Orange Buttercream Frosting

Orange buttercream frosting is made with fresh orange juice and orange zest for amazing orange flavor! This orange icing is perfect for piping onto cupcakes or filling and frosting layer cakes! This orange buttercream frosting recipe is ideal for summer baking, but can also be paired with cranberry or chocolate to create a holiday flavor profile.

Ingredients for Orange Buttercream Frosting

• Unsalted butter – Room temperature, softened butter.
• Powdered sugar – Also known as icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar. No need to sift the powdered sugar unless it is very lumpy.
• Orange juice – Fresh orange juice is best for the brightest orange flavor.
• Orange zest – Be sure to zest before your juice the orange. Use a zester or fine grater to zest the orange. For this recipe, you will need the zest of about one orange.
• Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract adds a slight underlying vanilla flavor to the frosting.
• Salt – Provides some contrast to the intense sweetness of the buttercream.
• Heavy cream – Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. A few tablespoons of heavy cream helps the buttercream whip up to be light, fluffy, and creamy.

How to Make Orange Buttercream Frosting

To make the orange buttercream frosting, I recommend using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or an electric hand mixer.

1. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add in room temperature unsalted butter. Whip the butter for 5 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides occasionally. The butter will be light, fluffy, and pale in color.
2. Add one half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed setting until fully combined. Add remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low until incorporated.
3. Add orange juice, orange zest, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low until combined. Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream.
4. Turn the speed on the mixer to medium speed and whip for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure the frosting is well mixed.
5. If desired, switch to a paddle attachment on the stand mixer and mix buttercream on low speed for 2 additional minutes to remove air bubbles to create smooth frosting. You can also mix the frosting by hand with a spatula to remove air bubbles.

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Orange Buttercream Frosting

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

5 cups

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Orange buttercream frosting is made with fresh orange juice and orange zest for amazing orange flavor! This orange icing is perfect for piping onto cupcakes or filling and frosting layer cakes! This orange buttercream frosting recipe is ideal for summer baking, but can also be paired with cranberry or chocolate to create a holiday flavor profile.

Equipment

• Stand mixer or electric hand mixer whisk or paddle attachment based on personal preference

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
• ▢ 5 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup orange juice freshly squeezed
• ▢ 2 tsp orange zest
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ tsp salt or to taste
• ▢ 2 tbsp heavy cream

Instructions

• Add room temperature butter to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment. Whip the butter for 5 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides occasionally, until the butter is light, fluffy, and pale in color.
• Add one half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed setting until fully combined. Add remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low until incorporated.
• Add orange juice, orange zest, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low until combined.
• Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream while mixing on low speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure the frosting is well mixed.
• Once the heavy cream is added, turn the speed on the mixer to medium and mix for an additional 3 minutes until smooth.
• Optional – If you are using a whisk attachment, switch to a paddle attachment and mix the buttercream on low speed for several minutes to remove air bubbles. You can also mix the buttercream by hand with a spatula to smooth it out as well.

Notes

Orange buttercream frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw buttercream by bringing it to room temperature and rewhipping for 5 minutes.

 

To remove air bubbles and smooth the buttercream, mix on low speed with a paddle attachment for 5-10 minutes after the buttercream is made.

 

Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

 

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