I love everything about this cake recipe- and I also love it’s uniqueness. It’s not every day that an Orange Dreamsicle Cake is on the dessert menu (but it should be)!
The cake tastes fantastic, and the light orange filling and orange cream cheese frosting are the perfect complement to the flavorful orange cake layers.
Reverse Creaming Method of Mixing
What if I Prefer the Traditional Method of Mixing?
We hear from bakers that love the reverse creaming of method of mixing, and others that prefer the traditional method.
If you prefer the Traditional Mixing Method (creaming the butter and sugar, adding eggs, adding the wet and dry ingredients alternately, etc.) we have a wonderful orange cake for you!
Our Orange Vanilla Bean Cake is a recipe that we came up with after creating this Orange Dreamsicle Cake. You really can’t go wrong with this recipe- it is very fluffy, and moist, and has wonderful orange flavor.
You don’t have to use the vanilla bean paste for this alternate recipe, you can use vanilla extract if you’d rather! It is good to have options!
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
It’s flavorful, pipeable, and silky smooth! You’re going to love this recipe!
Orange Cream Filling
This orange cream filling is SO delicious and can be whipped up in a matter of minutes with instant pudding, cream, and flavoring!
This filling recipe always receives rave reviews and nobody would ever guess how easy it is to whip up. It’s very adaptable for a number of flavors, we use the chocolate “mock mousse” version all the time.
Love Fruity Cakes? Here are some other refreshingly flavorful popular cake recipes for you to try!
Orange Pineapple Cake– Orange Cake Layers, pineapple & cream filling and whipped orange mascarpone frosting!
Lemon Orange Cake This is such a delicious combination of lemon and orange flavors, including homemade orange curd filling!
Homemade Lemon Cake– A classic- This is a favorite year-round.
Cherry Chocolate Chip Cake– If you’ve never tried the combination of cherry cake and chocolate chips, you MUST! So good.
Lime Cake from Scratch– So fruity and refreshing!
Strawberry Cake – We love this moist scratch strawberry cake recipe!
…and SO many more! We hope that you enjoy the recipe! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Orange Dreamsicle Cake- Delicious Homemade Recipe
This moist and delicious cake tastes just like an Orange Dreamsicle! Moist orange cake layers with orange cream filling and orange cream cheese frosting!
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 1/2 cups (285g) cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoon (12g) baking powder
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 T) (169g) unsalted butter....Cut into 1/2 inch slices onto waxed paper to soften slightly. Your finger should make a slight indentation but not sink in easily. If it becomes too soft, refrigerate for a few minutes. Do not soften in microwave
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (190g) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
- 1/2 cup (121g) milk
- 1 Tablespoon (10g) orange extract
- zest of 1 orange
- Orange Coloring Gel (optional) We used a small amount to tint some reserved orange cream cheese frosting so that we could apply it to the cake here and there for a swirled effect.
For the Orange Cream Filling:
- 1 small box instant Vanilla pudding (3.4oz/96g) We used Jello- Brand
- 2 c. (464g) heavy cream or whipping cream.
- 1 tsp. (4g) Orange Extract (we used McCormick)
For the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 2 sticks (1 cup) (226 g) unsalted butter, let it sit out until slightly softened.
- 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
- 1/2 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 1/2 cups (690g to 747g) powdered sugar
- Orange Coloring Gel (optional) We used a very small amount for tinting.
Instructions
For the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (This Recipe uses the Reverse Creaming Method of Mixing.)
Grease and flour two 8 x 2 inch round pans.
In the bowl of your mixer add the dry ingredients, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix with your mixer for 30 seconds or whisk to blend ingredients.
In a separate bowl, add the eggs, orange juice concentrate, milk, orange extract and zest.
With the mixer on low speed, add the slices of butter a few pieces at a time to the dry ingredients. Increase the mixer to medium speed and beat until the dry ingredients look crumbly and moistened. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl.
SLOWLY add 1/2 of the egg mixture, increasing to medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes, the batter will become thick and fluffy. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add a small amount of Orange Coloring Gel to the bowl if you would like the batter to be orange. Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, beating for 20 seconds after each addition.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
Let the cakes cool in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out.
Works well for cupcakes.
Makes 6 cups batter.
For the Orange Cream Filling:
Combine the pudding mix and heavy cream and orange extract in a mixing bowl. I prefer to mix with a hand held mixer, but a whisk is just fine too. If using a mixer, start on low speed until well combined. Then, switch to high speed and whip the pudding until thick and fluffy. If mousse is too thick, mix in small amounts of heavy cream to reach desired consistency.
If mixing by hand, simply whisk rapidly for a couple of minutes or until mixture is nice and thick.
Refrigerate until ready to use. Cakes with this filling should be chilled until close to serving time.
For the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:
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 went back in with swirls of lightly tinted orange frosting for a pretty effect.
This looks so yummy! I can’t wait to try it! The scratch lemon cake and the WASC scratch are my go-to recipes now! This one will go in that file for sure! Thanks for sharing!
No food coloring on the cake mixture? That’s a pretty color.
Thank you Cake Queens for the recipe!
I think I did mine wrong. I put the filling in between the cake layers, and than frosted the cake. Which , I should frosted the bottom layer and than put the frosting. I was trying to replica my wedging cake for our anniversary.
Sounds delicious! I’m going to try it. My favorite ice cream was always the Dreamsicle – so excited! :) You guys are awesome!
what is cake flour? is this all purpose? Thank you!
Carolina Bass, cake flour is real. I’ve seen it in the baking isle at the grocery store. I believe that it comes in a box and shows a white frosted cake on the front of it, at least the one I saw did. Hope this helps you.
This cake looks VERY DELICIOUS!!! Thank you sooo much!!!!! I love orange cakes!!! I make new cakes for my church and they’re going to absolutely love this one!!!!
Thanks everyone for your comments!!
