The Best Orange Glaze (Orange Icing for Cake)

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This perfect Orange Glaze is packed with orange flavor, not too sweet, and - best of all - easy to make! This recipe is made with fresh orange juice and zest to make the best orange icing for cake, cookies, cinnamon rolls, and more. Plus it's the ideal consistency to drizzle and will hold up perfectly on all your baked goods (no more soaking in!)

Whole orange cake with orange glaze icing dripping down the sides.

Have you ever made a glaze or icing that tasted like pure powdered sugar, was too thin, and soaked right into your cake and disappeared within an hour? 🙋🏼‍♀️ Boy have I!

Well not today! This Orange Glaze recipe is thick and smooth, the perfect orange icing for cake or other desserts. It uses heavy cream (or half and half) and a bit of butter to give it a creamy consistency and cut through the sharp powdered sugar taste, leaving you with a sweet but flavorful orange drizzle.

This recipe is the same sweet orange glaze we use on our Glazed Orange Cake, one of many easy dessert recipes we make on repeat. We also can't help but love the lemon glaze icing on this Lemon Loaf Cake... YUM.

Why this recipe is the best

Easy and fast (no electric mixer or piles of dishes)
Creamy (not too thin)
Doesn't soak in and disappear
Doesn't crack on top like many powdered sugar icings
Perfect orange cake drizzle (or if drizzling isn't enough just drown it 😉)
Versatile - use it on orange cake, pound cake, cookies, cinnamon rolls, scones, and much more.

Perfect icing for my orange bundt cake!! I've been searching and I finally found the right one.!! Thank you!!

- Susan

Ingredients for orange icing

Ingredients for orange glaze icing on white countertop. — You need 6 simple ingredients to make this orange icing glaze, but the most important is flavorful, fresh oranges.

A full list of the ingredients is in the recipe card below, but here are a few noteworthy tips:

Heavy cream: The fat content in cream gives this orange glaze it's creamy consistency and cuts the sharp powdered sugar taste. You can substitute with half and half, but I don't recommend using milk because it doesn't have enough fat to yield the same results.
Fresh orange zest: This is where most of the flavor comes from, so make sure to use a good orange. Make sure to zest it before juicing it.
Fresh orange juice: Fresh juice will give you the best flavor.

How to make orange glaze

This orange cake icing is as easy as they come… just put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth! For a thicker glaze, start with 2 tablespoons of cream. For a thinner glaze, add more cream 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Pro tip: The fastest and easiest way to zest your oranges is with a microplane (affiliate). Do it before juicing the oranges.

Glass bowl with powdered sugar, orange zest, and cream unmixed and a whisk resting in the bowl.

Glass bowl with creamy orange glaze and a whisk resting in the bowl.

Try this one next!

Raspberry Glaze

Creamy, easy to make, and full of bright raspberry flavor!

Get the recipe →

Questions and answers

How do I pick flavorful oranges?

Avoid oranges with thick skin - these are almost always bland and not as juicy. Instead, choose oranges that are brightly colored, smell fragrant, and have a thin, healthy peel. Sunkist are great, navel can be good, and Cara Cara oranges are a good choice if you want a twist on classic orange flavor.

If your oranges are hard, try microwaving them for about 10 seconds, then roll them on the counter firmly with your palm. This should release more juice.

How do you keep a glaze from soaking in a cake?

First, only pour on the glaze when the cake is completely cool, that way the icing doesn't melt. Second, use a glaze that uses a bit of butter and/or heavy cream. The extra fat content helps hold the glaze together so it holds a nice layer instead of dissolving into the cake.

How do you store orange glaze?

You can store this glaze in the refrigerator for up to a week, then gently warm it before using until it's the desired consistency. Once you drizzle it on your cake, it will stay good for 2-3 days at room temperature.

How do you use orange glaze or orange icing?

This is the perfect orange icing for orange pound cake, angel food cake, loaf cake... any cake! You can also use it on cookies, cinnamon rolls, scones, quick bread, or cupcakes. It is especially great on this Orange Loaf Cake, or even this White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake. For something different, try it on our Lemon Pancakes instead of the lemon glaze!

Pouring fresh orange glaze onto loaf cake.

Tips & tricks

Pick good oranges: Fresh orange juice and zest are key to making a flavorful orange icing, so start with great oranges. See the FAQ section above for tips.
Don't substitute the cream: It helps with the creaminess, mellowing the sweetness, and keeping it from soaking into your desserts.
Help it on the edges: When pouring or drizzling the orange glaze, add a little extra to the edges wherever you want it to drip down the sides.

Slices of loaf cake with fresh orange icing on top.

More recipes

Glazed Orange Cake - The perfect moist cake for a creamy orange glaze. Yum!
Lemon Loaf Cake - For a different citrus dessert, try this lemon yogurt loaf!
Perfect Raspberry Glaze - Amazing on any number of desserts.
Lemon Blackberry Cheesecake - Creamy cheesecake with a blackberry swirl and a lemon Oreo crust. Delish!
Maple Butter Glaze - The perfect topping for donuts, scones, or any baked good!
Skillet Poatoes Recipe: Super simple recipe!
Honey Hot Sauce Recipe: So yummy!
Frozen Baked Mac and Cheese: Great for making ahead!
Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe: Been loving this for 15+ years!
Make Ahead Scalloped Potatoes are freezer and make ahead friendly!
Green Beans with Bacon and Onion are simple but holiday-friendly.

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Recipe

The Best Orange Glaze (Orange Icing for Cake)

4.91 from 22 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 2

Total Time: 7

Servings: cups (enough for 1 loaf or 1 bundt cake)

Calories: 86kcal

Author: Misty

Ingredients

▢ 1 tablespoon butter softened
▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
▢ 2-3 tablespoon heavy cream or half and half
▢ 1 tablespoon orange zest
▢ 1 tablespoon orange juice
▢ ¼ teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a bowl, starting with 2 tablespoon of heavy cream. Mix until well combined and smooth. I like to use a whisk. If needed, add more cream 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
1 tablespoon butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoon heavy cream, 1 tablespoon orange zest, 1 tablespoon orange juice, ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Use on cakes, pound cake, cookies, cinnamon rolls, scones, or other baked goods.
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Notes

Tips & Tricks

Pick good oranges: Fresh orange juice and zest are key to making a flavorful orange icing, so start with great oranges. See the FAQ section above for tips.
Don't substitute the cream: It helps with the creaminess, mellowing the sweetness, and keeping it from soaking into your desserts.
Help it on the edges: When pouring or drizzling the orange glaze, add a little extra to the edges wherever you want it to drip down the sides.

Storage

You can store this glaze in the refrigerator for up to a week, then gently warm it before using until it’s the desired consistency. Once you drizzle it on your cake, it will stay good for 2-3 days at room temperature.