Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe (2024)

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Last Updated On: March 07, 2023 | Published: April 21, 2016 by Melissa Diamond | 22 Comments

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I absolutely LOVECream Cheese Frosting, and this Orange Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is amazing.

This flavorful, silky smooth recipeis just heavenly as a filling or frosting for cakesand cupcakes that call for a hint of citrus.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe (1)

Table of Contents

What Cake recipes Pair Well with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting?

Keep this Orange Cream Cheese frosting in mind for citrus cakes, spice cakes, vanilla cakes, and more! Here are a few favorites!:

  • Orange Dreamsicle Cake
  • Doctored Orange Spice Cake
  • Vanilla Bean Cake
  • Gingerbread Layer Cake

Looking for more Cream Cheese Frosting Recipes? We have lots!

We happen to love cream cheese frosting recipes so much that we've made a roundup of our favorites!

We have a flavored cream cheese frosting recipe that will go with any cake flavor you can think of! Hop on over to see! Roundup of our FAVORITE Cream Cheese Frostings

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe (2)

TIPS FOR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

  • Soft Consistency: Cream cheese frostings are softer than your usual buttercream frosting. Because of this, you may need to add a little additional powdered sugar to reach the desired consistency, or pop it in the refrigerator to firm it up a bit before working with it.
  • Does Cream Cheese Frosting Require Refrigeration?Yes. Cakes and cupcakes that are frosted in cream cheese frosting should be refrigerated until within about 2 hours of serving.

Cream cheese frosting firms up when chilled and so removing from the refrigerator a couple of hours before your event will allow enough time for it to soften. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against cold cream cheese frosting, haha- but most people like it nice and soft at the time of serving!

  • How Long can Cream Cheese Frosting Sit Out? A cake frosted in cream cheese frosting can sit out for 2-3 hours at room temperature (less if it’s outside in the warm weather or if it is one of our lighter consistency whipped cream cheese fillings as it contains more heavy cream ).

Thanks so much for stopping by, enjoy the recipe!

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe (3)

This easy and delicious Orange Cream Cheese Frosting tastes amazing with orange cakes, lemon cakes, spice cakes, and more!

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks (1 cup) (226 g) unsalted butter, let it sit out approximately 10 minutes. It should feel very cool to the touch.
  • 2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (total weight 452g) I use full fat cream cheese. Using reduced fat or the spreadable cream cheese will cause the frosting to be too soft. Do not soften the cream cheese.
  • 1 teaspoon (4 g) clear vanilla extract (we used clear to keep color lighter)
  • 1 teaspoon (4g) orange extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt (2g) optional - it will cut the sweetness, popcorn salt is best to use because it is fine and dissolves faster
  • 6 to 6 ½ cups (690g to 747g) powdered sugar
  • Orange Coloring Gel (optional) We used a very small amount for tinting.

Instructions

Cut the butter into slices and add to the bowl of your mixer. Beat on low to medium speed until the butter is softened and smooth.

Cut the cold cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter, beating at low to medium speed until incorporated.

Add the vanilla and orange flavorings. Gradually add the powdered sugar beating on low speed until blended. Cover the bowl with a towel to keep down the cloud of powdered sugar.

Increase mixing speed and beat until fluffy. Don't over beat.

This frosting will pipe best if used while still chilled. You can make it in advance, refrigerate and when ready to use let it soften slightly (do not microwave) and remix.

Will frost a 3 layer 8 or 9 inch cake. When decorating our Dreamsicle Cake, we frosted our cake and then when back in with swirls of lightly tinted orange frosting for a pretty effect.

Don't miss our Orange Dreamsicle Cake!

If you love citrus cakes, you are going to fall in love with this amazing Orange Dreamsicle Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting and Orange Cream Filling! This cake tastes exactly like a Dreamsicle. It's a great year-round dessert but especially perfect for summertime birthdays and other special occasions!

Don't miss out! Hop on over to printa copy (or Pin for later!). Orange Dreamsicle Cake Recipe from Scratch

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe (4)

More Cake Recipes & Tutorials!

We have hundreds more delicious cake recipes and favorite cake decorating tutorials in our Recipes and Tutorials Section!

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe (5)

Related Recipes

Cream Cheese Frosting RecipeCherry Cream Cheese FrostingGingerbread Cake

Leave a Reply

  1. I made this cake, but made it as a 9x13 cake. I omitted the filling and just made the cake and frosted it with your orange cream cheese frosting. Made it for church pot luck and everyone absolutely LOVED it! Thank you so much!!

    Reply

  2. Hi Paula, Thank you so much for your nice comments. We are happy to hear that your friends liked the cake. Thanks for posting !

    Reply

  3. Lovely recipe so thrilled with results. Thank you this will be one of my favourites from now on so colourful and tastes sooooo good .

    Reply

  4. Thanks Annie, so happy that you liked it!

    Reply

  5. This recipe for the frosting sounds wonderful. Will it hold up to a layer of fondant?

    Reply

  6. Hi Darla, I don't think it would be a choice for underneath fondant because you would need to keep it refrigerated.

    Reply

  7. I would not cut this frosting recipe in half. There is nothing worse than having to use frosting sparingly; I love having plenty. This is a great recipe.