@Scott- I’m glad that you pointed that out! We did add a tiny bit of Orange coloring gel to get that shade of orange. I’ve just noted this in the recipe. (We almost left it the natural color which was more yellow, but decided to give it more color in the end.)
@Carolina Bass- Cake Flour will give you a softer crumb as there is less gluten in Cake Flour. We use Swan’s Down brand. If you’d rather not purchase Cake Flour, a common substitute is: 1 cup cake flour (3 3/4 ounce) = 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (3 3/8 ounces), plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch (5/8 ounces)
I hope this helps!
@Heather, Paula & MsGF- So happy that you all plan to make it! xoxo Let us know what you think!
Wow !! Thanks for sharing you guys are awesome , I am going to try it
This looks yummy! I am going to make it. I will let you know how it turns out ! Thanks!
Thank you so much for this beautiful recipe, Michelle! I had to stop just about all my baking due to arthritis. But I’ll try to make this in stages.
I had to discontinue my membership for your school because of the arthritis. I really appreciate your keeping in touch and the occasional awesome recipes and videos. They make me happy just to see them!
Thank you for your kind words, Judy! I’m so sorry to hear that your arthritis has become so painful. I’m glad to hear that you are thinking of making this recipe, and I hope you’ll continue to pop by now and then! xoxo
This is such a great recipe!!! I made it for my family and everyone loved it. It really does taste just like a dreamsicle! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Connie! So glad that your family enjoyed the cake! xo
My son-in-law offered me an orange dreamsicle bar during a recent visit. I remembered this recipe and promised him one for his birthday in Aug. He requested several taste tests. I’m excited to try this.
Great! I think he will love it!
Is orange juice concentrate the frozen oj concentrate?
Hi Kristin, Yes, frozen orange juice concentrate.
Hi Melissa, This looks amazing. I am going to make it for a family reunion tomorrow. I was wondering is this recipe for one of the layers or do you split the mixture into two pans?
Hi Janice, We baked this recipe in two 8inch pans. Hope your enjoy it!!
Hi! I found your recipe and decided to make it for my daughter’s 1st birthday last weekend. I have never baked cake from scratch but I wanted to give it a go! This cake was WONDERFUL! I can’t say enough about it. It was a lovely surprise and different from traditional flavors. I wanted to do something special for my sweet girl and this was fun to try. Thank you!
From England, not sure what you mean by frozen orange juice concentrate
Hi Angie, It is a concentrated orange juice product that is mixed with water to make quantity of orange juice. For this recipe, we use 3/4 cup of the concentrate, do not dilute it, just let it thaw. We have had an email from another member from England that frozen orange juice concentrate was not available there. I am sorry about that.
Hi, I love this cake, would love to make it but unfortunfortunately, the frozen oj concentrate isnt available in our country ?. Is there anything else I can use unsted? ?
Thank you,
Antonina
Hi Antonina, Here is a link to a tutorial on making fruit juice concentrate, http://www.instructables.com/id/Juice-Concentrate-from-Fruit/.
I have never tried it and it looks time consuming. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try.
hi….cant wait to make this cake…..but frozen orange concentrate seems to be a road block…..can get tang in india which is orange flavored and mixed in water to make juice……its in powdery form…..can that be used
I make my own cake flour by sifting together 7 cups of all purpose flour and 1 cup of corn starch. Lots less expensive
Hi could you incorporate custard powder and how much would you add? Thanks
Hi Manita, I’m sorry but we have never tried using Tang as a substitute for the orange juice concentrate. If you give it a try, I think I would measure out 3/4 cup (190g) water and stir in triple the amount of Tang needed for 3/4 cup. Let us know how it goes.
Hi Krystal, I am not sure what you mean with using custard powder. Are you making the Orange Cream Filling? If so, I don’t know if the custard powder is the same as Jello Instant Pudding powder, but if you think it is similar the package we use is 3.9 oz (96g)
Hi tried to make this cake but my cake is extremely thin and nothing like the picture of yours can u tell me where I went wrong?
Hi Lindsey, I am sorry your cake did not turn out well. If it did not rise as it should have, it sounds as though the baking powder was left out or was out of date. Do you think that is a possibility ?
Just double checked it and it’s best before Dec 2016. I’m positive I put it in . Will try again x
Is orange juice concentrate the same as a carton of fresh orange juice.
HI Lindsey, I think I would replace the baking powder since it is getting close to the expiration date. It does lose some of its effectiveness over time . Just checking……. your cake did not rise and then sink once taken out of the oven, it just never rose to the proper height, correct? Orange juice concentrate is not the same as a carton of fresh orange. I used Minute Maid brand. It is a 12 fl. oz. container of frozen orange juice, it is meant to be mixed with 36 fl. oz. of water to make a 48 fl. oz pitcher of orange juice. In our recipe, it is not diluted. We used 3/4 cup (190g) of the frozen concentrate (thawed) .
Yes that’s correct it never rose. Could it have been the orange juice that’s caused the problem. I thought I had the right thing because it said orange juice concentrate on the carton.
The frosting recipe says it will frost a 3 layer cake. Will this make too much for the orange dreamsicle cake (I’m wondering if I should cut in half to avoid waste?) Thanks!
Hi Nicole, I would not cut the recipe in half. You want to have enough for a generous amount of frosting on your cake.
Hi Lindsey, The recipe calls for 3/4 cup (190g) orange juice concentrate. If you measured your juice by weight, 190g I think you would have had more than 3/4 cup. I think it would take more of your juice to equal 190g. If you just measured out the 3/4 cup, of the juice you used, I think it would have only affected the recipe in that you would not have had the intense orange flavor that the frozen orange juice concentrate gives.
