Nothing can be easier to make than this Orange Crush cake recipe. All you need is a box of cake mix and Orange Crush soda and you are in business! Flavors come together to create a cake that tastes just like an orange creamsicle!
Cakes and cupcakes are the sweetest desserts to serve and I like to make our chocolate chip cake, snow cone cupcakes, or for another soda-flavored option, our Shirley Temple cupcakes!
When it’s time to celebrate a birthday or special occasion in our house, I prefer to make a homemade cake because it’s more personal and feels special.
And, let’s be honest, it tastes better too!
Normally, the requested cake flavor in our house is chocolate, but this time I wanted something different to celebrate our daughter’s birthday.
Looking through the pantry gave me an idea to create a dessert using one of my favorite soda pop flavors and a box of cake mix.
Orange Crush Cake is Super Easy to Make
I don’t think a cake recipe can be any easier than this Orange Crush cake.
All you need is a boxed cake mix
Making the ombre frosting was a lot easier than I thought it would be and the end product looks as though hours were spent putting it together. Ahh, what a few drops of food coloring
I have a really helpful process below to make this pretty icing from homemade cream cheese frosting or from a tub of store-bought frosting!
Ingredients for orange crush cake
This cake really is super easy, and only requires a few ingredients to make a soft, delicious sweet treat with this popular crush soda flavor.
If you want to create the layers of colors, be sure to get vanilla frosting so the different shades stand out.
What You Need to Make Orange Crush Soda Pop Cake
When baking cakes, loaves of bread, or cookies, I really like to use my favorite USA non-stick pans
Here are some of my favorite kitchen tools in my cabinet and a few other baking essentials too.
Other useful items for this recipe:
How to Make Orange Crush Cake
Make sure you preheat the oven to cake mix directions. This temperature can range from 325 to 375 degrees, depending on your type of pan (non-stick pans bake at a lower temperature) and oven.
Now you will prep your cake pans and make sure they have been treated with spreading butter or lining with parchment paper rounds.
Combine the cake mix and orange soda in a big bowl and mix it with a hand-held mixer. The beauty of this special cake is how simple it is!
While this is baking, you can prepare your colored frosting.
How to Make Orange Ombre Cake Frosting
I like to make my own cream cheese frosting for this cake. The flavor is not overly sweet and it pipes through the decorating bags & tips
You can most certainly use store-bought frosting. Be sure to buy the white frosting so your colors will be vibrant.
Because this is an orange-flavored cake, I stuck with shades of orange, but your colors can be anything your heart desires!
Combine butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla and whip together for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Now we’re talking.
Place frosting evenly into three separate bowls.
In one bowl, add enough orange coloring for a deep orange. The second batch should be a few shades lighter, and the last, even lighter.
- Frost cake with a thin layer of the lightest color.
- Place each shade of orange-colored frosting in three separate pastry bags with large star tip (Wilton 1M)
.
- With the darkest color, swirl rosettes on the bottom. Use the peachy orange in the middle and finish with the lightest color.
It kind of reminds you of a creamsicle, doesn’t it?!
Other frosting color shade combos to try:
- Red/Pink- Christmas/Valentine’s Day
- Purple/Lavender/ Yellow- Easter/Spring/Mother’s Day
- Green- Christmas/ St. Patrick’s Day/ Spring/ Easter/Father’s Day
- Blue/ Hannukah/ Baby Shower / Birthday
This super easy recipe can be made for any occasion, like a birthday, special holiday treat, or a “just because” day! Topped with store-bought frosting that is colored in shades of orange, helps to make this a stand-out dessert.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Total Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
-
Cake:
-
1 box white cake mix
-
1 bottle or can Orange soda, measure out 12 oz.
-
Frosting:
-
½ lb butter, 2 sticks, room temperature
-
1 package cream cheese, 8oz., room temperature
-
1 lb. package confectioners’ sugar
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1 tsp vanilla
-
Orange food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour 2 cake pans.
- In a big bowl, Combine cake mix and 1 can (or measure out 12 oz.) orange soda. DO NOT ADD ANYTHING ELSE TO THE CAKE MIX.
- Pour into greased and floured cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick tests clean.
- Cool 10 minutes in pan then turn out to wire rack to cool completely.
- Make frosting:
- In a mixer, combine butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
- Whip together for 2-3 minutes until smooth.
- Separate into thirds. In one bowl, add enough orange coloring for a deep orange. In the second bowl, make orange a few shades lighter. In the last bowl, even lighter.
- Place one cooled cake on platter.
- Top with a thin layer of the lightest color.
- Top with the second layer of cake and spread a very thin layer of frosting over the entire cake.
- Place each shade of orange-colored frosting in three separate pastry bags with a large star tip (Wilton 1M).
- With the darkest color, swirl rosettes on the bottom. Repeat with middle color.
- Finish with the lightest color.
- If you do not want to make cream cheese frosting, you can easily buy a tub of vanilla frosting and use that instead.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 392Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 206mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 0gSugar: 41gProtein: 2g
original post: 3/29/19
Updated: 6/5/20, 1/27/22