Orange Dreamsicle Cake

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Orange dreamsicle cake is a light, luscious cloud of angel food cake filled with a creamy orange mousse, and iced with orange buttercream. It’s a lovely spring or summer dessert. With its refreshing citrus and vanilla flavor, this cake is reminiscent of an old fashioned creamsicle or dreamsicle ice cream bar.

orange creamsicle cake horizontal.


This orange dreamsicle cake was my dad’s favorite. Every year, mom would make it for his birthday, and after my parents got divorced, I’d make it for him. Memories of how delicious it is have filled my head with orange flavored dreams for years! (This post was originally published on April 15th, 2014 )

If you love orange, you’ll really going to love this cake! It’s also the perfect dessert for to accompany Easter dinner. The original recipe comes from her 1957 Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Famous Eating Places Cookbook.

The little cookbooks were given away by the Ford Motor Company, maybe as a promotion? It features recipes from restaurants all over the country. This recipe was from Port’s Tea Room & Coffee Shop in St. Paul, Minnesota.

slice of angel food cake on plate

There are three components to this orange dreamsicle cake recipe. Each of the components can be made a day or two ahead. Then the cake can be assembled the day you plan to serve it. 

  • a plain angel food cake.
  • an orange filling made with homemade orange curd and whipped cream filling.
  • homemade orange buttercream.

For a lighter, lower calorie dessert

Feel free to skip the orange buttercream if you prefer a lighter dessert and just finish the cake using the filling as the “frosting.”

Homemade angel food cake

The following recipe is for a basic angel food cake with it is the basis for this dessert. If you want to save time, use a store-bought angel food cake and just prepare the orange buttercream and orange filling. You could also use the filling and frosting to dress up a store bought pound cake, your favorite white cake mix,  or a plain vanilla layer cake. It’s the filling and frosting are what really make this cake fantastic!

angel food cake

Ingredients for angel food cake

How to make the angel food cake

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • In a bowl, sift together the flour, and 3/4 cup of the sugar, set aside.
  • In a large bowl of your stand mixer, whip the egg whites at high speed, until soft peaks form.
  • Add the vanilla, cream of tartar and salt, and continue whipping until medium stiff peaks form.
  • Gradually add the remaining sugar, while continuing to whip whites to stiff peaks.
  • After stiff peaks form, fold in the sifted ingredients gradually, one third at a time. Do not over-mix. Pour the cake batter into at 10″ Tube Pan, gently smoothing top of the cake with an offset spatula.
  • Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Flip the tube pan upside down and allow to cool completely. 
  • When cool, run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto a plate. Wrap with plastic wrap and store at room temperature until ready to assemble.
  • Angel food cake can be made a day in advance.

Ingredients for orange filling

This filling has fresh orange zest and is similar to a mock mousse, with a homemade orange curd filling folded into homemade whipped cream. You can save time by using a store-bought Orange Curd and just folding it into the whipped cream.

ingredients for orange filling.
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 4 Tablespoons all-purpose  flour
  • Juice and zest two oranges
  • 1 pint heavy cream

How to make the orange filling

  • Combine all the ingredients, except for the heavy cream, in the top of a double boiler.
ingredients for orange filling.
  • Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, about 7 to 8 minutes, or until mixture coats the back of a spoon.
Orange curd for angel food cake
  • When thick, remove and cool. Place curd in an ice bath to speed up the process.
ice bath for orange curd.
  • Meanwhile in an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, on medium speed, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Carefully scrape down sides of bowl.
  • When cool, gently fold orange curd into whipped cream.
orange buttercream frosting
  • Chill in an airtight container until ready to assemble the cake

Tip! If you don’t own a double boiler, place a slightly smaller saucepan inside a larger one filled with boiling water.

Orange buttercream ingredients

orange buttercream ingredients.
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
  •  2 Tablespoons orange zest

Making the orange buttercream 

  • Beat butter in a mixer until light and fluffy.
  • Add sugar, vanilla, juice and zest and continue mixing at low speed until blended.

Assembling the orange dreamsicle cake

  • Cut the cake into thirds.
slicing an angel food cake
  • Divide the filling between the layers.
adding filling to first layer.
  • Fill the center hole with remaining orange cream filling. Smooth any filling around the cake.
frosting the orange cream angel food cake
  • Frost the top and sides of the cake with orange any remaining orange filling. For a lighter dessert, skip the buttercream!
  • Chill before finishing with orange buttercream.
crumb coat on angel food cake
  • Decorate top of the frosted cake with fresh orange blossoms and orange slices.
orange dreamsicle cake.

For a true old fashioned dreamsicle dessert, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Looking for more orange desserts?

Orange Posset

orange posset.

Orange Pistachio Shortbread

Pistachio shortbread on green plate.

Try this delicious Orange Cake recipe using a whole orange.

orange creamsicle cake horizontal.

Orange Dreamsicle Cake

Cynthia
Orange dreamsicle cake is a light, luscious cloud of angel food cake filled with a creamy orange mousse, and iced with orange buttercream.
4.82 from 11 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 servings
Calories 469 kcal

Ingredients
  

Angel Food Cake

Orange Cream Filling

  • 1 cup  sugar 6.5 ounces
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 medium oranges zest and juice (about
  • 16 ounces heavy whipping cream

Orange Buttercream

Instructions
 

Angel Food Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • In a bowl, sift together the flour, and 3/4 cup of the sugar, set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whip the egg whites, until soft peaks form.
  • Add the vanilla, cream of tartar and salt, and continue whipping until medium stiff peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar, while continuing to whip whites to stiff peaks.
  • After stiff peaks form, fold in the sifted ingredients gradually, one third at a time. Do not overmix. Put the batter into at 10″ tube pan.
  • Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Flip the tube pan upside down and allow to cool completely. When cool, run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto a plate. While cake is baking, make orange filling and butercream.

Orange Filling

  • Combine sugar, eggs, flour orange juice and zest, in the top of a double boiler.
  • Bring to a boil, whisking constantly.
  • When thick, remove and cool. Place curd in an ice bath to speed up the process.
  • While orange curd is cooling, whip cream until stiff peaks form.
  • When curd is cool, gently fold curd into whipped cream.

Orange Buttercream

  • In a stand mixer, beat butter in a mixer until light and fluffy.
  • Add sugar, vanilla, juice and zest and continue mixing until blended.

Assembling the cake

  • To assemble cake, cut into thirds. Divide orange filling between layers, filling center hole and smoothing excess around cake.
  • Frost cake with orange buttercream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 469kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 5gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 129mgPotassium: 170mgFiber: 1gSugar: 56gVitamin A: 851IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 0.3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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68 Comments

    1. If you’re intimidated, try using a store-bought cake the first time and just make the mousse and buttercream…shhhh! I won’t tell anyone!

  1. This looks so delicious!!
    Does this cake require refridgeration or can it sit out on the counter?
    Thanks!

    1. It can sit out for awhile, but actually it doesn’t really last too long. I usually store whatever leftovers there are on the counter for a day or two.

  2. 5 stars
    Oh my goodness that looks amazing! I think I’ll try making this for Valentine’s dessert! That lovely tea cup would be perfectly paired with this!

  3. Looks so good! Making this cake for my tea party. Hope to serve one of my guests tea in the beautiful tea cup! #Enter

  4. 5 stars
    This was AMAZING! I did cheat and buy an angel food cake though! I made this for valentines dessert and EVERYONE loved it!! I will definitely make this in the summer again. This is going on repeat! Kettle or Aprons. Thank you Cynthia for this recipe, I love so much that it’s your mom’s recipe as well!

4.82 from 11 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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