Our Orange Cupcakes are paired with homemade Orange Buttercream Frosting makes for the perfect spring or summer dessert! Top with fresh oranges or candy!
Cupcakes are so fun and easy to make. We love making them for parties, especially during the holidays. These Orange Cupcakes would be perfect for Easter or any spring or summer parties.
ORANGE CUPCAKE RECIPE
These cupcakes are super simple to make. We make a doctored up cake mix using a white boxed cake mix with instant vanilla pudding, some greek yogurt, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and water.
HOW TO MAKE ORANGE CUPCAKES:
To make the cupcakes you’ll need to preheat your oven first.
While the oven is preheating you can line two cupcake pans with your favorite muffin liners.
In a large bowl combine the cake mix and other ingredients for the cupcakes until well combined. You can do this in a stand mixer, with a hand mixer or just a spoon.
Once the batter is fully mixed you can fill the muffin liners about 2/3 of the way filled. You should be able to fill 24 cupcakes.
Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are slightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
When the cupcakes are cool to the touch you can top them with the orange buttercream.
HOW TO MAKE ORANGE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
In a stand mixer, mix the butter until it’s creamy. Add in the zest, extract, and vanilla and then mix together as you slowly add in the powdered sugar. Add in the orange juice a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Color with orange food coloring if preferred.
RECIPE TIP:
Place the piping bag in a cup and then fold it over the sides. Fill up the piping bag and then remove it from the cup and voila, it’s perfectly filled for piping.
Did you know you can freeze orange zest to use for baked goods? (see how to zest an orange)
CUPCAKE TOPPER IDEAS
To top the cupcakes you can use candied orange peel, fresh orange slices, or candy orange slices. Even orange sprinkles or white sprinkles would work nicely.
This article was written by Courtney’s Sweets, the recipe is from our guest chef Amanda.
Orange Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream Frosting
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Print Pin Recipe 🖤 SaveIngredients
Orange Cupcakes
- 1 box white cake mix
- 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs slightly beaten
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1/2 cup warm water
Orange Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 2-4 tablespoon orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- Orange Food Dye optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two cupcake pans with your desired cupcake liners.
- In a stand mixer, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, yogurt, oil, eggs, vanilla, zest, and water.
- Fill each of the cupcake wells about 2/3 of the way full, filling 24 cupcakes. Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes, until tops are slightly golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely and then prepare the frosting.
- In a stand mixer, mix the butter until it’s creamy. Add in the zest, extract, and vanilla and then mix together as you slowly add in the powdered sugar. Add in the orange juice a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Color with orange food coloring if preferred.
- Frost the cupcakes and enjoy!
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Nutrition
The nutritional information is automatically calculated and can vary based ingredients and products used. If the nutrition numbers are important for you we recommend calculating them yourself.
Double check your recipe. I found a few errors. Firstly, there is now orange in your orange cupcakes. lol
Secondly, in the explanation of how to make the frosting it mentions adding vanilla when vanilla isn’t in the list of items needed to make the frosting.
I improvised and added marmalade to my cupcakes and I think I will omit the vanilla in the frosting. I hope its turns out ok.
Thanks for the recipe…it seems like the cupcakes are going to be delicious. I just took them out of the oven.
The way our guest chef made this was without flavoring the cupcake. We’ll be updating this recipe soon without a cake mix too but hope you enjoyed it!! 😀
Is this a crusting buttercream frosting? Does it pipe well?
I always cover the cupcakes so I’m not sure how well it crusts, but it isn’t super loose and pipes very well! 😀