I had the same problem Lindsey had. I weighed my ingredients and the cake didn’t rise and was VERY dense. (More dense than a pound cake ) My family ate it anyway because the flavor was great. I’m know I added the BP and it’s fairly new. I used frozen oj concentrate. I will definitely make it again because I know it will be wonderful if it’s light as it should be.
hi….if i use orange essence will it be half of orange extract
Hi Manita, I have never used orange essence so I don’t know how concentrated it is. Does the company that makes it have a website that can give you information on how to substitute it for orange extract?
Hi Sharon, I am sorry your question was overlooked until now. Possibly your cake did not rise because of method. During the mixing process, add 1/2 of the wet ingredients very slowing then increase the mixer speed to medium. If you add 1/2 of the liquid all at once, it can affect how the cake rises. Hope this helps
Hi, ca you use orange oil instead of orange extract?
Thanks.
Hi Antonia, I have never used orange oil so I do not know how concentrated it is. Check the website of the company that makes the product and it may give you information on how to substitute it for orange extract.
Hi when you make this cake it said to add baking powder, but it did not say to at baking soda. Most cakes recipes I use require baking power and baking soda and the cake comes out high, light and fluffy. I notice when I use a cake recipes with just baking powder the cake comes out dense and heavy.
Hi Danielle, I think it would be fine to adjust the baking powder if you like. The general guideline for leavening is 1 teaspoon baking powder per cup of flour and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per cup of flour. Baking soda is most often used when there is an acidic ingredient in the recipe.
Has anyone used gluten free flour for this recipe? If so how was the flavor? Thank you.
Thank you so much! I was so happy to find this recipe; all the other ones I have seen use cake mixes and I don’t care for that. I’d much rather do it all from scratch.
Can’t wait to try this!
You are welcome, Susi. We love this cake, hope you will too!
Could u use regular orange juice concentrate not frozen?
Hi Natascha, I am not familiar with that product, but it should work if it is orange juice concentrate. If the product says “made from orange juice concentrate and is diluted it will not give your the intense orange flavor that you need for the recipe.
For the English among us, I made this with orange juice from concentrate and it worked a treat
This looks fabulous, do you know if I can replace the cake flour for a gluten free version and if yes do you know of a good kind available in canada ?
http://www.pamelasproducts.com/products/baking-mixes/pamelas-chocolate-cake-mix/
http://www.pamelasproducts.com/products/baking-mixes/pamelas-vanilla-cake-mix/
Hi Wendy, The above links are to Pamela gluten free mixes that I have heard were good. I am sorry but it takes a lot of trial and error to change a regular cake mix into a gluten free one so I do not think you would have success with replacing gluten free flour in the Orange Dreamsicle recipe. If you decide to give the Pamela Mix a try, let me know what you think.
Hi Sally, Thank you so much for your post!!
Can you make this cake using the traditional creaming method?
Hi Pat, Yes, you can make it using the traditional creaming method. I suggest re-writing the recipe into the traditional method, count the ingredients making sure you have not left anything out. Hope you like it!
Just tried this recipe. It was delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Donna, Thank you so much for your nice comment about the recipe, I am so happy you like it!
Would you by any chance have a gluten free yellow cake recipe?
Can I make in two 9″ pans?
Hi Debra, Yes, you can make in 9 inch pans the cake layer will just not be as tall.
i was wondering if you could make cup cakes with the dreamsicle cake batter and pipe the filling in side after baking and then frost? what would you suggest for baking temp and time?
Hi Dawn, Yes, you could do that, just keep them refrigerated until just before serving. Bake the cupcakes at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center to see if done.
I made this cake for Easter this year. We all enjoyed it. I had previously purchased Peter Rabbit plates & napkins. The cake and this set looked so sweet together. I would love to share a pic. Icing a cake is not my expertise, but I smoothed the sides out by using hot water in a glass and dipping the icing spatula every now & then. I was too nervous to swirl in the food coloring without specific instructions, so I just tinted it. Then I made swirls using the back of my spoon starting on the edges working around the cake and all the way in towards the center. It gave it a natural, rustic look.
Hi Melissa . Can i use freshly squeeze orange juice or Tang, FRozen orangejuice isn’t available here in our country
Hi Mina, I am sorry to say that the cake will not have the distinctive orange flavor it needs without the orange juice concentrate.
OH. MY. GOODNESS…. This the absolute best cake and filling I have ever had! I thought your Maraschino Cherry Cake was at the top of my list but it’s headed down to number 2. I seriously cannot stop praising JESUS over this one LOL! I’m practically speechless – and that’s rare for me!! HA! I made it for a birthday cake and I’m actually bummed that I have to put buttercream frosting over it! The cake and filling alone are perfection!! You have waaaaaay outdone yourself on this one, it’s the perfect summer cake!
Hi Julie!! Thanks you so much for your feedback, we’re so happy that you love the cake and orange cream filling!! Wish I had a slice right now! ;0) xoxo
I’m making this cake in 2 days for my daughters birthday. I could not find orange extract in my small town and finally did find it in a larger town but cannot get there before I’m making the cake. I did find Orange Oil and bought it but it says its 4 x stronger than extracts. Is there a ratio that I can use to make sure the orange does not overpower the cake? I was told I could use the entire .125 oz in the cake mix but I wanted to be sure before I did that. Thank you.
Have you tried squeezing oranges and using the fresh juice in place of the concentrate? I would think the flavor would be intense, although it would be thicker than the thawed orange concentrate.
Hi Terra, Let us know what you think if you give the fresh juice a try.
I made this cake on Saturday. After a long search I did find orange extract and the cake, filling and frosting turned out beautifully. The taste was perfect and my daughter has declared this to be her forever birthday cake!! Thank you for sharing recipes.
Hi Martha, Thank you so much for leaving a comment about the recipe. We are thrilled that your daughter loved her birthday cake!!
My mother made this cake,it was Fabulous!!!! My whole family enjoyed very much after eating it. Thanks for this amazing recipe……
http://www.cakengifts.in/birthday-cakes
I have all but stopped using the regular creaming method. I am a professional cake baker and this is the best method especially if you are tiering a cake. Follow the directions EXACTLY. Never fails for me. This recipe can be used for so many different cakes, just change what liquid and flavorings you use. This is to me a perfect summer cake.