    Reply

  8. Everything about this recipe was delicious! I added a bit of extra vanilla extract to the filling to make the contrast with the orange flavor of the cake more prominent. My grandson loved the "Creamsicle cake" at a local restaurant in Charleston (whose chef trained at the Cordon Bleu in Paris), and he said this one was even better. (And the cake at that restaurant is around $60!)

    Reply

  9. I am getting ready to make this frosting but in the past when I made flavored frosting for a cake I always use kool-aid to Flavor my frosting . It gives as much flavor as you want without deluting the frostingt . It has always worked very well for me

    Reply

  10. Hi Nancy, I have never thought of using Kool-aid, thanks so much for posting a helpful tip!

    Reply

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make can cream cheese frosting better? ›

If you want to take it to the next level, fold in some freshly whipped cream (whipped cream from a canister will turn to liquid, so make sure you whip the cream yourself) for an ultra delicate texture. If you want to add a little bit of tanginess and creaminess, whip in some softened cream cheese.

How do you keep cream cheese frosting from getting runny? ›

If it's still too thin, take out some of the runny mixture and beat in some more cream cheese. Alternatively, if you whisk it with an electric whisk or in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment on high it will thicken after 3-4 minutes.

What happens if you over whip cream cheese frosting? ›

Too thick: If you over-whip the frosting, it will appear chunky and curdled. While my fix isn't perfect, it will certainly help—by hand, stir in more liquid heavy cream 1 Tablespoon at a time until the frosting smooths out again.

Will adding more cream cheese thicken frosting? ›

The additional cream cheese will contribute to thickness and provide a creamier texture. Adjust the quantity based on your preference, balancing thickness and flavor. Add Butter:Introduce softened butter to the frosting.

Can you add anything to canned frosting to make it better? ›

Salt. Just a pinch of salt balances the sweetness of canned frosting and gives it some depth, helping to give it that just-made taste.

What can you add to canned icing to make it better? ›

Give it more texture

Flaked coconut, mini chocolate chips or shavings, chopped nuts and even sprinkles would be fun morsels to fold into your frosting, depending on what dessert you'll frost. Editor's Tip: Before you add any mix-ins, make sure the frosting is at your desired consistency first.

Why does my cream cheese frosting melt so fast? ›

But there's a limit to how much you can add - this is the main reason so many cream cheese frostings are runny. Cream cheese is about 55% water - so when you add lots of cream cheese, you're adding a ton of water. Lots of water (combined with sugar) equals runny and loose frosting.

How do you fix broken cream cheese frosting? ›

If the frosting looks curdled then refrigerate it for about an hour and try beating it again to see if it comes together.

Should I refrigerate cream cheese frosting before piping? ›

Cream cheese frosting will hold its decorative piped shape if you refrigerate it prior to piping. Fit your piping bag with a piping tip, fill your bag with the frosting, then refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes before piping. However, don't expect it to be as sturdy as buttercream.

Can you overbeat cream cheese icing? ›

Don't overbeat – this frosting doesn't need to be beaten for a long time, the powdered sugar should incorporate fairly quickly and the frosting will be creamy in just a few minutes. Refrigerate to avoid a meltdown – due to the nature of this not too sweet cream cheese frosting, it softens quickly at room temperature.

Do you need to refrigerate cake with cream cheese frosting? ›

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises refrigerating any food made with cream cheese after 2 hours (that includes time spent making the food). The same typically goes for frostings made with other perishable foods such as.

Is it possible to over mix cream cheese frosting? ›

When the frosting is over-mixed, the starches can bind, making a cream cheese frosting that is, well, gloppy and stiff.

Why is my cream cheese frosting so liquid? ›

I like using a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer. because you're less likely to over mix. If you do over mix, the water in the cream cheese starts to separate out, and it makes the frosting really loose. Stop mixing when it looks like this, and then it's ready to use on your cakes and cupcakes.

Why is my cream cheese frosting curdling? ›

Have you ever seen a buttercream or cream cheese frosting that looks curdled or wet and won't come together no matter how much powdered sugar you add? That's a “broken” frosting as the water in the butter has separated from the fat with overmixing.

How can I thicken cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar? ›

Granulated Sugar: I love using granulated sugar because the grit of the sugar crystals helps fluff up the butter and cream cheese, giving the frosting a thick texture.

How to make Pillsbury cream cheese frosting taste better? ›

These are the 7 tips to make store bought frosting taste better.
  1. Add a pinch of salt.
  2. Add flavoring.
  3. Add whipped cream.
  4. Add in cream cheese for a lighter flavor.
  5. Whip the frosting.
  6. Add textures.
  7. Add freeze-dried ground-up fruit to add flavor.
Jul 18, 2020

How do you make store bought canned frosting taste better? ›

Depending on what kind of cake you're making, try stirring a spoonful of any of the following into the frosting:
  1. Peanut butter.
  2. Cookie butter.
  3. Chocolate-hazelnut spread.
  4. Dulce de leche.
  5. Caramel sauce.
  6. Lemon curd.
  7. Fruit jam.
Mar 5, 2024

Is there a way to make canned frosting fluffier? ›

Empty the canned frosting into a large mixing bowl. Whip the frosting using an electric mixer (either hand mixer or stand mixer) for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy and doubled in size. It's ready!

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