Orange glaze is so easy to make, with just three simple ingredients (four if you want to go the extra mile). My orange glaze is perfect for topping breakfast rolls, cookies, and it’s the ultimate orange cake drizzle.

Learn how to make my favorite orange icing – it’s amazingly tangy and sweet.

A glass jar of orange glaze, with a small orange in front.
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In my opinion, breakfast rolls are just begging to be covered in icing. And, well… so are cookies, cakes, scones, muffins and more. With that in mind, I made a sweet and refreshing orange glaze to drizzle, (okay, pour) over my Orange Rolls or Orange Pound Cake and I shamelessly couldn’t stop licking the beater.

This recipe is a blend of my standard vanilla glaze and sweet orange glaze for a not-too-sweet, perfectly drizzly topping. Don’t skip my complete collection of 25+ Homemade Frosting Recipes if you do a lot of baking – it’s worth saving!

An orange pound cake covered in an orange glaze recipe.
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Why You’ll Love this Recipe

  • Just three ingredients (optional fourth)
  • Perfectly citrus-flavored
  • Drizzles beautifully
  • Easy to customize
A glass jar of orange glaze pouring over an orange pound cake

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Orange Juice – Freshly squeezed or store-bought. Fresh squeezed is more concentrated without added sugar.
  • Butter – Salted or unsalted, it’s your choice, but I always love a little salt to balance out the sweet.
  • Powdered Sugar – This ingredient is a must for this recipe. However, if you don’t have any powdered sugar on hand, read how to make powdered sugar from white granulated sugar!
  • Optional: Orange Zest – For even more orange flavor, add orange zest or a little orange extract.
powdered sugar butter and orange juice in bowls
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Tips from My Test Kitchen

  • Warm the glaze for the perfect pour / drizzle.
  • Want a drizzle rather than a drench? Use a condiment bottle!
  • For a thinner glaze, add more orange juice.
  • For thicker orange glaze, add more powdered sugar.
  • It can take up to two hours to fully dry and set completely.
A glass jar of orange glaze, with a small orange in front.

Serving Suggestions

A glass jar of orange glaze pouring over an orange pound cake
5 from 9 votes
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Orange Glaze Recipe

A delightfully simple orange glaze that's tangy and sweet – perfect for rolls, breads, pound cakes, and more!
Prep: 3 minutes
Total: 3 minutes
Servings: 12
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Ingredients  

  • 6 tablespoons butter melted, salted or unsalted
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • cup orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest (finely grated, optional)

Instructions 

  • In a medium mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine all ingredients together until smooth.
    6 tablespoons butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, ⅓ cup orange juice, 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • Pour over the top of rolls, scones, cakes and more!
    A glass jar of orange glaze pouring over an orange pound cake

Julie’s Tips

  • Warm the glaze for the perfect pour / drizzle.
  • Want a drizzle rather than a drench? Use a condiment bottle!
  • For a thinner glaze, add more orange juice.
  • For thicker orange glaze, add more powdered sugar.
  • Allow your baked goods to cool before glazing. 
  • This glaze can take up to two hours to fully dry, and set completely.

Storage Tips

Store at room temperature for up to 48 hours. This glaze can also be refrigerated for up to one week when stored in an airtight container. If you’d like, you can freeze this glaze in an airtight container for up to three months. 

How to Zest an Orange

While fresh orange zest is not required for this recipe, it’s easy to get a tablespoon of zest to really take your orange cake drizzle to the next level!
  1. Use a microplane, held in one hand at an angle, or the finer side of a box grater.
  2. Holding the orange in your opposite hand, rub it down over the microplane holes. 
  3. You’ll see the finely grated orange zest begin to appear. Be careful to not grate the white part under the peel, avoiding the bitter pith.

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Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 46mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 0.03g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 189IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.04mg

Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.

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5 from 9 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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6 Comments

  1. Your cranberry bread is in my oven as I write. I just wanted to tell you itโ€™s so very nice to have a recipe readily available- seems like recently I have to jump through hoops or pay for the recipe!! Thank you so much!!

    1. Thank you, Ann! I can’t wait to hear what you think of my bread and orange glaze and hope you try more of my easy recipes!

  2. How much does this make? 2 Cups? 1 Cup? And the calories of 89Kcal are based on what quantity? 1 Tablespoon? 1 Teaspoon? Thank you.

    1. Hi Pam! You’ll find all of that information in the printable recipe card. Yield is on the right (use the up or down arrow to adjust how much you want to make). This makes 12 servings. Enjoy!

  3. Julie, where did you find the adorable pan for your orange bread ? That is just too cute !! Love your recipes and helpful hints!!