Orange Creamsicle Cake (Gluten-free, Paleo, nut-free, Keto option)

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This soft, tender-crumbed Orange Creamsicle Cake will take you back with the nostalgic flavors of orange and vanilla. Tender, citrusy cake topped with creamy frosting is a simple, decadent pleasure! 

Perfect for all your Gluten-free baking needs, including Paleo, Grain-free, Keto and GAPS diets, this recipe can be made with or without dairy.

Made with just coconut flour, nut-free (no almond flour), this easy to assemble cake is quick to make for everyday or casual celebrations.

Orange Creamsicle

The Orange Creamsicle flavor goes back to 1905 when an 11-year-old boy tried to dip vanilla ice cream into fruit juice, and it worked! He named his success an “Epsicle” because his name was Frank Epperson. “Epsicle” later became “popsicle” and eventually “creamsicle”!

The Orange Creamsicle flavor was introduced to crowds 18 years later when Frank, as an entrepreneur, started selling creamsicles at a California amusement park. Pretty good story, right?

Today, this flavor brings back the good feelings of olden days. Orange Creamsicle stirs up remembrances of sweet, happy, old-fashioned comfort food that’s still just as relevant to modern taste buds.

The Orange Creamsicle flavor uses two key ingredients: vanilla and orange. The tender cake and creamy frosting in this Orange Creamsicle Cake are perfectly suited to such well-loved and familiar flavors.

You’ll love the golden vanilla smell when it comes out of your oven.

Coconut Flour

Lots of Paleo, Gluten-free, Keto, Low Carb and GAPS recipes use almond flour. Almond flour is great, but … it’s also high in omega-6s, super high in glyphosate residue (because very few consumers buy organic almond flour), and it’s a crop that drains California’s desert of water.

Coconut flour has no drawbacks! This gluten-free, paleo and keto flour is healthy, fiber-rich and nut-free (low allergy). When used properly in recipes, it adds a nice crumb without the carbs and allergy issues. Coconut flour is a grain-free ingredient well-suited to most wellness diets.

Which sweetener to use, based on diet

For the Gluten-free, Paleo and GAPS version of this recipe, use honey, as designated below in the recipe.

For Keto or Low Carb, use either granulated or liquid low carb sweetener.

Both sweeteners help to create the tender, moist crumb we all love and look for in good cake.

Which frosting to use for Orange Creamsicle Cake

1. The main cake recipe below includes a yummy classic Orange Creamsicle Cream Cheese Frosting.
2. If you eat butter, but not cream cheese, use this Classic Satin Buttercream Frosting instead. It spreads and pipes beautifully.
3. For dairy-free, Paleo and GAPS, use this AIP “Buttercream” Frosting. Omit the cinnamon, and sub in a tiny bit of orange zest or orange oil.
   

Orange flavor

The orange flavor in this cake comes from freshly squeezed orange juice and your choice of either orange oil (find it here) or orange essential oil (find it here).

If you choose to use orange oil, use about 1/8 teaspoon for the cake. This is a great pantry staple that can also be used in homemade ice cream, chocolate sauce, mochas or even in salad dressings.

If you keep organic orange essential oil on hand, you’ll only need 2 drops of it for the cake and 1 drop of it for the frosting.

For Keto and Low Carb: Regarding the orange juice in this recipe, only 2 tablespoons of juice are used, alongside 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. To make this cake extra-low carb (currently 7 grams net carbs per serving), you can sub the orange juice and use all lemon juice, which brings the carb count of the cake + frosting down to 6 grams net carbs per serving. The orange oil will still infuse the orange flavor throughout the cake.

How to store leftovers

If you plan to eat leftovers within 1 to 2 days, cover the cake and leave it out on the counter.

Otherwise, simply refrigerate for up to 5 days. Orange Creamsicle Cake also freezes well for up to 3 months.

How big is the cake

The original cake is relatively small. It serves 6 people or makes 4 extra large pieces. I personally like how fast and easy it is to make a little cake for an impromptu treat or small occasion!

BUT, as you’ll see in some of the photos, a large layer cake is really fun, and perfect as a birthday cake. In this case, you need to double the cake for two layers, or triple the cake recipe — or, what I like to do best is to double the recipe, and then pour it evenly into three greased and lined 8″ cake pans for the layer cake you see here in some of the photographs.

But when it comes to cake, everyone loves leftovers, so … consider doubling the recipe if you want a big cake.