Can I convert this to a sheet cake? Would you recommend it being done at the same temp for the same length of time?
Hi Esther, Thank you so much for posting your thoughts on reverse creaming and the recipe.
Hi Lynette, the recipe can be made as a sheet cake. A 9×13 pan would need 7 cups of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. The cake would probably be only 1 1/2 inches high since this recipe makes 6 cups of batter. You could double the recipe for 12 cups of batter and fill the 9×13 pan 1/2 to 2/3rds full for a 2 inch high sheet cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. It is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. You will have left over batter for a few cupcakes. If you have rose nails, you could add two to the bottom of the pan before filing to bring heat to the center of the cake. At about 40 minutes into baking you might want to cover the top of the pan loosely with aluminum foil if you think it is coming too brown.
Can I make this in a 9×13 cake pan? It’s easier to feed my coworkers that way. Thanks!
Hi Lisa, This recipe only makes 6 cups of cake batter so your cake would not be very tall. You could increase the ingredients by 1/2 for more batter. Here are links to two cake batter amounts according to pan size that you will find helpful
http://www.wilton.com/cake-serving-guide/cms-baking-serving-guide.html
http://www.fromkarenskitchen.com/tips/party_cake_batter_amounts_baking_times_2inch_pan.php
Thank you!
To those struggling with falling cakes or rising problems, check your elevation. I’m at about 5,000 feet and I’ve had to adjust all my recipes. If you google high elevation baking, you’ll get some great results. Personally, I use the Craftsy recommendations. It’s a nice table that actually tells you the percentages to increase or decrease ingredients. I just use a calculator against the weight measurements and it tells me exactly how much to add or subtract. It’ been a game changer for me and I hope it helps others.
My 6 year old grandson asked for an orange cake this year for his annual birthday cake, and I was really worried. There aren’t too many scratch orange cakes on the internet. Luckily, the ingredients for this Dreamsicle Cake sounded just right. One problem though….I generally do not do well with cake flour. Every recipe I have ever made using cake flour has failed. Either they sink in the middle, deflate to half there height, or pull away from the sides of the cake pan so far that instead of an 8″ cake, I end up with a 6″. I’ve been baking for my family successfully for years, but using cake flour remained an obstacle. So, it is with great pleasure that I share that this cake performed beautifully! I made 2 8″ square cakes for a robot cake, and one tester cupcake. Everything came out perfectly! The cupcake proved that this recipe is as delicious as the name sounds!
Thank you so much for this inspiring recipe. I made cupcakes out of this delicious recipe for labor day weekend. This will never be a throw away. My cupcakes came perfect!??
Thank you, Leanne, for your nice review of the recipe!! So happy you like it!!
Can you please tell me the technique of icing the cake? It is so pretty and I don’t know how to icing it this way.
I made this and it was absolutely FANTASTIC. The only negative (and not even sure if it’s a negative, really) is that it was very dense, denser than I’m used to…but to be fair, i’m used to boxed cakes. This was so so delicious and such a welcome change of pace from the run of the mill vanilla and chocolate cakes. It presents beautifully as well. I will without a doubt make this again!
Hi Catherine, It is wonderful to know that you like this cake!! The reverse creaming mixing method does give a slightly more dense cake that has a melt in your mouth quality. The conventional mixing method could also be used and that would be good also. Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try and posting your thoughts.
Hi, I made this for my son’s birthday and he LOVED it! It’s the first time I had tried this creaming method. He asked for me to make it again but lemon flavored. I substituted lemon zest, lemon flavoring, lemon pudding, and lemonade concentrate. It was great! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thanks so much for your feedback, Joyce! So glad that you all loved the cake & I LOVE that you tried a lemon version also! We’ll have to put that on our to-do list ;0) I love lemon!
Can you use a bundt pan? If so do I have to change anything? Except of course the timing
I’m wanting to make cupcakes for a little girls birthday is there any changes I might need for them? Or high altitude?
Hi Juanita, For cupcakes, bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, check at 18 minutes. As with most scratch recipes, the cupcakes will bake up fairly level. Fill the liners 2/3’s full. We don’t have first hand experience with high altitude baking as we live nearly at sea level. Here is a craftsy link that I think you might find helpful:
https://www.craftsy.com/baking/article/how-to-bake-at-high-altitude/
Made this cake for Easter and it was absolutely delicious! It tasted just like a creamsicle! I will definitely be making this again. I have a feeling this will be added to my regular rotation of cake recipes.
Hi Lindsay, Your cake looks delicious!! We are happy you gave the recipe a try and posted your review, thank you!
When you actually assembled the cake did you only but the orange cream filling between the layers or did you mix it with the cream cheese frosting to get that swirl?
Hi Cindy- For the filling, we used the orange cream filling recipe only.
Then, for the outer frosting, we frosted the cake with the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting (untinted), but reserved some of the frosting so that we could lightly tint it with a touch of orange coloring gel, and swirled some of that tinted orange cream cheese frosting here and there over the frosted cake for a marbled/two toned effect.
I have a boxed white cake mix that I would love to use up. Do you think I could use that in place of the dry ingredients? And then just continue on with the rest of the recipe?
Has anyone tried this with Lemon instead of Orange??
Hi Penny, I would use the cake mix directions on the back of the box with these changes: change the cup of water to 1 cup orange juice concentrate (thawed), add 1 Tablespoon orange extract, zest of 1 orange and the orange color. I think it should turn out fine. I have been wanting to try a doctored cake mix version. Let us know what you think if you give it a try.
Hi Mandi, I have not tried the recipe with lemon concentrate.
Cake didn’t want to come out of pans in 10 minutes. Did release finally but all crumb came off bottom. Should I have waited longer? I prepped aluminum pans with Crisco & flour.
