These dreamy, bakery-level orange cupcakes are incredibly soft and buttery, with fresh orange zest, juice, and extract in every bite. A simple orange glaze boosts the citrus flavor, then each cupcake is finished with a swirl of fluffy frosting. Ready in just 30 minutes, one batch makes 19 cupcakes!
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Equipment Checklist
This recipe requires a pretty standard collection of baking equipment, and you don't really need anything too special. It does help to have a stand mixer, especially for making the buttercream, but you can get by with a hand mixer in a pinch.
To make the cupcake batter and the orange buttercream.
One batch makes 19 cupcakes, so you may need two pans and your favorite liners.
Once the buttercream is whipped together, you can either spoon it onto the cupcakes or swirl it on with piping bags.
We like to use the 1M star tip for almost everything! It's so versatile and easy to use.
Why you'll love this Orange Cupcake Recipe
- Bakery-tested: This recipe is adapted from our Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes and our famous Bakery-Style Vanilla Buttercream. We've made them again and again and again to make sure they turn out just right every single time.
- Beginner-friendly recipe: For this recipe, we're using the reverse creaming method, which is when you mix the softened butter with the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients. This makes it harder to overmix them and you don't have to fuss with folding in egg whites or anything like that!
- Truly crowd-pleasing: When testing this specific flavor variation, literally everyone who tasted them could not stop talking about them. We got lots of "best cupcake ever" and "I can't stop thinking about that cupcake," even from people who aren't big orange fans.
Ingredients
The cupcake batter is easy enough to throw together at the last minute using pantry staples, but you do want to make sure you have plenty of fresh oranges and our secret ingredient (Instant Clearjel) on hand.
It allows you to add even more moisture to these cupcakes than normal, which infuses them with so much flavor.
Dry Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Instant Clearjel
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Sugar
+ Salted butter (Yes, salted! It makes everything taste better)
Wet Ingredients
- Vegetable oil
- Buttermilk
- Orange zest and fresh orange juice
- Egg and egg whites
- Pure vanilla extract
- Pure orange extract
I love OliveNation extracts! Use code AB20 for 20% off. This is an affiliate code, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Baker's Tip
Not all extracts are created equal. Learn about the best extracts for baking here.
Glaze Ingredients
Although the orange drizzle is totally optional, we love how it infuses that fresh orange flavor directly into the cupcakes. You just need a little bit of fresh orange juice and powdered sugar to make it.
And to top everything off, we'll make a batch of homemade orange buttercream made with our cream cheese, salted butter, butter-flavored shortening, powdered sugar, orange zest, and orange extract.
To make your cupcakes a little extra, add a garnish, like a segment of fresh or dried orange, candy oranges, sprinkles, sanding sugar, extra zest, etc.
Variations
- You can substitute orange with lemon to make Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes, or try lime for another citrus option!
- Feel free to skip the drizzle, if desired. The cupcakes are still plenty moist and orange-y enough without it.
- Use our vanilla buttercream instead of orange if you want to make orange creamsicle cupcakes or mellow out the orange flavor.
- And if you love orange, you have to try our famous Orange Almond Cake! It uses orange juice concentrate for incredible flavor and it's just as soft and buttery as these cupcakes. Perfect for truly any occasion.
Storage
Once fully baked and decorated, the cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours. After that, they should be be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
Since the butter in the frosting and the cupcakes firms up in the fridge, it can help to put the cupcakes on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour before serving to soften up.
Leftover unfrosted cupcakes can also be stored in the freezer in an airtight bag or container for several months. Just thaw them and decorate like normal!
Key Recipe Notes
- Glaze when warm. To really get the drizzle to soak in, you want to add it when the cupcakes are still hot from the oven.
- For stronger orange flavor, feel free to add more zest.
- Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting or the buttercream will slide right off!
- Trying to get the softened butter to integrate with the dry ingredients can be a little bit fussy. One tip is to mix the butter first to help break it into small pieces, then gradually add the dry ingredients. They will pick up all those little butter pieces and help distribute it evenly throughout the batter.
More Bakery-Style Cupcake Recipes
Don't these orange cupcakes look perfect? Orange is such a nice alternative to heavier flavors, and really perks up any celebration.
If you want more bakery-tested recipes in your life, be sure to subscribe for email updates! You can also follow along on social media (and tag @amycakesbakes with photos of your creations). Happy Baking!
Thanks for Reading. ❤️
📖 Recipe & Step-by-Step Instructions
Moist Orange Cupcakes with Citrus Drizzle and Buttercream
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 233 grams (1 ¾ cups) All-Purpose Flour ((I use Gold Medal))
- 2 Tablespoon Instant Clearjel (*Please make sure it is labeled as INSTANT)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 225 grams (1 cup + 2 Tablespoons) Sugar
Butter
- ¾ stick (3 ounces) Salted Butter (soft to the touch)
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup Buttermilk
- 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 2 t Orange Extract
- ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- zest of 2 oranges (reserve the juice)
- 1 large egg
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ cup fresh orange Juice
Orange-Zested Buttercream
- 1 x batch prepared Vanilla Bakery Buttercream Frosting
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 ½ t orange extract
Orange Drizzle
- 3 T orange juice
- 131 grams powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Orange Cupcakes
- Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake tin with paper liners and set to the side.
- Combine and whisk together the first 5 Wet Ingredients, but reserve the orange juice in a separate bowl. Whisk the Eggs together in a separate small bowl and set aside.
- Sift and whisk together the Dry Ingredients, then add them with the soft-to-the-touch salted butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. (Or use a large bowl and an electric mixer).
- With a stand mixer (preferred) or handheld mixer on low speed, blend the dry ingredients and softened butter until it has a sand-like texture, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Make sure there are no large lumps of butter--it should look like uniform sand.
- On low speed, slowly pour in the Wet ingredients until it is well combined, then slowly pour in the fresh orange juice while the mixer is on low. Scrape sides of the bowl as needed. Turn the mixer up to medium, and beat until the batter is smooth.
- Use a 2-oz scoop (¼ cup) to divide your batter into around 19 standard-sized cupcakes with greaseproof cupcake liners. Start by baking at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 300 degrees for an additional 8-10 minutes until they pass the toothpick test.
Make the Orange Glaze and Drizzle the Cupcakes
- While the cake bakes, whisk the Orange Glaze Drizzle Ingredients together until smooth.
- With a sharp paring knife, repeatedly poke the baked cupcakes all the way through to the bottom of the cake about ¼ inch - ½ inch apart.
- Drizzle or brush the glaze over the hot cupcakes with a silicone pastry brush or spoon and quickly spread it evenly (I prefer to use a silicone pastry brush to spread it evenly). The glaze will soak into the hot cupcakes. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.
Prepare the Orange Zested Buttercream and Frost the Cupcakes
- Prepare the creamy vanilla bakery buttercream according to the recipe instructions, then blend in the zest of 1 large orange and 1 ½ t pure orange extract.
- Frost the cupcake with an icing spatula or a disposable piping bag and 1M star tip, then top with dried or candy orange slices. Enjoy!
