This Orange Buttercream recipe celebrates the natural taste of whole oranges. This buttercream is made from a fluffy vanilla buttercream with the addition of puréed whole oranges.
This is the perfect frosting recipe to try during citrus season! I love this recipe because it uses whole fresh oranges rather than orange extract or just the zest or juice of oranges. Use this recipe to layer cakes, decorate cupcakes, or as a filling for sandwich cookies.
If you love citrus-flavored baking recipes, you must try this recipe for Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes, this Chocolate Orange Cake, or these Orange Cupcakes.
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Ingredients
To make this delicious orange buttercream icing you will need the simple ingredients below. Remember always to use fresh room temperature ingredients when baking.
- Oranges
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream
- Almond essence
Oranges – choose whole oranges for this recipe. The oranges are boiled until soft and then blended. The orange puree is used in the frosting for a true orange flavor.
Unsalted butter – butter is used in this frosting recipe, make sure you are using unsalted room-temperature butter for the best results.
Vanilla extract – choose a good quality vanilla extract for this recipe. If you don’t have any, vanilla essence will also work. You can also choose to use vanilla bean paste instead.
Almond essence – almond essence is optional but recommended as it gives the frosting a great fragrance and taste.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
To make this delicious citrus buttercream follow the easy steps below. First, you will boil the oranges, then make a vanilla buttercream, and finally combine the buttercream and orange puree.
Instructions for orange puree
STEP 1: Boil orange. Place a medium-sized pot filled with water over medium-high heat and allow the water to boil. Once boiling add the orange and let the orange boil for about 2 hours, or until soft. Keep topping up the water level so that the orange is covered. Once softened remove the orange from the water and allow it to cool.
STEP 2: Slice orange. Use a sharp knife to cut off the top and tail of the orange. Slice the orange in half and remove any seeds.
STEP 3: Blend. Add the cooled orange pieces to a food processor and blend until a puree forms. Add the puree to a bowl and set aside until needed.
Instructions for buttercream
STEP 1: Beat icing sugar and butter. Add the icing sugar and softened butter to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
STEP 2: Add cream and essences. Combine the cream, vanilla, and almond essence together in a small jug. With the motor of the mixer running at medium speed add the cream mixture to the frosting one tablespoon at a time. Once all of the mixture has been added increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high speed and beat the frosting until it is light and has a fluffy consistency, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl often.
STEP 3: Add orange puree. Add the orange puree to the frosting and beat again until combined.
STEP 4: Decorate. The frosting is now ready to be added to a piping bag for frosting cupcakes or to spread over the surface of a cake using an offset spatula.
Hint: Depending on the heat, you may not need to add all the cream to the buttercream. In summer months I use less liquid as the butter warms quicker when beaten. If the frosting looks like it has split, add more icing sugar. Start with 30g extra and take it from there.
Variations
This orange buttercream has a fragrant delicious taste that pairs well with a variety of cakes. You can try this buttercream on this recipe for Pumpkin Spice Cake, this Naked Carrot Cake, or even on this recipe for a Single Layer Chocolate Cake.
The beauty of this recipe is that it gets its citrus flavor from the whole fruit, this gives a real orange flavor and natural orange color to the frosting. However if you'd like a more orange-looking buttercream, for aesthetic reasons, you can add a few drops of orange gel food coloring to the buttercream after it is done beating.
Equipment
To make this frosting, you will need an electric mixer, either a stand mixer or a hand mixer. I don’t recommend making this by hand as you need the mixers to help get the frosting light and fluffy.
To use this buttercream to decorate cakes or cupcakes, you will also need decorating equipment such as a piping bag, an offset spatula, and piping nozzles.
Storage
To store this frosting before using it to decorate cakes or cupcakes, place it in an airtight container or a large mixing bowl covered with a piece of plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Remove the frosting from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature before whipping it in a stand mixer and then using it to decorate your baked goods.
Top tip
For the best results follow the top tips below to make sure you are making a perfect buttercream frosting!
- The butter must be at room temperature otherwise it will not whip properly.
- Use a stand mixer or hand-held mixer to ensure your butter is whipped enough.
- Before decorating make sure your bakes have cooled properly on a wire rack.
- Always use your frosting to decorate cakes or cupcakes soon after it has finished beating.
FAQ
Wait - having room-temperature butter is the most important step in a successful frosting. Choose to wait until the butter has reached room temperature before making this recipe, or cube the butter and heat it gently in the microwave, being careful to not melt or overheat it.
This can happen when you have added too much liquid to the buttercream. To try salvage the buttercream, add two tablespoons of icing sugar to the frosting and beat again. Keep doing this until the texture looks right.
This orange icing recipe makes enough frosting to decorate 24 cupcakes or one 20cm diameter two-layer cake.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
The flavor of this orange buttercream frosting recipe is both uncommon and delicious. It is the perfect frosting to use when you’d like to show off oranges when they are at their best during the citrus season.
If you make this recipe and love it as much as I do, please leave a comment and star review below – I love hearing from all of you!
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Happy Baking
With Love,
Kitty
📖 Recipe
Orange Buttercream
Ingredients
Orange Purée
- 1 large orange rinsed
- 2 litres water
Orange Buttercream
- 500 g powdered sugar
- 160 g unsalted butter softened
- 50 ml heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond essence
- ⅓ cup orange purée from above
Instructions
Orange Purée
- Place a medium-sized pot filled with water over medium-high heat and allow the water to boil. Once boiling add the orange and let the orange boil for about 2 hours, or until soft. Keep topping up the water level so that the orange is covered. Once softened remove the orange from the water and allow it to cool.
- Use a sharp knife to cut off the top and tail of the orange and then slice it in half and remove any seeds.
- Add the cooled whole orange to a food processor and blend until a puree forms. Add the puree to a bowl and set aside until needed.
Orange Buttercream
- Add the icing sugar and softened butter to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Combine the cream, vanilla, and almond essence together in a small jug. With the motor of the mixer running at medium speed add the cream mixture to the frosting one tablespoon at a time. Once all of the mixture has been added increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high speed and beat the frosting until it is light and has a fluffy consistency, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl often.
- Add the orange puree to the frosting and beat again until combined.
- The frosting is now ready to be added to a piping bag for frosting cupcakes or to spread over the surface of a cake using an offset spatula.
Mel says
I love that this recipe uses whole oranges! It’s so delicious