Hi Regina, I’m sorry you had a problem. No, you should not have left the cake in the pan longer, if it is left longer it will definitely stick to the pan. Possibly you did not use enough Crisco in greasing the pans. In the future you could cut a circle of waxed paper and place in the bottom of the pan. This will help the cake to come out.
Can Orange juice be used in place of concentrate if so how much thanks so much beautiful cake
Hi Geri, We have not tried the recipe using regular orange juice so I am not sure if the amount would change. I do think the frozen orange juice concentrate does gives it additional orange flavor. Let us know if you give it a try, I would like your opinion.
I made this cake. Froze the layers and then used the mousse filling with cream cheese frosting as posted here. It was absolutely delicious! I made it for my sister’s birthday, and she loved it. I dragged some of the orange tinted frosting down the sides, too. I forgot to take a picture!
Hi Regina, That is wonderful!! Thanks so much for posting your review!!
Is this a reliable recipe for a wedding cake tier?
Hi Patti, Yes, this recipe could be used for a wedding cake tier.
How full would you fill the cupcake liners if you made into cupcakes? Also how long to cook?
Hi Pam, Fill your cupcake liners 2/3’s full. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. The cupcakes bake up with a slight dome. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
I made this cake and it was absolutely wonderful and the bride to be and groom both liked sampling this CAKE. I am definitely using it for a tier on the wedding cake with a vanilla buttercream frosting. Thanks for this recipe and I am passing it on to my friends as well.
Hi Patti, We are thrilled that you like the recipe, thank you for posting your nice review!!
For a summer project I am trying my hand at cake decorating. My son picked this cake it was a hit with all who ate it. Plus the lady who taught me some decorating skills and bakes as a side business asked for the recipe. Trying the Oreo one next week as my daughter picked that cake. I’m planning on the chocolate peanut butter one for me! I love that I found your website!!!!
For some reason it keeps falling in the middle
Hi Samantha, The most likely cause for you cake to fall in the center is under baking. It would be a good idea to get an oven thermometer to find out if your oven is heating to the temperature you have it set to. Oven thermometers can be found at Target, grocery stores or online and they are inexpensive. I hope that will solve the problem for you.
Love Dreamsycles so I was eager to make this cake. Watched tutorial and followed directions very carefully. The cake came out perfect and after frosted absolutely beautiful!!! Had friends over for dinner and everyone went on and on about the cake and how delicious it was. I love to bake and in the future any cake I bake I’ll do the reverse creaming method if the recipe allows. This is a winner for sure!!!
Hi Mel! Can you please tell me how to make cake flour I cannot find it anywhere. Ratio of corn flour please
Hi Aneela, I’m sorry that we forgot to add that information at the end of the recipe.
For each cup of all purpose flour remove 2 Tablespoons and replace with 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch.
For this recipe, measure out 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, remove 5 Tablespoons of the all purpose flour and replace with 5 Tablespoon cornstarch. Whisk to blend and continue on with the recipe directions.
I’m so excited to make this cake this week for my baby’s 1st birthday party. I’d like to do 3 layers. Should I make a 1.5 recipe? Do you think it will hold?
Hi Lisa, This recipe makes 6 cups of batter, you could use as it is putting 2 cups batter in each of three pans. The layers would be 1 inch high but with the filling and frosting your final cake would be approximately 4 inches high. We have not made 1 1/2 times the recipe but it should be fine to do so. Double check the amounts to make sure they are correct. I’m happy you are making this cake, I hope you will enjoy it.
I made 2 recipes this weekend for a 3 layer cake and some cup cakes. Turned out great! Picture of the cake for my sons 1st Birthday.
Hi Lisa, Well, that is a cute as can be, I love it. Thank you so much for posting your picture and your review of the cake!
Hi Mel. This cake looks absolutely gorgeous and yummy. I was asked to make a an Orange cake with marbled fondant for a 21st birthday party this weekend. Will the orange cream cheese frosting hold well under fondant?
Hi Maureen- I’m sorry, I wouldn’t chance the fondant on cream cheese. Some decorators say that they’ve done it successfully with a crusting cream cheese frosting and you can look into that option, but I would go with the safest bet & skip the cream cheese frosting in favor of a butter-based buttercream or ganache.
Thanks Mel. I will try a normal orange flavour buttercream instead of the cream cheese.
Thanks Mel. I will try a normal orange flavour buttercream instead of the cream cheese icing.
Can you use the conventional method for making these into cupcakes?
Hi Leileinia, Yes, you can use the conventional mixing method for this recipe. I suggest re-writing the recipe in the conventional method, be sure to count the ingredients . It is so easy to leave something out. Hope all goes well and you enjoy the recipe.
I made this cake on Saturday and heaven, was it good? It was divine just to eat it like that without the frosting. It’s a moist, fluffy and very yummy cake, definitely a keeper for me.
Hi Maureen, Wonderful!! We are so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Hi Terry, Your cake looks lovely!! Thanks so much for your nice post!!
Does this recipe double well?
Hi Diana, We have not tried doubling the recipe but I think you should be able to do so with no problem. This recipe uses the reverse creaming method, are you familiar with this? If not, you might want to watch Melissa’s video, a link below
https://www.mycakeschool.com/blog/reverse-creaming-method-of-mixing-a-cake-video-tutorial/
can we use the normal orange juice like real which r available in local stores….not sure about the concentrated one
Is this recipe adaptable to a 9 X 13″ baking pan?
Hi Lee, This recipe makes only 6 cups of cake batter. You could make in a 9×13 pan but it I think may not be as tall as you would like. Below at 2 links to cake batter amount charts, one suggest 7 cup batter and the other 10 cups
http://www.fromkarenskitchen.com/tips/party_cake_batter_amounts_baking_times_2inch_pan.php
http://www.wilton.com/cake-serving-guide/cms-baking-serving-guide.html
Where is the frosting recipe?
