Best Orange Cream Cheese Frosting (with Grand Marnier Liqueur)

This is the best orange cream cheese frosting recipe you’re going to find. Why? It’s simple, easy to make and includes Grand Marnier–that’s why!

Sometimes you just want a little change.

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The other day I made a pumpkin carrot cake, as I often do, but this time I made it in a 2 layer cake form. I added a little less white and brown sugar, omitted the coconut and only added two dashes of cinnamon.  For some reason, I thought about flavoring the cream cheese frosting with orange. This is probably because I found frozen orange zest that needed to be used!

You could actually switch out the orange for any citrus flavor. Use lemon rind, lemon liqueur and lemon oil for a lemon frosting! There are so many possibilities. You can also add the frosting to this moist pineapple carrot cake, too!

You may also enjoy this Whole Orange Cake~

If you love orange flavored desserts, I really think you’ll be smitten with this frosting! Try it on vanilla cupcakes, a carrot sheet cake, or any other way you use cream cheese frosting.

Let’s just say it passed the taste test from me, my husband and lots of neighbors.

Best Orange Cream Cheese Frosting (with Grand Marnier Liqueur)

Servings: 10 Frosting for 2 layer cake

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

An orange-flavored cream cheese frosting that's great with so many cakes.

4.8 from 49 votes

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Ingredients

• 8 oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 4 oz butter (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbsp Grand Marnier liqueur
• 2 drops orange oil
• 1 tsp orange zest (freshly grated )
• 14 oz powdered sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Beat the cream cheese and butter until well-mixed.
• Add vanilla, liqueur, orange oil and orange zest, then add the powdered sugar. Mix slowly, increasing the speed until all of the sugar is incorporated and frosting is smooth. If too thick add a little milk or water.
• Use as desired.

Notes

• Note: this frosting does contain alcohol

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 0.02g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 589IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Did you Make this Recipe?

Please leave a review by clicking on the RATE button above in the purple header or share a photo and tag @christinascucina on Instagram! 😍

Author: Christina Conte

Course Dressings, Sauces, Syrups & Toppings

Cuisine American

You can make the following cake as I did (with the following changes) or use the frosting as you like.

Changes I made to the cake: 25g less white sugar, 10 g less brown sugar, omit coconut, only 2 dashes of cinnamon. Bake 25 to 30 minutes before checking with a cake tester.

Continue to Content

Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield: 24

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Full of pumpkin and carrot, you'll get some of your daily supply of vitamin A with these beautiful and tasty muffins!

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Ingredients

Muffins

• 2 c (285g) flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 c (140 g) sugar
• ½ c (60 g) brown sugar
• ½ c (115 g) melted butter
• ½ c (115 g) light olive oil
• 2 c (200 g) grated carrots
• 1 ½ c (340 g) canned, or cooked pumpkin
• 1 c (70g) shredded coconut (organic is best, propylene glycol free)

Frosting

• 8 oz (200 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 oz (100 g) butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 c (454 g) powdered (confectioner’s) sugar

Instructions

!Cupcakes:

1. Sift the first 5 (dry) ingredients into a bowl and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar for about 2 minutes, then add the oil and butter, and mix well. Next, add the grated carrots, pumpkin and coconut and mix until combined.
3. Now add the sifted ingredients and stir until mixed well.
4. Put paper cupcake liners in a pan, then fill with batter about 2/3 full.
5. Bake at 350º F (175º C) about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
6. Place on cooling rack; meanwhile, make the icing.

!Frosting

1. Beat cream cheese and butter; then beat in the vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth.
2. Pipe or spread onto pumpkin muffins, as desired.

Notes

• Omit the frosting for an even healthier muffin.
• Use an organic coconut product without added sugar or propylene glycol.
• Add 1 cup (170 g) of: raisins, or cranberries, or chopped nuts
• You can also easily add a teaspoon of cinnamon, with a little nutmeg or even mixed spice.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 cupcake
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 423Total Fat: 14gCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 5g

Nutrition information is only estimated.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a review by clicking on the 5 stars above, in the purple header (a form will appear) or tag me on Instagram! 😍

Christina’s Cucina is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

best orange cream cheese frosting