Cold dulls flavor. A custard that tastes perfect warm can taste flat once it is frozen, which is why ice cream makers season the base a little more boldly than a frosting. Here is how to flavor custard ice cream, Philadelphia style, no churn, gelato, sorbet, popsicles, and milkshakes with extracts and flavor oils.
The essentials
- Flavor the chilled base, before churning. Taste it cold, since that is closer to how it will eat.
- Extracts for the base, oils for the chocolate. Culinary Aromatics® extracts flavor the mix; Pure Infusions™ flavor oils flavor chocolate ribbons and coatings.
- Start at 3 to 5 drops per cup of base. Then adjust while it is still liquid.
Custard and Philadelphia style ice cream
Custard bases, made with egg yolks, are rich and round. Philadelphia style, just cream, milk, and sugar, is cleaner and lets a flavor speak plainly. Either way, cook and chill the base first, then stir in the extract once it is cold, so the aroma goes straight into the churn.
Favorites to try: Bulgarian rose with pistachio, cardamom with honey, Valencia orange with dark chocolate chips, and fresh mint chip made with peppermint extract. Vanilla ice cream gets its flavor from Pure Vanilla Extract, Planifolia & Tahitian, used in the amount your recipe calls for.
No churn and gelato
No churn ice cream starts with whipped cream folded into sweetened condensed milk. Whisk the extract into the condensed milk before folding, so it spreads without deflating the cream. Lavender honey and orange creamsicle are both easy wins.
Gelato uses more milk and less cream, and it is served a little warmer, so flavors read more clearly. Use the lower end of the range and add a drop at a time while the base is cold.
Sorbet and popsicles
Sorbet is fruit, sugar, and water, which makes it a perfect match for an extract. Stir it into the chilled syrup before churning: lavender in lemon sorbet, rose in raspberry, ginger in mango. For popsicles, mix the extract into the juice or yogurt base before pouring into molds. Freezing solid mutes flavor even more than churning, so taste the base once it is cold and be a little generous.
| Frozen dessert |
Format |
Flavor ideas |
| Custard or Philadelphia style |
Extract in the chilled base |
Rose pistachio, cardamom honey, mint chip |
| No churn |
Extract in the condensed milk |
Lavender honey, orange creamsicle |
| Gelato |
Extract, lower end of the range |
Almond, ginger, cardamom |
| Sorbet and popsicles |
Extract in the chilled syrup or juice |
Lemon lavender, raspberry rose, mango ginger |
| Milkshakes |
Extract in the blender |
Peppermint, Valencia orange, vanilla |
| Chocolate ribbon, shell, or coating |
Flavor oil in the melted chocolate |
Peppermint, orange, cardamom |
Milkshakes take the extract
A milkshake is a drink, so use a Culinary Aromatics extract, not a flavor oil. Add a few drops to the blender with the ice cream and milk. A peppermint shake or an orange vanilla shake comes together in a minute.
Chocolate ribbons, shells, and coatings take the oil
When the flavor goes into melted chocolate, for a stracciatella drizzle, a mint chocolate ribbon, or a dipped cone shell, use a Pure Infusions flavor oil. It has an organic coconut derived MCT carrier, mixes straight into the chocolate, and is alcohol free. Vanilla and chocolate extracts can seize melted chocolate, so keep them in the base. Our chocolate and candy guide goes deeper.
Swirls, mix ins, and sauces
Flavor does not have to live only in the base. A caramel swirl with a few drops of cardamom, a raspberry ripple with rose, or a fudge sauce with orange adds a second layer that shows up in some spoonfuls and not others, which keeps every bite interesting.
Water based swirls and fruit sauces take the extract. Anything built on chocolate or a hard shell coating takes the flavor oil. Fold swirls in as the ice cream comes out of the machine, just before it goes into the freezer, so the ribbons stay distinct.
