Baked and Shared by Yolandie Olech
Soft and fluffy orange cupcakes filled with homemade orange curd and topped with creamy citrus frosting. A bright and fresh cupcake recipe perfect for parties, tea time, or summer baking.
Why You’ll Love These Orange Cupcakes
Easy to customise into different citrus flavors
Soft and fluffy cupcake texture
Fresh homemade orange curd filling
Real citrus flavor from fresh zest and juice
Bakery-style frosting
Perfect for birthdays, tea parties, and summer events
Beginner-friendly recipe
Moist Orange Cupcakes Filled With Homemade Orange Curd
There’s something so comforting about citrus baking. The smell of fresh orange zest filling the kitchen instantly makes everything feel brighter and fresher.
These moist orange cupcakes are soft, fluffy, and filled with a smooth homemade orange curd that adds the perfect burst of citrus flavor in the middle. Topped with my signature fluffy frosting, fresh orange zest, and a small orange slice, these cupcakes feel elegant while still being simple enough to make at home.
One of my favourite parts of this recipe is rubbing the orange zest directly into the sugar before mixing the batter. It helps release all those natural oils from the orange and gives the cupcakes a deeper orange flavor throughout.
If you love bakery-style cupcakes with a fresh citrus twist, these are definitely worth trying.
Homemade Orange Curd
I like making the orange curd first so it has enough time to cool and thicken before filling the cupcakes.
Ingredients
- 70g white sugar
- Zest of 1 large orange (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 egg yolks
- 45g fresh orange juice
- 30g butter
Method
Create a double boiler by placing a heatproof bowl over a pot with simmering water. Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl — only the steam should heat the curd.
Add all the ingredients into the bowl and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until thickened. This process takes about 20 minutes, so be patient — it is worth it.
The curd is ready when it thickly coats the back of a spoon.
Once thickened, strain the curd through a fine sieve to remove the orange zest and create a smooth texture.
Set aside to cool completely.
Orange Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 170g white granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 large orange
- 90g canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 200g all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup buttermilk
- Optional: orange gel food coloring
Method
Preheat your oven to 160°C.
This recipe makes approximately 10 cupcakes depending on cupcake size.
Step 1
Rub the orange zest into the sugar until fully infused and fragrant.
Step 2
Add the oil and eggs to the sugar mixture and mix with a hand mixer for a few minutes until lighter in color.
The sugar does not need to fully dissolve, but mixing longer helps create a lighter cupcake texture.
Step 3
Alternate between adding the flour mixture and buttermilk, folding gently until fully combined.
Do not overmix the batter.
Step 4
If desired, add a small amount of orange gel food coloring for a brighter cupcake color.
Bake for 15–18 minutes at 160°C.
Remove the cupcakes from the tin as soon as they are cool enough to touch. Leaving them inside the tin for too long can dry them out.
Orange Frosting
For this recipe, I make half of my signature frosting batch.
Ingredients
- 350g icing sugar
- 250g butter or margarine
- 2 tablespoons full cream milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Method
Whip the frosting for at least 8 minutes until light, fluffy, and creamy.
Assemble The Cupcakes
Using a cupcake corer or knife, create a small hole in the middle of each cupcake.
Fill the centre with the cooled orange curd.
Pipe frosting on top using your favourite piping nozzle. I used a 1M rosette nozzle for these cupcakes.
For decoration, I added:
- fresh orange zest
- a small orange slice
- edible glitter
Baking Tips
- Infusing the orange zest into the sugar gives a stronger citrus flavour.
- Do not overmix the batter or the cupcakes may become dense.
- Straining the curd creates a much smoother filling.
- Allow the curd to cool fully before filling the cupcakes.
- Whipping the frosting longer creates a lighter bakery-style texture.
Storage
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days because of the homemade orange curd filling.
Allow them to come slightly to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
How To Create More Cupcake Flavors Like This
One of my favourite things about having a good cupcake base recipe is how easily you can turn it into completely different flavours.
By changing simple ingredients like:
- citrus zest,
- fillings,
- extracts,
- sauces,
- and decorations,
you can create endless cupcake combinations from one reliable recipe base.
This orange cupcake recipe was actually created from my go-to vanilla cupcake recipe that I use as a foundation for many different flavours.
If you enjoy experimenting with cupcake flavours or want to learn more beginner-friendly cupcake recipes, pricing ideas, and decorating tips, you can also explore my Cupcakes Selling From Home guide for even more inspiration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the orange curd ahead of time?
Yes. In fact, I recommend making it a day ahead so it has enough time to cool and thicken properly.
Can I use bottled orange juice?
Fresh orange juice is best for flavor, but bottled juice can work in a pinch, or even orange essence if you have.
Can I freeze these cupcakes?
The unfrosted cupcakes freeze well, but the curd-filled cupcakes are best enjoyed fresh.
Can I use this recipe for a cake?
Yes, this cupcake batter can also work well as a small cake layer recipe. Just make sure you adjust the baking times according to the cake size. Infact these would make perfect bento / 10cm cakes for a special celebration like birthday gifts, mother’s day gifts, thank you gifts or even get well soon gifts.
Final Thoughts
These orange curd cupcakes are soft, fresh, citrusy, and perfect for spring and summer baking. The creamy orange filling paired with the fluffy frosting creates a cupcake that feels both homemade and bakery-style at the same time.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how they turned out for you.
And if you enjoy beginner-friendly baking recipes like this, be sure to explore more cupcake recipes and baking guides here on my website.
with all my love
Yolandie Olech
“Bake the world a better place” 🍊🧁