Last Updated on March 8, 2023
Buttercream by itself is already creamy and delicious, add some orange to it and you have a whole new sweet treat. Adding orange to the frosting can help reduce the sweetness and gives it a nice fruity flavor. This orange buttercream frosting with orange extract will be a hit amongst your family and friends.
Orange buttercream goes great with vanilla, chocolate, carrot, and spice cakes. The orange taste is not overly powerful but gives a nice flavor to many desserts. You’ll be surprised how well it also pairs with sugar cookies and brownies.
If you love the dreamy taste of orange creamsicles, you are sure to love this frosting. It is the perfect balance of orange flavor and creamy buttercream. It is a simple recipe to make and does not require any baking experience.
Orange Buttercream Frosting: What Is Orange Extract
Orange Extract is made from oil from orange rind, alcohol, and water. It has a strong orange taste that gives a powerful flavor, stronger than orange juice. It is commonly used in baked goods and alcoholic drinks.
Orange extract provides a pleasant citrusy flavor. Adding a small amount to a recipe can give it a perfect orange taste. It can be found in grocery stores and online at Amazon. You may also make orange extract at home using vodka and orange zest. Simply zest a whole orange and place it in a jar of vodka and store it in a cool, dark area for at least two weeks.
Orange Buttercream Frosting: What Is Orange Zest
Orange zest is tiny pieces of the outer peel that release flavorful oils into dishes, giving a stronger taste than juice. Orange zest is tiny pieces of the outer peel that release flavorful oils into dishes, giving a stronger taste than juice. To grate an orange, it is easiest to use a Microplane, grater, or paring knife.
When grating an orange, you want to make sure the pieces are small, as large pieces of zest are harder to chew. Adding too much zest may also lead to a bitter flavor.
When getting orange zest, you want to try to get only the orange-colored parts of the peel and as little of the white part as possible. The orange-colored part of the peel is less bitter than the white, so it is more desirable to have.
Though fresh orange zest will have the best taste, you can also buy it. You can find orange zest in the spice aisle at most grocery stores.
You can store freshly grated orange zest in the fridge for up to a week and in the freezer for up to a month. Grating orange ahead of time is a great way to save time when you have recipes that call for orange zest.
Not only does orange zest go great in buttercream frosting, but it also goes well in mixed drinks, marmalade, and inside baked goods. It can also be used as a freshener in garbage cans, an insect repellent, and a fire starter.
What You Will Need for This Orange Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
To make this orange buttercream frosting recipe with orange extract, you will need:
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar. Try this sugar replacement, Swerve Confectioners Sweetener
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 3/4 teaspoon orange extract
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of orange juice
Equipment
To prepare this frosting you will need a large bowl and an electric mixer. If you are zesting an orange, you will need a Microplane, grater, or a paring knife.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One: Zest the Orange
Zest your orange and place it to the side.
Step Two: Cream Butter
Cream the butter with an electric mixer until smooth in a large bowl.
Step Three: Beat Confectioners’ Sugar, Orange Zest and Orange Extract
Beat the confectioners’ sugar, orange zest, and orange extract until fully mixed.
Step Four: Add Orange Juice
Add enough orange juice to achieve the proper frosting consistency.
This buttercream comes out with a lovely light orange shade. You may add orange food coloring for the stronger orange color.
Tips and Tricks
If you want this recipe to be as fresh as possible, you can use freshly squeezed orange juice in addition to freshly zested orange peel. The fresh orange flavor will really stand out.
This frosting can be stored at room temperature for up to three days and may be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. It may also be stored in the freezer for up to six months.
If you stored your buttercream in the fridge or freezer, make sure to bring it back to room temperature before decorating, otherwise, it will not have the right consistency. You will also want to re-whip it as it will likely have separated.
Make sure to soften your butter before adding it to your frosting. Cold butter will change the consistency of the frosting. With the addition of the orange juice, the cold butter will likely curdle, and the orange juice will not properly mix in.
If the butter is too warm, it will often separate when mixed into the frosting. If your frosting appears to be too runny, you can pop the bowl in the fridge for ten minutes and then re-whip it. To avoid warm butter, soften your butter for half an hour to an hour.
If you are going to have this frosting out in the heat and you are worried about it melting, you can add a tablespoon of meringue powder. The meringue powder helps with stability, which allows it to hold together better in hot temperatures.
Amazing Orange Buttercream Frosting with Orange Extract
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 3/4 teaspoon orange extract
- 2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Step One: Zest the Orange
- Zest your orange and place to the side.
- Step Two: Cream Butter
- In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Step Three: Beat Confectioners’ Sugar, Orange Zest and Orange Extract
- Beat the confectioners’ sugar, orange zest, and orange extract until fully mixed.
