The Best Orange Glaze (Orange Icing for Cake)

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

4.92 from 23 votes

The Best Orange Glaze (Orange Icing for Cake)

This perfect Orange Glaze is packed with fresh orange flavor (thanks to zest and juice), not too sweet, and easy to make! We experimented with different methods and ratios until we found one that was thick enough to hold up, easy to drizzle, and had the perfect mouthfeel. Spoiler alert... we figured it out! It's the only method we'll use from now on.

Prep Time5

Cook Time2

Total Time7

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

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

Calories: 86kcal

Author: Misty

Equipment

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 tbsp butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 tbsp heavy cream, 1 tbsp orange zest, 1 tbsp orange juice, ¼ tsp vanilla
Use on cakes, pound cake, cookies, cinnamon rolls, scones, or other baked goods.

Notes

Tips & Tricks

Pick good oranges: Fresh orange juice and zest are key to making a flavorful orange icing, so start with great 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.
Warm them up: 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.
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.

Nutrition