How much to use
| Where the flavor goes |
Starting amount |
| Ice cream, gelato, sorbet, popsicle base |
3 to 5 drops per cup of base |
| Milkshake |
3 to 5 drops per cup |
| Chocolate ribbon or coating (flavor oil) |
3 to 5 drops per cup |
| Vanilla extract |
The amount your recipe calls for, one for one |
The rates above are a starting point. Taste and adjust; every base is different. Freezing mutes flavor, so many bases want the upper end, but rose, lavender, and peppermint still start below the baseline. The guide to how much extract to use scales this up to a full batch.
A mist at the table
The Culinary Aromatics Kit includes a spray nozzle. A light mist of rose or orange over a scoop just before serving brings back the aroma that cold takes away. More on aromatic finishing.
Keep exploring
Make your next batch
Angel Bake extracts and flavor oils carry no added sugar and are Kosher Pareve, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, and vegan, with more than 300 cups per 2 oz bottle. Shop Culinary Aromatics extracts and Pure Infusions flavor oils. Ice cream shops and creameries can order gallon sizes through our wholesale inquiry page.
Frosting is where flavor gets noticed first. It sits on top, it is eaten without baking, and a few drops change it completely. Here is how to flavor American buttercream, Swiss meringue buttercream, cream cheese frosting, whipped cream, and ganache, and when to reach for an extract or a flavor oil.
Before you start
- Both formats work in frosting. Culinary Aromatics® extracts and Pure Infusions™ flavor oils both blend into butter and cream bases.
- Add flavor at the end. Mix it in once the frosting is smooth, then beat briefly to distribute.
- Start at 3 to 5 drops per cup of frosting. Taste on the cake it will go with, not off the spoon.
Extract or flavor oil?
Frosting is mostly fat and sugar, which suits both formats. A Pure Infusions flavor oil uses an organic coconut derived MCT carrier, is alcohol free, and melts straight into butter, which makes it ideal for very rich, high fat frostings and for anything that also touches chocolate. A Culinary Aromatics extract is alcohol based with no added sugar, no added water, and no propylene glycol, and it is the natural choice for lighter bases like whipped cream.
| Frosting |
Good fit |
Flavor ideas |
| American buttercream |
Extract or flavor oil |
Almond, Valencia orange, peppermint |
| Swiss meringue buttercream |
Extract or flavor oil |
Bulgarian rose, lavender, cardamom |
| Cream cheese frosting |
Extract |
Orange, cardamom, ginger |
| Whipped cream |
Extract |
Vanilla, rose, orange blossom |
| Ganache |
Flavor oil, or chocolate extract in the warm cream |
Peppermint, orange, chocolate |
American buttercream takes bold flavor
Butter and powdered sugar make a sweet, sturdy base that carries strong flavors well. Almond buttercream on a vanilla cake, orange buttercream on chocolate cupcakes, and peppermint buttercream for the holidays are all classics. Add the flavor after the sugar and cream are in and the frosting is smooth, then beat for 30 seconds.
Swiss meringue buttercream suits delicate flavors
Silky and less sweet, Swiss meringue lets subtle flavors come through. This is where Bulgarian rose and Bulgarian lavender shine: a rose buttercream on a pistachio cake, lavender on lemon cupcakes. Use fewer drops than you would in American buttercream, because nothing masks the flavor.
Cream cheese frosting and whipped cream
Cream cheese frosting has its own tang, so pick a flavor that works with it: orange on carrot cake, cardamom on spice cake, ginger on pumpkin bars. Add the extract with the vanilla at the end.
For whipped cream, add the extract once soft peaks form, then whip to the texture you want. A few drops of rose or orange blossom over berries turns a simple dessert into something special.