Hi Marcia, it’s linked in the post but you can also find it here!:
https://www.mycakeschool.com/blog/orange-cheese-frosting/
and here is the Orange Cream Filling:
https://www.mycakeschool.com/recipes/orange-filling-recipe/
How do you make the orange filling for the cake
Hi, Click on Orange Cream Filling (in red letters) in the instructions, it will link you to the recipe. I hope you will enjoy the cake. You can also go the recipe section and click on Fillings, there you will also find the Orange Cream Filling recipe.
Thanks so much will let you know how it come out
Is it possible to use store bought orange cake mix and add some ingredients to it?
Hi! I’m considering this recipe for my son’s birthday party & would like to adapt it for cupcakes. At what temperature would I bake them & approximately how many would the batter make? Thanks!
Hi Sara, For standard size cupcakes, bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, check at 18 minutes. Depending on how much batter is used for each cupcake, you should get 25 to 30.
I love this cake! I’ve made it a couple of times and my family loves it. I used IMBC because I find ABC to be too sweet. I used a drip and called it a Melting Creamsicle. Thanks so much.
Hi Diana. Re: doubling -I doubled the recipe and it worked out just fine. I made two 10” layers and baked them with cake strips at 325 for 50 minutes, fingers crossed the entire time. I didn’t double the filling as I only had two layers and one recipe was fine. Cheers
Hi Sue, Thank you so much for posting the picture and your version of the recipe. Your cake looks delicious and I love the name!!
I used this recipe last year for my daughter’s birthday and it was a huge hit. I want to make it again this year but as cupcakes. About how many cupcakes would it make?
this is one of the best cake recipes i’ve ever followed! the texture of the cake is perfection, and the frosting is to die for!!!
Hi Laurel, I’m happy you enjoyed the recipe. I think filling standard size cupcakes 2/3’s full will give you approximately 26 cupcakes.
Hi Sydney, Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and posting your review!! I’m thrilled that you like it.
Hi Laurel, I’m happy you enjoyed the recipe. I think if you are making standard size cupcakes you will have approximately 26 – 28 cupcakes, depending on the amount in each cupcake liner.
Hi Sydney, Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and posting your review!! I’m thrilled that you like it.
Hi again! I’m giving this recipe a go for my son’s 1st birthday Saturday (I previously wrote asking about cupcake options for it) & wondered about using real orange juice versus a frozen concentrate? Do you think the cake would come out with much less of a distinct orange flavor?
Hi Sara, The recipe definitely needs the frozen concentrate for the distinct orange flavor. Hope all goes well.
Would I be able to substitute buttermilk for the milk in this recipe?
Yes i always use buttermilk instead.
Would this recipe work with plain flour as well? We don’t get cake flour here in Australia.
Hi, it’s me again. We don’t get frozen orange juice concentrate in Australia? What can I substitute for that? Would regular orange juice concentrate work instead?
I used 2 9″ cake pans and I had double the frosting I needed and quite a bit of the cream filling left over too. Next time I think I would half both of those recipes.
Made this cake and followed the recipe exactly. Delicious!
Hi Kristie, Thanks so much for posting your cake and the nice review. Looks great!!
So fantastic! Made it for my twin’s 1st birthday and it was a huge hit!!
Hi Tara, Your cake looks wonderful!! We are thrilled it was a hit at the party!! Thanks for posting a picture!
If I wanted to make cupcakes instead of the cake how long should I cook them?
Hi Cynthia, For standard size cupcakes, bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. Hope you will enjoy the recipe.
We don’t have frozen orange juice concentrate where I live either. I was thinking it might be possible to use orange puree (Boiron) instead or maybe just boil some orange juice over a high heat to make it more concentrated.
Hi Gunilla, I am not familiar with orange Boiron puree so I read some information about it and it possibly could work. I don’t think boiling orange juice over high heat will work. If you give the Boiron a try, let us know if that is a good replacement.
My 6 year old and I made this cake as cupcakes for Easter and for her Girl Scout Troop’s virtual Cupcake Wars. We made the cake as written minus the filling and we frosted with an orange vanilla Ermine frosting as we aren’t huge fans of cream cheese frosting. They were great frosted but are excellent plain without frosting! I love the texture of the, it’s sturdy and velvety without being dry. This might be my new go to cake recipe!
Hi Kelly, What a fun activity to do with your daughter! Thank you for letting us know how you used the recipe, and for your nice comments.
Hi
Does the filling go between the layers?
What can I use instead of 4 large eggs in orange cake recipe? Could you please let me know. Thanks!
Hi Betty, Yes, the filling goes between the layers
Hi Diya, I don’t know what would be successful in this recipe as an egg substitute, but here is a link with some suggestions.
https://www.google.com/search?q=substitute+for+4+eggs&oq=substitute+for+4+eggs&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l4.9151j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Could I make this the day before serving and the pudding filling be OK? Meaning not make the cake soggy? Or would it be better to assemble right before serving? Thank You!
Hi Lora, You will be fine to make the cake the day before serving.
I made this last weekend and I used real orange juice however the cake was good but a little hard maybe because I put it in the refrigerator to cool off for a bit next time I think I’ll put a little vegetable oil in it for some moistness. But overall the taste is good.
Hi Alicia, Your cake looks beautiful! When you refrigerate your completed cake, make sure it is under an airtight cover. Also, take it out of the refrigerator 1 1/2 to 2 hours in advance of serving so it will warm up to almost room temperature. The Reverse Creaming method of mixing will give cake layers that are slightly more dense, so if the cake was cold when served it would seem hard, as you described. If you have frozen orange juice concentrate available to you, it gives the cake more orange flavor than orange juice. Let us know what you think, if you make the recipe again.
I made this cake and it was a HIT. I did add flowers made out of orange flavored Italian buttercream with orange sherbet flavored sugar pearls.
