32 Orange Dessert Recipes To Make The Most Of Citrus Season
Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
We're always baking with fresh citrus, whether lemons, limes, or sweet and tart oranges. If you're looking for fresh orange dessert inspiration, you've come to the right place. Although oranges are available at the grocery store year-round, they come into season in the winter, when we're especially in need of a bit of their Florida sunshine. Oranges are also an essential part of baking. The zest of an orange can be the subtle floral note that makes a buttercream frosting sing, and the juice of an orange can easily brighten otherwise dull cookies and cakes.
Oranges pair well with so many of our favorite flavors, from cranberries to bourbon, coconut to ginger, the fruit plays just as well with tropical flavors as it does warm, spiced ones. So no matter the time of year, there's always an orange dessert to fit the occasion. That said, when in season, there's no better time to load up on fresh oranges and get to baking with these delightful dessert recipes.
Orange-Roll Coffee Cake
Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Senior Editorial Producer Ivy Odom infuses a classic coffeecake with the brightness of fresh orange in this decadent recipe.
Orange-Roll Muffins
Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Ginny Branch; Food Stylist: Micah Morton
Thanks to store-bought cinnamon roll dough, this sweet breakfast comes together extra fast. An orange-infused glaze adds just the right amount of tang to cut through the sweetness.
Million Dollar Cake
Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
This cake is infused with tropical flavor thanks to both canned pineapple and mandarin oranges. A tangy cream cheese frosting helps to ensure the cake isn't too sweet.
Cranberry Orange Muffins
Molly Bolton
A five-star review of this muffin recipe notes that it's, "easy to follow and the fresh orange zest and juice really add an extra delicious aroma and taste."
Pig Pickin' Cake
Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners; Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
This cake goes by many names (Mandarin Orange Cake, Mandarin Pineapple Cake, Pea Pickin’ Cake, Sunshine Cake, or Pineapple Orange Cake) but no matter what you call it, it's downright delicious.
Strawberry-Orange Fools
Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
Both fresh orange segments and orange liqueur (if desired), brighten up these sunny spring desserts.
Fresh Fig, Pecan, And Orange Crostata
Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
Grand Marnier and orange zest bring a fresh citrus note to this rustic fig tart.
Orange Cream Granita
Granitas sound fancy and sophisticated, but they're actually one of the easiest desserts to pull-off. Don't believe us? Give this super simple but refreshing recipe a try.
Orange Chiffon Cake
Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Light and airy, there's a reason this classic cake has stood the test of time.
Easy Orange Rolls
Stacy K. Allen, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Ditch the canned rolls and make these breakfast buns with better orange flavor instead.
Luscious Orange Panna Cotta
Wow guests with this dessert made from a silky custard topped with homemade orange curd and fresh orange segments.
Fresh Citrus Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream
These mini cupcakes pack a ton of citrus flavor into a two-bite dessert.
Lemon- Orange Chiffon Cake
Consider this citrus cake your next weekend baking project. For an extra pretty presentation, garnish with edible flowers and kumquat slices.
Blueberry- Citrus Rolls with Orange Glaze
Inspired by blueberry muffins, we've swapped out the cinnamon-sugar swirl in a classic breakfast roll with jammy berries and topped it with a sweet orange glaze.
Lemon- Orange Pound Cake
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Ana Kelly
Decorated in two different icings, this stunning Bundt is exactly the showstopper you need for your next gathering.
Orange Sherbet Salad
This salad doesn't involve any lettuce, but it does include plenty of orange Jell-O.
Orange Cake
We're throwing it back with this recipe from our December 1995 issue. This family favorite was shared with us by Sissy Nash and her daughter, Kathy Nash Cary, and it features beautifully candied orange zest over top a moist orange Bundt cake.
Cranberry- Orange Butter Cookies
We can't think of a better holiday gift to share with friends and family than these orange butter cookies.
Orange Peel Pound Cake
You won't discard your orange peels ever again after tasting the delicious glaze made from them on this pound cake.
Orange Meringue Pie
Lemon meringue might be the original, but we think this fresh take on the classic pie is just as tart, sweet, and delicious.
Cranberry- Orange Cake with Orange Buttercream
Our favorite thing about this cake is the contrast of tart cranberries and tender sweet layers of cake, which is made even better by the fresh orange flavor in the beautiful homemade buttercream.
Spiced Orange Rolls
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Cinnamon rolls get a citrus twist thanks to the orange marmalade in these breakfast buns.
White Cake with Cranberry Filling and Orange Buttercream
This white cake is anything but boring vanilla. With a tart cranberry filling and luscious orange buttercream, you'll wow guests with this dessert that tastes as impressive as it looks.
Orange Chess Pie with Cranberry Gelée
Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell
You might be reading the recipe title thinking, "what the heck is a gelée?” It's basically a fancy form of Jell-O and happens to be the perfect sweet and tart topping for this orange pie.
Dark Chocolate-Pistachio-Orange Kisses
Practice your piping with these orange-infused meringue kisses.
Cranberry- Orange Bundt Cake
This tender, super moist cake marries tart cranberries and sweet oranges to create a slice that's hard to turn down.
Bourbon- Orange Biscotti
Bourbon and orange are a pretty perfect pairing, especially when combined in this buttery and sweet biscotti recipe.
Grand Marnier Cakes
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Ana Kelly
Grand Marnier in the glaze infuses these baby cakes with a different kind of orange flavor than you get with just fresh juice.
Blueberry- Orange Blossom Honey Slab Pie
Fresh orange juice and zest highlight the floral and sweet orange blossom honey used in this beautiful slab pie.
Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake
You don't have to be celebrating something to make this impressive, orange-flavored layer cake.
Ambrosia Cinnamon Rolls
Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ali Ramey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
Turn your favorite holiday salad into a breakfast fit for the gods.
Florida Citrus Cake
Courtesy of Rizzoli USA
Jacksonville chef Kenny Gilbert infuses this beautiful cake with three types of Florida citrus, including the zest and juice of oranges.
Related: 60 Sweet-On-Citrus Dessert Recipes
For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Southern Living.