Ganache: where the format matters most
Ganache is chocolate, and melted chocolate is sensitive to how flavor goes in. Stir a flavor oil into the finished, still warm ganache for peppermint truffles or an orange ganache tart. If you are using chocolate extract, add it to the warm cream before pouring it over the chopped chocolate, so it becomes part of the emulsion. Vanilla and chocolate extracts can seize melted chocolate if added directly, so when you are flavoring melted chocolate on its own, use a flavor oil. More in our chocolate and candy guide.
Pairings that work on cake
The frosting should either echo the cake or contrast with it on purpose. A few combinations bakers come back to:
- Chocolate cake, orange buttercream. The classic chocolate orange, bright against rich.
- Lemon cake, lavender Swiss meringue. Floral and citrus in balance.
- Pistachio cake, rose buttercream. A favorite for weddings and celebrations.
- Spice cake, cardamom cream cheese frosting. Warm, aromatic, and not too sweet.
- Vanilla cupcakes, almond buttercream. The bakery case flavor everyone recognizes.
How much to use
| Where the flavor goes |
Starting amount |
| Buttercream, cream cheese frosting, whipped cream, fillings |
3 to 5 drops per cup |
| Cake or cupcake batter underneath |
5 to 7 drops per cup of batter |
| Vanilla or chocolate extract |
The amount your recipe calls for, one for one |
The rates above are a starting point. Taste and adjust; every base is different. Start below the baseline with rose, lavender, orange blossom, and peppermint. Our guide to how much extract to use converts drops to teaspoons for big batches.
Finish with a mist of aroma
The Culinary Aromatics Kit includes a dropper and a spray nozzle. Flavor the frosting with the dropper, then mist the finished cake just before serving. A light spray of rose over a rose and raspberry cake, or orange over a chocolate torte, puts the aroma right where guests meet it first. See aromatic finishing for more ideas.
Keep exploring
Flavor your next cake
Angel Bake extracts and flavor oils carry no added sugar and are Kosher Pareve, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, and vegan, with more than 300 cups per 2 oz bottle. Shop Culinary Aromatics extracts and Pure Infusions flavor oils. For bakeries and cake studios, gallon sizes are available through our wholesale inquiry page.
A few drops of flavor extract can do what a bottle of flavored syrup does in a cocktail, without the extra sugar. Lavender lemonade, a rose spritz, a cardamom old fashioned: each starts with a concentrated extract and lets you decide the sweetness yourself. Here is how to build them, with and without spirits.
Why bartenders reach for extracts
- Flavor without sugar. Culinary Aromatics® extracts have no added sugar, so the drink is only as sweet as you make it.
- No dilution. A few drops change the flavor, not the balance of spirit, citrus, and ice.
- One bottle, many drinks. The same extract flavors a cocktail, a zero proof version, and a house syrup.
- Aroma on top. A mist over the glass adds the first impression before the first sip.
Six drinks to start with
| Drink |
Extract |
Zero proof version |
| Lavender lemonade |
Bulgarian lavender |
Already zero proof; add gin or vodka for a collins |
| Rose spritz or rose gin fizz |
Bulgarian rose |
Rose, lemon, and sparkling water over ice |
| Cardamom old fashioned |
Cardamom |
Cold black tea, demerara syrup, orange peel |
| Ginger mule |
Ginger |
Lime, ginger, and soda water for a fiery ginger soda |
| Peppermint espresso martini |
Peppermint |
Chilled espresso, cream, and a touch of syrup |
| Valencia orange margarita |
Valencia orange |
Lime, orange, agave, and soda |
Add the extract to the liquid, then shake or stir
Drop the extract into the shaker or mixing glass with the spirit and citrus, before the ice. It disperses through the liquid as you shake or stir. For a highball or a spritz, add it to the base of the glass and stir before topping with soda or sparkling wine, so the bubbles do the rest without being knocked flat.
In the cardamom old fashioned, add the drops with the sugar and bitters, stir with ice, and finish with an orange peel. The cardamom warms the whiskey without the cloudiness of muddled pods. In the ginger mule, extract gives you a sharper ginger edge than ginger beer alone, so you can choose a drier mixer.