Print Recipe

5 from 19 votes

Orange Creamsicle Cake (Gluten-free, Paleo, Keto, GAPS)

This citrusy tender cake has a creamy frosting and the perfect orange-vanilla sweetness and flavor. You'll love making this Gluten-free, Paleo Orange Creamsicle Cake (with Keto option) for loved ones and gatherings -- an easy recipe that always turns out moist and delicious.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: birthday cake, cake, gaps diet, gluten-free, keto, low carb, orange, orange creamsicle, paleo

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 312kcal

Author: Megan

Cost: $8

Equipment

• 8" cake pan (round or square) Use 2 to 3 pans for a layer cake (if you plan to double or triple the recipe). I like to double the recipe, and then evenly pour it into 3 pans.
• hand held mixer
• mixing bowls

Ingredients

Double the recipe if you plan to make a layer cake. I like to double the recipe, and then evenly pour it into three 8" cake pans.

• ½ cup coconut flour
• 4 eggs
• ⅓ cup honey or low carb sweetener for Keto
• ⅓ cup butter or coconut oil: melt over low heat, then measure
• 2 Tablespoons orange juice fresh, squeezed from 1 orange
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice fresh, squeezed from 1 lemon
• 1-½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda sifted
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ⅛ teaspoon orange oil or 2 drops orange essential oil

Orange Creamsicle Cream Cheese Frosting (dairy option), or see the alternative and dairy-free frostings in Notes below.

• ½ cup butter room temperature
• 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 2 tablespoons powdered sweetener OR honey for GAPS and Paleo (Here's a powdered Keto sugar sub.) For Paleo, you could also try powdered maple or coconut sugar.
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/16 teaspoon orange oil OR 1 drop orange essential oil

Instructions

• Grease one 8" baking pan (round or square), or more if you're doubling or tripling the recipe. (Line the pan(s) with parchment paper if you want to remove the cake(s) before frosting.) Preheat oven to 350℉.
• Stir together dry ingredients in large mixing bowl: coconut flour, sweetener (if using Keto/Low Carb granulated option), baking soda and sea salt.
• In separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients: eggs, honey (or liquid low carb sweetener), fat of choice, orange juice, lemon juice, vanilla and orange oil.
• Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir together until fully combined, without over-mixing. (The baking soda and citrus juice will react and create large air pockets and the batter will subtly volumize.)
• Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and edges are brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely, then chill cake, before frosting, to make it easier to frost.

Orange Creamsicle Frosting

• In a medium bowl, use a mixer to cream the butter and cream cheese together until fully combined.
• Add the sweetener, vanilla extract and orange oil. Beat slowly until the sweetener is fully incorporated. (Keto only: Taste for sweetness. If you like your frosting sweeter, add the optional stevia or pure monk fruit, to taste.)
• Beat on high for about 2 minutes, until frosting is fluffy. When the cake is chilled, frost. For the honey version of the frosting, you may need to chill it, off and on, as you frost, so it thickens a bit, making the frosting easier. (This is enough frosting for you to double the cake recipe, so if you make a single cake recipe, you will have frosting left over.)

Assembly

• Frost cake. Enjoy! You may also refrigerate the cake before serving. (Note: If you make the Paleo/GAPS version with honey, your frosting will be runnier, so it's easier to frost the cake in the pan with that version as opposed to a layer cake. But a layer cake will work, just refrigerate it before, during and after frosting.)

Notes

Find Orange Oil HERE.

Alternate Frostings

These frostings can be used to frost the cooled cake(s) right when they're done being made.

For a pure butter Buttercream (no cream cheese), use:

• Satin Buttercream Frosting -- Great for Gluten-free, Paleo if you do butter, Keto and GAPS

For dairy-free frosting that's Paleo, use:

• Dairy-free Buttercream Frosting

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 177mg | Sodium: 573mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 945IU | Vitamin C: 1.9mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 0.8mg

How to garnish this cake

• Garnish with fresh orange slices, fresh berries or you can even add cranberries to the batter before baking during the winter holiday season.
• For a orange-chocolate theme, add shavings from a dark chocolate bar. Use a knife or veggie peeler to get shaved curls.

More cakes for special occasions

• Chocolate Caramel Lava Mug Cakes
• Apple Cake with Coconut Flour
• No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
• Paleo AIP Birthday Cake (egg-free, nut-free, dairy-free)
• Chocolate Mint Cupcakes with Swirl Frosting
• Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake