luscious orange curd

Orange Curd is an easy and versatile dessert that comes together in 30 minutes, with simple ingredients. This luscious, silky curd is absolutely bursting with fresh orange flavor, and makes the perfect topping for ice cream, biscuits, pancakes, and cakes!

this recipe

Why you’ll love fresh Orange Curd:

• Fresh Orange Flavor – This rich and silky orange curd is bursting with bright orange flavor from freshly squeezed orange juice and fresh orange zest. It’s the best way to celebrate citrus season!
• Easy Recipe – This easy recipe is completely doable for any skill levels.
• Versatile Recipe – Top cakes and cheesecakes with this sweet treat, or spoon it over ice cream, pancakes, or biscuits! It makes a delicious filling for my Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes, or for my Orange Cake!

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents above to navigate.

• Orange Juice – Use freshly squeezed orange juice from any type of orange you like – navel oranges, cara cara oranges, or blood oranges. I *think* you could use bottled orange juice, but I haven’t tested it. Be sure to strain the juice either way to remove any pulp. With any homemade citrus curd, freshly squeezed juice is the way to go! Fresh oranges give the most wonderful flavor.
• Lemon Juice – Just 2 tablespoons of lemon juice helps brighten & enhance the orange flavor and add a hint of tartness, which I find is needed with orange since it’s flavor profile is completely sweet compared to the more zingy, complex flavor of limes or lemons.
• Eggs – Using two whole eggs and two egg yolks provides the structure the curd needs, and removing two of the egg whites ensures there isn’t too much liquid for the curd to thicken up. Use the whites in one of my cake or cupcake recipes, freeze them, or use in your breakfast scramble!
• Granulated sugar – Granulated sugar adds a bit of sweetness.
• Vanilla extract – Use real vanilla for best results.
• Salt – Everything in life needs a pinch of salt for balance.
• Butter – I always use salted butter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.

Recipe Substitutions & Variations:

• Dairy-free – Use your favorite dairy-free buter.
• Other Citrus Fruits – I don’t recommend subbing in other fruit juice like lemon or lime as I haven’t tested them with this ratio of eggs and cook time. I do have a lime curd recipe and a lemon curd recipe coming soon!
• Oranges – You can use regular navel oranges, blood oranges, or cara cara oranges in this recipe!
• See FAQs below for more curd recipes.

How to Make easy Orange Curd:

Step 1: Juice your Oranges. Use fresh orange juice for the best results. I *think* bottled would work in a pinch, but haven’t tried it myself. Strain the juice to remove any pulp or seeds.

Step 2: Combine Ingredients. Rub the orange zest into the granulated sugar with clean hands.

Then, whisk in the eggs and egg yolks, orange juice, and salt.

Step 3: Cook the Curd. Whisk well, and cook over low heat, whisking for 14-18 minutes. The temperature on a candy thermometer should reach 195 to 200 degrees F. The first 8-10 minutes it will seem like nothing is happening, and the curd will just barely start to thicken.

Be patient! Don’t be tempted to crank the heat up or you’ll scramble the eggs. Inevitably, you will end up with a few small pieces of cooked egg white – we’ll get that out in the next step.

When the curd is ready, it’ll coat the back of a spoon, and hold a path when you drag your finger through the coating on the spoon.

Step 4: Strain & Add Butter. Once the proper thickness and temperature are reached, immediately remove the smooth curd from the heat, and pour into a fine mesh sieve set over a large mixing bowl.

Push the orange curd through the sieve to get any small pieces of egg that cooked in the process (this is normal, don’t fret!). Then, stir in the cubed, softened butter until it melts into the warm curd.

Step 5: Optional – Add Food Coloring. Orange curd is not very orange by nature, so I like to add a drop or two of orange gel food coloring to make the flavor evident.

Serving + Storing:

Transfer the finished curd into a small bowl or airtight container with a lid. If using a bowl with no lid, press plastic wrap on the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until ready to use, or up to 1 week.

Ways to use Homemade Orange Curd:

• Cake Filling – Use it as a filling in cakes or cupcakes – stay tuned for my orange cupcakes! They’re one of my favorite ways to use this.
• Ice Cream – Spoon it over ice cream during the hot summer months.
• Breakfast – Spread it on biscuits toast, or on english muffins.
• Fancy Breakfast – Dollop it over Strawberry Pancakes or my Brioche French Toast.

Expert Success Tips:

• Use Gentle Heat – Don’t be tempted to whack the heat up on your orange curd while it’s cooking – this is a great way to end up with orangey scrambled eggs. Be patient – it will thicken!
• Eggy Smell – When cooking eggs on the stovetop for a curd (or the filling for my french silk pie!) I find that if you stick your nose right up in the pot and take a whiff, it’s going to smell a bit eggy, even if you aren’t overcooking the eggs. So, go by look not smell!
• Avoid Metal Pots – Use a ceramic pot if possible when cooking this recipe. Metal pans can cause a reaction with the acidic citrus fruits and give off a metallic taste. I think you could get away with it in a pinch with oranges since they’re less acidic, but I don’t definitely don’t recommend it with lemons or limes.

FAQs:

Special Tools:

• Heavy Saucepan- I recommend a ceramic pan, as metal pans can react with the acidity of things like lemons, limes, and oranges and affect the taste.
• Whisk – You’ll need a good medium sized whisk for this recipe.
• Instant Read Thermometer – You’ll need an instant read thermometer to check the temperature of your curd.

More Citrus Recipes to Love:

• Blood Orange Upside Down Cake
• Ultra Plush Lemon Loaf
• Mojito Cake
• Lime Curd
• Key Lime Cheesecake
• Key Lime Pie Bars

---

---