Beautiful cake, Shan! Thank you so much for your review of the recipe, we’re so glad that you enjoyed it!
Has anyone tried to make this case with different flavored juice concentrate? Wondering if this would turn out well with a berry concentrate curious ?
Hi Jenny, I tried with Oros Orange Crush concentrate the past weekend cause we don’t get the frozen one here where I live. The cake tasted very nice but the texture was a bit “gooyie/gummy” which I didn’t like. It could be that my oven was probably not hot enough. I’ll try it again and see whether it will be the same or whether it was just my oven. Other than that, it’s a very DELICIOUS CAKE.
I make these as cupcakes & bake 350 18-20min but they “deflate” every time & end up as tiny little cakes. I’m not over beating them and my baking powder is new. Any suggestions?
I made this cake and it was amazing I need to make it but double would 2 9×12 pans work?
If you’re having trouble finding orange juice concentrate.. you can freeze orange juice and then thaw it a little.. the juice and water in the juice melts at different temps so pour some of the juice out into another cup while leaving the ice behind… viola.. concentrated juice
Hi Denise, It is suggested on cake batter charts that a 9×13 sheet pan use 7 cups batter. This recipe makes 6 to 6 1/2 cups batter, you should be fine to double the recipe. And if your pan is 9×12 instead of 9×13, perfect. Below is a link to a cake batter amounts chart and baking times that you will find helpful.
http://fromkarenskitchen.com/tips/party_cake_batter_amounts_baking_times_2inch_pan.php
Everything about this cake was amazing! From the cake, to the filling to the frosting. We loved it!
Wow!! Your cake is so pretty! I am happy everyone loved it. Thank you for posting.
I made this cake about 4 times now and it is absolutely divine, from the filling to the frosting. My family and friends can’t stop raving about this cake. I’m happy that I made it although the 2nd time I made it after a very long time it was gooyie but figured out what I did wrong.
Definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Btw, I use Oros crush.
Hi Maureen, Thank you so much for posting your nice review of the recipe. Melissa and I are so happy that you have enjoyed the cake.
Where and when do you put the cream cheese filing when assembly the cake.
Thanks
The filling goes between the layers when stacking the cake, before frosting the cake.
I made this cake for my mother in laws birthday and it was a huge hit! It was so light and delicious!
Hi Ericka, You make our day with your nice comments on the recipe. Thank you so much for posting.
Can this orange creamsicle cake be left out? In a cake Tupperware?
Hi Debra, This cake will need to be refrigerated because of the filling and the cream cheese frosting. Keep under a cake cover and remove from the refrigerator an hour or so before serving to warm up a bit.
Hi, can I use all purpose flour instead of cake flour?
Hi Venka, If you only have all purpose flour, the following is how you can make cake flour. Measure out 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, remove 5 Tablespoons. Replace those 5 Tablespoons with 5 Tablespoons cornstarch. Whisk to blend and proceed with the recipe.
Hi. I baked according to the recipe and everyone loved it but my cake came out dense .. please let me know what I could’ve done wrong. Thanks
This is an amazing recipe! Made this cake for my daughters 3rd birthday because she is obsessed with the color orange. I decorated the cake like the frozen 2 theme but still did a little orange on top. My family is raving about the cake and it was absolutely delicious! Will definitely be making this again! My sister already requested it for her birthday!
Hi Gretchen, Thank you so much for your nice review of the recipe. We are thrilled everyone loved the cake! The cake looks wonderful, thanks for posting your picture.
Girl! This is absolutely delicious ! Fun to make and after one piece I had to freeze it to keep from eating whole thing! It freezes well by the way. I stuck the cake in the freezer until it was frozen then I wrapped it up for safe keeping. There should be a law against this cake because it’s sooooo good!
Hi Connie, So happy you enjoyed the cake!! Thank you for posting your nice and also very funny review.
Hi! I’ve made this cake twice now, and it’s fabulous. I do have issues with the consistency of the frosting, when using a piping bag for decorating and applying the icing. It wants to melt or slide, and doesn’t seem firm enough for piping. Any tips or tricks?
Hi Morris, I’m so happy to hear you like the cake recipe. As for the frosting, make sure that you use full fat cream cheese. Reduced fat cream cheese is too soft. Mixing at a high speed or for too long can make the frosting soft. Cutting the cream cheese in small pieces can make it easier for the butter to blend in. If you would prefer to soften the cream cheese a bit, it would be fine to do so. If your frosting becomes too soft you can firm it up to the spreading or piping consistency you like by refrigerating it for just a short while….check on it every 10 minutes or so. Also, some people have “hot hands” when it comes to piping. If you are going to be doing a lot of piping, fill 2 piping bags with frosting. When your frosting becomes too soft, put that bag in the refrigerator to chill and use the 2nd bag. Alternating bags works great for “hot hands” people. I hope some of these thoughts will help with your problem.
Had a great time using your recipe to make our 7yr old’s birthday cake. Orange is her favorite flavor and she loves cats! So Voila, The Orange Dreamsicle Cat Cake! :) We felt like professionals. Thank You!
I was looking for a unique sheet cake for my 50th wedding anniversary and this is exceptional! I love this. I didn’t have food coloring so did without. I’ll decorate the Anniversary one.
Colbaugh, Wow! Your cat cake is so cute, great work. Thanks for posting!
Cathy, Thanks so much for your nice comments.
Is the orange juice concentrate prepared or use at full strength?
Hi Lori, It is used full strength.
Thanks for replying! This looks so delicious!! I’m making it for a upcoming birthday – I will let you know how it turns out! Always looking for something new or unique. Thanks for sharing!