- Step Four: Add Orange Juice
- Add enough orange juice to achieve the proper frosting consistency
Notes
- If you want this recipe to be as fresh as possible, you can use freshly squeezed orange juice in addition to freshly zested orange peel. The fresh orange flavor will really stand out.
- This frosting can be stored at room temperature for up to three days and may be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. It may also be stored in the freezer for up to six months.
- If you stored your buttercream in the fridge or freezer, make sure to bring it back to room temperature before decorating, otherwise, it will not have the right consistency. You will also want to re-whip it as it will likely have separated.
- Make sure to soften your butter before adding it to your frosting. Cold butter will change the consistency of the frosting. With addition to the orange juice, the cold butter will likely curdle, and the orange juice will not properly mix in.
- If the butter is too warm, it will often separate when mixed into the frosting. If your frosting appears to be too runny, you can pop the bowl in the fridge for ten minutes and then re-whip it. To avoid warm butter, soften your butter for half an hour to an hour.
- If you are going to have this frosting out in the heat and you are worried about it melting, you can add a tablespoon of meringue powder. The meringue powder helps with the stability, which allows it to hold together better in hot temperatures.
How Do You Make Orange Frosting With Gel Food Coloring?
Using gel food coloring is one of the easiest ways to color frosting with ease. This is also the case when it comes to making orange frosting. To make orange frosting with gel food coloring, you’ll need the following ingredients: 3/4 cup of unsalted butter, the zest of one orange, 2 lb of powdered sugar, 1/3 cup of milk, 1 teaspoon of orange extract and orange gel food coloring.
- Now all you need to do is grab a mixing bowl and add both the softened butter and the zest of an orange.
- Beat the ingredients together for around 3 minutes.
- Now slowly add the powdered sugar to the mixture, stirring continually as you go.
- Once light and fluffy, pour in the milk, along with the orange extract and a small amount of orange gel food coloring (you can add more if needed).
- Mix the ingredients with a stand mixer for around 5 minutes.
- Once light and fluffy, you can now add more orange food coloring if you want to.
- Use orange frosting as needed.
- Enjoy!
How Do You Make Chocolate Orange Frosting?
The chocolate orange frosting is one of my favorite flavors of frosting. It’s lovely but balanced out with the sharpness of the orange. I’ve found that this particular frosting goes perfectly on chocolate cupcakes.
To make this frosting at home, you’ll need 3 sticks of unsalted butter (that’s at room temperature), 1 1/2 teaspoons of orange extract, zest of one orange (around two tablespoons), 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 3 cups of powdered sugar, 1 cup of dark cocoa powder, 1/2 cup of heavy cream (that’s at room temperature), 2 cups of melted milk chocolate and Terry’s chocolate orange segments to decorate.
- Now all you need to do is add the unsalted butter to a bowl and beat on a medium speed for around 30 seconds to one minute; at this point, it should be smooth.
- Once smooth, add in the orange extract, as well as the zest and salt.
- Mix well on a low setting until thoroughly combined.
- Gradually add your powdered sugar and cocoa powder, stirring continually as you go.
- Only add more powdered sugar once the previous batch is completely combined.
- Around halfway through adding the sugar, pour in the heavy cream.
- Keep stirring until all ingredients are fully combined.
- Finally, fold in your melted chocolate (ensure it’s cool) and mix well, one final time.
- If your frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar and if your frosting is too thick, add more extra cream.
- Only add small amounts until you reach the consistency you’re looking for.
- Once you’ve achieved your desired consistency, cover in plastic wrap until needed.
- Once you pipe your chocolate orange frosting onto your baked goods, you can top each cupcake/cookie/cake with segments of Terry’s chocolate orange. This really intensifies the orange flavor and adds an extra layer of texture to your baked goods.
- Enjoy!
A Creamy Orange Treat
This simple twist to a classic recipe is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. The delicate orange flavor goes wonderfully with the smooth buttercream. It is a recipe you will surely want to add to your collection.
Adding orange zest to buttercream is a quick way to take your frosting up a notch. If you tried this frosting, please share your experience making it.
Please comment if you enjoyed this article or have any remarks regarding this recipe!
Karen is a passionate pastry chef who loves to create delicious baked goods. She has been in the culinary arts for over 10 years, honing her skills and perfecting her craft. Karen is known for her creativity and attention to detail, creating unique desserts that bring a smile to everyone’s face. She is always looking for ways to challenge herself and come up with new recipes that are both tasty and visually appealing. Karen loves to experiment with different flavors and textures, and she is committed to providing the highest quality of products to her customers.