Build a house syrup for a busy bar
For service, put the flavor into a simple syrup once and pour it like any other. Stir 1/4 teaspoon of extract, about 50 drops, into each cup of finished syrup. At a normal pour of one to four pumps, that puts 3 to 5 drops in the glass. A lavender syrup made this way covers lemonade, a lavender latte, and a gin collins from one bottle.
Keep the syrup and the flavor as separate decisions when you want a drier drink: add the extract directly and use less syrup.
Zero proof drinks deserve the same care
A good mocktail is built like a cocktail: something bright, something sweet, something with backbone, and a clear lead flavor. Extracts are especially useful here, because they bring the aromatic complexity that a spirit would otherwise provide.
Try cold black tea or a splash of verjus for structure, citrus for brightness, and a lightly sweetened syrup. Then let the extract carry the character. Rose and lemon over sparkling water, ginger with lime and soda, or cardamom with cold brew and orange peel all feel finished rather than like a cocktail with something missing.
Finish with aroma: mist the glass
Much of what we taste in a cocktail arrives through the nose. The Culinary Aromatics Kit comes with a dropper and a spray nozzle, so you can flavor the drink and then mist the top of it, the inside of the coupe, or the garnish right before it goes out.
A light mist of rose over a gin fizz, lavender over the foam of a sour, or orange over a margarita rim gives a bright first impression that fades into the drink as you sip. It is the bartender’s twist of peel, in a bottle. Read more about aromatic finishing.
How much to use
| Where the flavor goes |
Starting amount |
| Cocktail, mocktail, lemonade, soda |
3 to 5 drops per cup of finished drink |
| House simple syrup |
1/4 teaspoon (about 50 drops) per cup of syrup |
| Aromatic finish |
One or two light mists from the Kit’s spray nozzle |
The rates above are a starting point. Taste and adjust; every base is different. Rose, lavender, and peppermint are intense, so start below the baseline with those, especially in a small cocktail. See our guide to how much extract to use for conversions.
Extracts, not flavor oils, for drinks
Pure Infusions™ flavor oils are made for chocolate, candy, and rich foods, and oil does not mix into a drink. Every recipe here uses a Culinary Aromatics extract. A few drops of an alcohol based extract add a trace of alcohol, so if a guest avoids alcohol entirely, mention it.
Keep exploring
Stock your bar
Our Culinary Aromatics extracts are No Sugar Added, Kosher Pareve, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, and vegan, and a 2 oz bottle of a concentrated flavor covers more than 300 cups. Shop the Culinary Aromatics collection. For bars, cafés, and beverage programs, gallon sizes are available through our wholesale inquiry page.
The best flavor extract for baking is the one that tells people what they are eating before they take a bite. Vanilla quietly rounds out almost anything. Almond, Valencia orange, cardamom, and the Bulgarian florals change the whole personality of a cake, a cookie, or a loaf. Here is how to choose, where each one shines, and how much to use.
The short version
- Vanilla is the foundation. Use it one for one with your recipe and let it support everything else.
- Pick one lead flavor. Almond, orange, cardamom, lavender, or rose should be the clear headline in a bake, not a crowd.
- Add the extract with the wet ingredients. It spreads evenly before the flour goes in.
- Concentrated flavors go by the cup. 5 to 7 drops per cup of batter or dough is the starting point.
Vanilla does the supporting work in almost every bake
Vanilla makes butter taste richer, chocolate taste deeper, and fruit taste rounder, often without anyone naming it. Keep it in the recipe even when another flavor leads. A banana bread with vanilla tastes more like banana, not less.
Angel Bake Pure Vanilla Extract, Planifolia & Tahitian is a standard strength extract, so use exactly what your recipe calls for. For more ways to use it, read our guide to vanilla as a lead or supporting flavor.
