 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. 
  2. 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.
  3. No buttermilk? You can make your own buttermilk 
  4. 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
  5. 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. 
  6. Make your own pan release (cake goop!) The best pan release ever! 
  7. 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.
  8. Need more help with making your first cake? Check out my how to decorate your first cake blog post. 
  9. Mascarpone frosting is the perfect pairing, but stabilized whipped cream is a great, light combination as well.
  10. 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. 
  11.  

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 1097kcal | Carbohydrates: 97g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 73g | Saturated Fat: 45g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 281mg | Sodium: 381mg | Potassium: 402mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 68g | Vitamin A: 2671IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 213mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lauren Cortesi says

    June 05, 2018 at 6:43 am

    5 stars
    Loving the new format with the additional recipes for the mix folks!

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      June 05, 2018 at 10:14 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  2. Martha T says

    June 05, 2018 at 6:55 am

    Do you weigh your heavy cream for ganache or is that a liquid measurement (16 oz)?

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      June 05, 2018 at 10:14 am

      The measurement is the same but I weigh everything for ease

      Reply
  3. Nevia says

    June 05, 2018 at 9:21 am

    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.

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      June 05, 2018 at 10:13 am

      That would be super tasty!

      Reply
  4. Bruny Amaro says

    June 05, 2018 at 10:21 am

    Can’t wait to try it out! Thanks Liz!

    Reply
  5. Jennifer says

    June 06, 2018 at 10:42 am

    Can you make this in round pans?

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      June 06, 2018 at 5:12 pm

      Yes of course, you can put cake batter in any shape pan you have 🙂

      Reply
  6. ADWinfrey says

    June 07, 2018 at 3:02 pm

    Would the ganache hold up under fondant or would I need to make it thicker (use the 4:1 ratio)?

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      June 10, 2018 at 11:18 am

      Ganache is very firm and can definitely hold up under fondant

      Reply
  7. Marcia says

    June 08, 2018 at 5:31 am

    can you use this cake for carved cakes?

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      June 10, 2018 at 11:18 am

      Sure can, I just used this for a giant sculpted wolf cake. Just chill your cakes before carving

      Reply
  8. Michele Elliott says

    June 14, 2018 at 8:53 pm

    Can I use orange essential oil instead of orange extract? Also, would red palm oil be good in place of vegetable oil?

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      June 17, 2018 at 10:20 am

      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

      Reply
  9. Puneet says

    June 18, 2018 at 5:51 am

    5 stars
    I just like the innovative idea to prepare orange cake.
    Thanks for sharing the cake recipe in details.

    Reply
  10. Limy says

    June 24, 2018 at 6:41 am

    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?

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      June 24, 2018 at 8:58 am

      It has to be concentrated or it wont have enough flavor 🙁 You can find concentrate in the frozen section of grocery stores

      Reply
  11. Limy says

    June 24, 2018 at 8:42 pm

    I searched in frozen sectio of all prominent stores but couldn't find 🙁

    Reply
    • Kaitie says

      August 24, 2019 at 12:22 pm

      Hey! It should be with the frozen fruit....it took me forever to find it myself!!

      Reply
  12. Brenda J7armusz says

    June 27, 2018 at 11:09 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  13. Mee says

    July 06, 2018 at 10:01 pm

    5 stars
    LOVE it! Liz, what type/brand of white chocolate do you use?

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      July 09, 2018 at 12:03 pm

      I use the guittard white chocolate in bulk from winco 🙂

      Reply
  14. Myrna says

    July 28, 2018 at 12:27 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      July 30, 2018 at 11:46 am

      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 😀

      Reply
  15. Janie says

    September 25, 2018 at 10:05 am

    Can you use sour cream in place of milk?

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      September 30, 2018 at 9:30 am

      It might change the chemical balance of the recipe since sour cream is acidic but you can always do an experiment 😀

      Reply
  16. Lady says

    January 08, 2019 at 5:55 pm

    Can this recipe be used for cupcakes?

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      January 08, 2019 at 8:12 pm

      This orange creamsicle cake can definitely be used for cupcakes!

      Reply
  17. Jaime P says

    April 28, 2019 at 7:19 am

    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.

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      April 28, 2019 at 8:49 am

      I have thought about doing the same thing and I think it would work! Let me know if it does!

      Reply
      • Jaime P says

        May 12, 2019 at 8:51 am

        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.

  18. elizabeth g says

    May 15, 2019 at 12:49 pm

    5 stars
    love it gona try

    Reply
  19. Rachael says

    May 28, 2019 at 8:07 am

    Can this cake be made in advance and will it remain fresh? How long in advance? Thanks.

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      May 28, 2019 at 1:18 pm

      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.

      Reply
  20. Kaitie says

    August 24, 2019 at 12:21 pm

    5 stars
    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?

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      August 25, 2019 at 1:25 pm

      Yes you can, that sounds tasty!

      Reply
  21. Sara McKinney says

    August 25, 2019 at 3:16 pm

    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!

    Reply
  22. Jocelyn says

    September 05, 2019 at 1:15 pm

    What size of pans did you use?

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      September 05, 2019 at 4:34 pm

      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.

      Reply
  23. Nikhil says

    October 11, 2019 at 12:59 am

    5 stars
    So, nice cake recipe, I will use this recipe. thanks for sharing

    Reply
  24. LYDIA JONES says

    January 14, 2020 at 11:02 am

    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?

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      January 14, 2020 at 5:03 pm

      I'm using powdered citric acid. It's usually by all the canning supplies. Add it in with the vanilla

      Reply
  25. Angela Ramsey says

    March 15, 2020 at 7:42 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      March 16, 2020 at 8:57 am

      I have not tried that but you can definitely give it a test

      Reply
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Liz Marek with strawberry cake

Hi, I'm Liz! I'm an artist and cake decorator from Portland, Oregon. Cakes are my obession, which is why I'm dedicated to crafting tried-and-true recipes, small cake tutorials, as well as advanced online cake courses!

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