These orange cupcakes are absolutely packed with citrus flavor! They’re made with tender orange zest cupcakes, filled with silky smooth orange curd, and topped with fresh orange frosting!!

They are just as good as they sound and are perfect for summer!

Let’s Make These Orange Cupcakes Together

Let’s walk through each step of these orange cupcakes to make sure they turn out as amazing as possible! I’ve also shared a video tutorial below.

Step #1: Bake the Orange Cupcakes

Bake the orange cupcakes first! Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and place 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.

As you start to make the batter, use your fingertips to massage 1 cup of granulated sugar with the zest of 1 large orange in a large bowl.

This helps release the oil from the orange zest. It sounds weird, but really packs these cupcakes with fresh citrus flavor!

Once you’ve finished making the batter, divide it evenly between the cupcake liners and fill them about 3/4 full.

Bake for about 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let the cupcakes cool for 15 minutes in the pan before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Step #2: Make the Orange Curd Filling

Make the orange curd next, because it needs time to cool to room temperature. This can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and stored in the fridge.

Once it’s been cooked and has had a chance to fully cool, it should thicken and have a scoopable consistency like the photo below.

Step #3: Make the Fresh Orange Buttercream

The last component of these cupcakes is the fresh orange buttercream!

I like to stir the buttercream by hand with a rubber spatula once it’s fully made. This makes the frosting silky smooth and easier to pipe on each cupcake.

This frosting can also be made in advance if needed and kept in the fridge for up to a month.

Place the frosting into a large piping bag fit with a Wilton 1M frosting tip.

Step #4: Fill and Frost These Orange Cupcakes

Then it’s time to fill and frost these cupcakes! Remove the center of each cupcake and fill it with about 1 Tbsp of orange curd.

Pipe a generous swirl of orange buttercream frosting on top of each cupcake. Garnish with a fresh orange slice and a dusting of orange zest, then enjoy!

Substitutions and Swaps – Orange Cupcakes

Now that we’ve covered how to make these orange cupcakes, let’s talk about the ingredients!!

This recipe uses quite a few ingredients and I know you might not have them all on hand.

Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered. Below are some swaps and substitutions that you can make.

• Unsalted Butter – If you don’t have unsalted butter, use salted butter, and omit the salt in this recipe. You can also use vegan butter in its place.
• Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar as it will change the texture of these cupcakes.
• Large Egg – If you have an egg allergy you can try using 1 flaxseed egg or a vegan egg replacer like this one made by Bob’s Red Mill.
• Fresh Orange Juice and Zest– These are an absolute must in this recipe. I don’t recommend substituting it with bottled orange juice or orange extract. I prefer using Cara Cara oranges for their color and flavor, but you can use whatever oranges you can find – naval, Valencia, or even blood oranges!
• All-Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten-free flour blend if needed.
• Orange Curd – I love to make the filling for these cupcakes from scratch, and it only takes about 10 minutes. However, if you’re short on time, feel free to use store-bought orange curd or orange marmalade.
• Gel Food Coloring – I like to use a tiny drop of orange gel food coloring to give these cupcakes a delicate orange color. This can be omitted if you don’t want to use food coloring though!

Orange Curd Ingredients and Substitutions:

• Egg yolks or a whole egg – I always have leftover egg yolks from making macarons, so I like to use egg yolks in this recipe! If you don’t have any on hand, you can use 1 whole egg. The mixture will turn out slightly thicker, but it will still taste great.
• Granulated Sugar – This recipe turns out best with granulated sugar. You can use less processed sugar if you want, but the consistency might not be as smooth.
• Fresh Orange Juice and Zest– Fresh orange juice is a must in this recipe. Make sure you use freshly squeezed orange juice. You can also swap in any other citrus!
• Unsalted Butter – Unsalted butter adds richness and helps balance the sweet citrus flavor of the orange. If you don’t have unsalted butter, use salted butter, and omit the salt in this recipe.

Making These Orange Cupcakes in Advance & Storing Them

You can make these cupcakes in advance! Frosted cupcakes can sit at room temperature for a few hours or be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

However, they taste best when they’re freshly baked!

These cupcakes can also last up to a month in the freezer. If you plan to freeze them, I suggest waiting to fill and frost them until they’re thawed.

You can also make your buttercream ahead of time or save any leftovers. The buttercream frosting will last in the fridge for up to a month.

Be sure to give the frosting a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

You can also store buttercream in piping bags in the fridge. I find they keep their consistency well in piping bags and don’t require any mixing after they’ve thawed.

Tips for Making the Best Orange Cupcakes

• Ingredients at room temp mix together better. Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Properly measure the flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Mix the cupcake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated once you add in the flour. This will ensure your cupcakes are tender and fluffy.
• Use a large cookie scoop to easily fill your cupcake liners. It also makes sure your cupcakes end up being the same height.
• Seal off the top of the piping bag with a rubber band to prevent any frosting from coming out of the top of the bag and make the piping bags easier to use.
• Pour the orange curd through a fine mesh strainer once it’s done cooking to remove any bits of cooked egg, zest, or orange seeds. This will give it a perfectly smooth texture.
• Use Cara Cara or blood oranges to give the orange curd a stronger, naturally orange color.

Let Me Know What You Think

If you make this orange cupcake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations on social media.