Match the flavor to the bake
Each concentrated Culinary Aromatics® extract has a home where it reads clearly. These pairings are classic bakery favorites and a good place to start your own versions.
| Flavor |
What it tastes like |
Bake it into |
| Almond |
Sweet, toasty, marzipan bright |
Almond sugar cookies, cherry cake, biscotti |
| Valencia orange |
Juicy peel, sweet citrus |
Orange cranberry scones, olive oil cake, shortbread |
| Cardamom |
Warm, green, slightly citrusy spice |
Cardamom snickerdoodles, cardamom buns, pear cake |
| Bulgarian lavender |
Soft floral with an herbal edge |
Lavender shortbread, lemon lavender loaf |
| Bulgarian rose |
Fresh rose petal, honeyed |
Rose and pistachio cake, raspberry rose cookies |
| Lemon |
Bright zest without the bitterness |
Lemon pound cake, lemon crinkle cookies |
Cakes: flavor the batter or flavor the frosting
For a lemon pound cake, add lemon extract to the butter and sugar after creaming, alongside the eggs and vanilla. The flavor carries through the whole crumb and survives the long bake.
For layer cakes and cupcakes, you often get more impact by flavoring the frosting or filling instead. A plain vanilla sponge with a rose buttercream tastes clearly of rose, while rose in the sponge alone can fade behind the frosting. Our guide to flavoring buttercream and frosting covers that side.
Cookies: butter carries flavor beautifully
Butter rich doughs hold aroma well, which is why almond sugar cookies and lavender shortbread are such good showcases. Add the extract with the butter and sugar so it is evenly distributed before the flour.
Cardamom snickerdoodles are an easy upgrade: keep the cinnamon sugar coating and put cardamom in the dough. The two spices layer rather than compete. For shortbread made with a lot of butter, a Pure Infusions™ flavor oil is another good choice, since it blends straight into the fat.
Quick breads and scones: one flavor, clearly
Quick breads already carry banana, pumpkin, zucchini, or fruit. Choose an extract that supports that ingredient. Banana bread loves vanilla with a few drops of cardamom. Orange cranberry scones get a sharper citrus note from Valencia orange in the dough, with no extra juice to make the dough wet.
An extract adds flavor, not moisture or body, so keep the recipe’s puree, zest, and liquid exactly as written.
Layering two flavors without muddying either
Once you know how a single flavor behaves in your recipe, a second one can add depth. The rule that works best is one lead and one supporting note. Almond leads and vanilla supports in a cherry cake. Valencia orange leads and cardamom supports in a holiday loaf. Lavender leads and lemon supports in shortbread.
Keep the supporting flavor at about a third of the lead, and let the frosting or glaze echo the lead flavor. That way the whole bake reads as one idea. For seasonal pairings, see our holiday baking flavor guide.
How much to use
| Where the flavor goes |
Starting amount |
| Batter or dough (cakes, cookies, quick breads, scones) |
5 to 7 drops per cup of batter or dough |
| Frosting, filling, whipped cream, glaze |
3 to 5 drops per cup |
| Vanilla extract |
The amount your recipe calls for, one for one |
The rates above are a starting point. Taste and adjust; every base is different. Start a little below the baseline with rose and lavender, which are naturally intense. Batter carries more mass per cup than a frosting, so it takes a few more drops to taste the same. Our guide to how much extract to use has the conversions to teaspoons and full batches.
Tasting raw batter misleads
Raw dough tastes louder than the finished bake. Judge the flavor after baking and cooling, then adjust the next batch.
Keep exploring
Find your bakery flavor
Our Culinary Aromatics extracts are No Sugar Added, Kosher Pareve, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, and vegan, and the concentrated flavors go more than 300 cups per 2 oz bottle. Shop the Culinary Aromatics collection. Running a bakery? Gallon sizes are available through our wholesale inquiry page.
