Fresh Orange Glaze (Orange Icing for Cake)

Name: Fresh Orange Glaze (Orange Icing for Cake)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 7 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp butter (softened); 1 cup powdered sugar; 2-3 tbsp heavy cream (or half and half); 1 tbsp orange zest; 1 tbsp orange juice; ¼ tsp vanilla

Jump to Recipe

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. — This creamy orange glaze is full of orange flavor and easy to make - the perfect combo!

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 Fresh Orange Glaze 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 orange glaze we use on our Glazed Orange Cake, one of many easy dessert recipes we make on repeat.

🏅 Why this recipe is great

Easy and fast
Creamy (not too thin)
Doesn’t soak in and disappear
Perfect orange cake drizzle (or if drizzling isn’t enough just drown it 😉)
Versatile - use it on orange cake, pound cake, cookies, cinnamon rolls, and much more.

🍊 Ingredients

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.
Orange juice: Freshly squeezed orange juice will give you the best flavor.
Orange zest: This is where most of the flavor comes from, so don’t skip it. Make sure to zest the orange before juicing it.

🔪 How to make orange glaze icing

This orange cake icing is as easy as they come… just put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth!

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

Bowl of orange cake drizzle ingredients before mixing and after mixing. — Just add the ingredients to a bowl and mix until smooth. Easy!

🙋 Questions and Answers

How do I pick good oranges?

Try to 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 peel. Navel and Sun Kissed oranges are often good choices.

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 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 cake, cookies, cinnamon rolls, scones, or cupcakes. It would be an especially great orange glaze for pound cake, this Orange Cake, or even this White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake.

Pouring fresh orange glaze onto loaf cake. — This glaze is thick and smooth - the perfect orange icing for cake, drizzling on cookies, or spooning on cinnamon rolls.

👨🏼‍🍳 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. — The perfect topping to any number of desserts!

📖 Other dessert recipes

Glazed Orange Cake - The perfect moist cake for a creamy orange glaze. Yum!
Lemon Loaf Cake - For a different citrus flavor, try this lemon yogurt loaf!
Lemon Blackberry Cheesecake - Creamy cheesecake with a blackberry swirl and a lemon Oreo crust. Delish!
Maple Glaze - The perfect topping for donuts, scones, or any baked good!

👋🏻 Connect with us!

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating to let us know how it is! We’d also love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag @borrowedbites or hashtag #borrowedbites to show us your food!