Not sure if I read something wrong but the pudding amount is listed as a small pkg and gives ounces (1 small box instant Vanilla pudding (3.9 oz/96g) ) – that came to 3 boxes of pudding for me – so when I made the filling it was so thick it made my mixer stop mixing! I ended up pulling 2/3 of the filling from the bowl and added the remaining 1 cup of whipping cream in the container – still very pasty and THICK! Taste was good but everything seemed to be too thick for my hand held mixer to deal with. I will attempt this again and make some adjustments to the amounts needed. Thanks again for sharing :)
I’ve made this cake several times, and it was amazing. I’m gonna try for cupcakes this weekend, and pipe the filling in. Hopefully it turns out just a lovely.
Hi Heather, Thank you so much for your nice review of the recipe. Your cupcakes should turn out great.
Hi! Will be making tomorrow and I only have 9” pans. What would the baking times be? Also, can you use fresh orange juice vs. store bought or would the flavor be too subtle? Thanks for your help.
Hi Barb, To get the depth of orange flavor needed, frozen orange juice concentrate is needed, as well as 1 Tablespoon orange extract in the batter and 1 teaspoon in the orange cream filling. This recipe makes 6 -6 1/2 cups batter. Bake at 350 degrees, I have not baked this in 9 inch pans with this amount of batter so keep an eye on it and check at 30 minutes. It will be done when a toothpick into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
Hi! This cake looks delicious. Just a quick question..once the cake is fully assembled, do you refrigerate it? I will be making it a day in advance. Thanks!
Hi Jessica, You will need to refrigerate the completed cake. The filling and the frosting are perishable. Remove from the refrigerator an hour or two before serving so the chill will be off the cake. Hope you enjoy it.
Melissa,
I’m very excited to find this cake recipe. A friend absolutely LOVES Orange Creamsicles and has been requesting a cake. I finally found a cake to make for her. All the recipes I found started with a boxed cake mix and I rarely use mixes. Her birthday is in July so I’ll be making it then. I’ll comment again once I’ve made it.
Thanks!
Trish
This recipe was very good I got rave reviews about it. It was delicious and moist the tutorial about the reverse creaming method was very helpful. There wasn’t one slice left I made it for my husbands birthday on Memorial Day.
Hi Crystal, Your cake looks wonderful! I am so happy everyone enjoyed the cake. Thanks so much for your nice review!
Sorry I left you two reviews I didn’t see the first one so I left another I wanted people to know how great this recipe is. Also it makes great cupcakes as well. Thank you I really have found over this last 6 months that I enjoy baking and decorating I am getting better each time and your tips definitely help. Thank you for your kind words 😊
This cake was so moist and delicious. It tasted just like an orange creamsicle. I made it for my Husbands birthday that was on Memorial Day and there wasn’t one piece left. I also like how you left the tutorial for the reverse creaming method. Also this recipe works great for cupcakes as well I made another batch of the batter and made cupcakes.
Hi Crystal, We are always happy to have another post. Glad you added that you also made cupcakes. Great looking cake!
Thank you for an incredible group of recipes. I used cake, frosting, and filling to make a push-pop cake for my niece’s birthday. I used LoRann oils for all three – orange or orange cream (1/2 of whatever you called for extract). The whole thing was absolutely delicious – separately and together. I look forward to making a straighter cake in the future – or cupcakes or whatever else!
The inside of the cake! I used 4.5″ springform pans to make the tall push-up shape, but the pans weren’t good quality and leaked, so a couple of layers sunk. HOWEVER, your filling is so rich that it helped “patch” up some sinking and made it possible to even stand up. Thanks again.
Hi Emily, Such a great idea to make this cute push pop cake. I’m sure your niece was thrilled when she saw it. Thanks so much for posting your photos and a review of the recipe.
Well I just made the cake and realized I used AP cake instead of cake flour! Think that will be ok?!
Hi Kalli, I really think it will be okay- the texture may be a little different-not quite as fine- because cake flour uses a wheat that has less protein (which develops less gluten) but I think you’ll still be happy with it!
Sounds yummy!
When my kids were growing up I did a “cheater” version using an orange cake mix and substituting fresh OJ instead of water. Delish!
Melissa, what would you think if I used a 9″ x 13″ pan and used both the cake and frosting recipes, omitting the filling? Would too much of what makes the cake great be lost? Thanks for your help!
@Karin, I like that idea!
@ Susan, I really do love the orange cream filling but the orange cream cheese frosting is delicious also- If you’re looking for a great orange cake, I still think that you would be happy with this recipe even without the filling.
Thank you so very much for the quick reply!!
I look forward to making this for my M-in-Law’s 90th birthday cake. In your April 1st reply to Barb you say 1 teaspoon of orange extract is needed for the batter. Please clarify – is it 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon of extract? Thank you for the recipe
Hi Nadine, Thanks for letting me know. It is 1 Tablespoon orange extract in the cake batter and 1 teaspoon in the orange cream filling.
This was a fantastic recipe! I wish I had thought to trim the dark brown edges off of the pretty orange cake before I frosted it. Would make for a prettier slice. But the flavors were great. I doused the cake in an orange simple syrup before frosting and it kept it nicely moist. My son said he wants this for his birthday cake next year!
Hi Kim, Beautiful presentation of your cake!! I’m thrilled your son requested it for his next birthday! Thanks so much for posting.
I love the recipe and tried this cake. I am curious on the outcome though. My cake turned out more dense and dry than fluffy and moist. Unless that’s the way its suppose to be? I’m doubtful though. I did use regular flower instead of cake flour which shouldn’t make a huge difference right? I did notice when mixing the cake it never got fluffy really like you were suggesting. Any advice or tips? The frosting and filling turned out perfect it’s just the cake batter.
Hi Johnathon, I am sorry you had a problem. The cake should not have been dense or dry. There was most likely an issue with the
Reverse Creaming Method. Below is a link to Melissa’s video of using Reverse Creaming. Cakes using this method have a tight and tender texture with almost a melt in your mouth quality.
https://www.mycakeschool.com/blog/reverse-creaming-method-of-mixing-a-cake-video-tutorial/