Almond extract is the flavor of a bakery case: sweet, warm and marzipan rich, with a faint cherry note that makes it instantly recognizable. It is what makes amaretti taste like amaretti, cherry pie taste like a bakery cherry pie, and plain white cake taste like wedding cake. It is also strong, so a little goes a long way.
Almond at a glance
- Flavor of marzipan and cherry. Almond extract tastes more like bakery almond than roasted nuts.
- Best friends: cherry, vanilla, orange, raspberry and chocolate.
- Strong. Stay at the low end of the rate until you know how much you like.
What almond extract tastes like
Angel Bake Almond Extract has the sweet, aromatic, slightly cherry like character people know from marzipan and almond paste. It does not taste like roasted almonds; for that toasty note you still want the nuts themselves. What it does is make a bake smell like it came from a European pastry shop.
It is an alcohol based Culinary Aromatics® extract with no added sugar, no added water and no propylene glycol, so it flavors without sweetening or thinning your batter. For allergy needs, check the product’s allergen information before you bake.
Classic almond bakes
Amaretti and almond cookies
Almond extract is the backbone of amaretti, almond crescents and almond sugar cookies. Cream it with the butter and sugar so it spreads evenly. A sliced almond on top adds crunch and tells everyone what they are about to taste. For chewy amaretti, the extract also makes up for the flavor that blanched almond flour loses, so the cookies taste of almond rather than just sweetness.
Cherry almond pie, cobbler and clafoutis
Almond and cherry come from the same plant family, and it shows. A few drops in cherry pie filling or a clafoutis batter make the cherries taste rounder and more like themselves. This is the pairing to try first.
Frangipane and almond tarts
Frangipane is almond cream baked into a tart, often under pears, plums or apricots. Extract deepens the almond flavor of the ground nuts and keeps it from tasting flat after baking.
White cake and wedding cake
Many bakery white cakes owe their flavor to vanilla plus almond. Use your usual vanilla one for one with the recipe and add almond extract on top at the batter rate below.
Almond in coffee, frosting and drinks
Almond buttercream on chocolate cake, an almond latte, a cherry almond smoothie or an amaretto style sour all work beautifully. In drinks, stir the extract in and taste once the milk and sweetener are there.
Almond for the holidays
Holiday baking leans on almond more than any other season. Almond crescent cookies, linzer cookies with raspberry jam, stollen, almond biscotti and Italian rainbow cookies all depend on it. A few drops in a holiday eggnog or a cherry almond cocoa make the drinks taste festive too. See our guide to the best extracts for holiday baking for more seasonal pairings.
| Pair almond with |
Try it in |
| Cherry |
Pie, clafoutis, cherry almond scones |
| Vanilla |
White cake, sugar cookies, buttercream |
| Orange |
Biscotti, loaf cake, holiday cookies |
| Raspberry |
Linzer cookies, bakewell tart |
| Chocolate |
Brownies, almond bark, mocha |
How much almond extract to use
These rates come from our extract dosing guide.
| Application |
Starting rate |
| Drinks: latte, smoothie, cocktails |
3 to 5 drops per cup |
| Frosting, whipped cream, fillings |
3 to 5 drops per cup |
| Ice cream and frozen desserts |
3 to 5 drops per cup |
| Cake batter, cookie dough, frangipane |
5 to 7 drops per cup |
| Simple syrup |
1/4 teaspoon, about 50 drops, per cup of syrup, which puts 3 to 5 drops in a finished drink |
The rates above are a starting point. Taste and adjust; every base is different.
Converting from a store brand
Angel Bake Almond Extract is concentrated. A recipe that calls for a teaspoon of almond extract was written for a standard strength bottle, so switch to the per cup rates above rather than measuring a full teaspoon.
Almond in chocolate and candy
Almond and chocolate make excellent bark, truffles and dipped cherries. For anything made with melted chocolate or candy coating, use Pure Infusions™ almond flavor oil. It has an organic coconut derived MCT carrier, is alcohol free, and blends straight into fat. Keep the oil out of drinks; it is made for chocolate, candy, ganache and buttercream. See our guide to flavoring chocolate and candy for more.
Bake like a pastry shop
Angel Bake extracts are No Sugar Added, Kosher Pareve, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free and vegan, and a 2 oz bottle flavors more than 300 cups. Explore Almond Extract, pair it with orange extract in loaf cakes and biscotti, or browse our guide to the best extracts for cakes, cookies and quick breads. Bakeries can ask about wholesale and samples.
Orange extract gives you the bright, sweet aroma of fresh orange peel without zesting a single fruit. It turns a plain pound cake into an orange loaf, makes chocolate taste like a chocolate orange, and wakes up cranberry scones, creamsicle drinks and morning coffee. Here is where it works best, how much to use, and when to reach for the flavor oil instead.
What Valencia orange tastes like
Angel Bake Valencia Orange Extract tastes like the zest of a ripe Valencia orange: juicy, sweet and sunny, with a gentle bitterness from the peel that keeps it from tasting like candy. It reads as fresh orange rather than orange soda.
It is an alcohol based Culinary Aromatics® extract with no added sugar, no added water and no propylene glycol. Unlike orange juice, it adds flavor without extra liquid or acidity, so you can flavor a batter or frosting without changing its texture. If you love floral orange notes, orange blossom is a separate flavor with a very different, perfumed character.
Quick answers
- Replacing zest? Extract gives the aroma of zest without the texture. Keep a little zest if you want visible flecks.
- Replacing juice? Keep the juice if the recipe needs its liquid and acid; use extract for more orange flavor on top.
- Melted chocolate? Use the Valencia orange flavor oil, not the extract.
Five favorite ways to use orange extract
Chocolate orange anything
Chocolate and orange are one of the great flavor pairings. Add the extract to brownie batter, chocolate cake, chocolate frosting or a mocha. For orange flavored truffles, chocolate bark or dipped treats, switch to the flavor oil, which blends directly into melted chocolate.
Cranberry orange scones and muffins
Add the extract with the wet ingredients. Orange lifts tart cranberry and makes the whole bake taste brighter. An orange glaze made with powdered sugar, milk and a few drops of extract finishes them. The same idea works in cranberry orange bread, orange poppy seed muffins and blueberry orange coffee cake.
Orange creamsicle drinks and desserts
Orange plus vanilla plus cream is the creamsicle combination. Stir the extract into a vanilla milkshake, an orange cream soda, a panna cotta or a batch of vanilla ice cream base.
Orange pound cake and loaf cakes
A classic pound cake becomes an orange loaf with nothing more than extract in the batter and a simple orange glaze. Almond and orange also work beautifully together in loaf cakes and biscotti.
Orange in coffee and holiday drinks
A few drops in a mocha, a hot chocolate or a spiced holiday latte add brightness. Mix the extract into the drink, then taste once milk and sweetener are in. It works in cocktails too, from an old fashioned to a holiday punch.
Orange for the holidays
Orange is a quiet hero of winter baking. It brightens gingerbread, cranberry bread, spiced cookies and fruitcake, and it pairs naturally with clove, cinnamon and cardamom. Add a few drops to mulled cider, hot cocoa or a holiday punch for a festive lift. Our guide to the best extracts for holiday baking has more seasonal pairings.
How much orange extract to use
These rates come from our extract dosing guide.
| Application |
Starting rate |
| Drinks: coffee, hot chocolate, cocktails, milkshakes |
3 to 5 drops per cup |
| Frosting, glaze, whipped cream, fillings |
3 to 5 drops per cup |
| Ice cream and frozen desserts |
3 to 5 drops per cup |
| Cake batter, scone or cookie dough |
5 to 7 drops per cup |
| Simple syrup |
1/4 teaspoon, about 50 drops, per cup of syrup, which puts 3 to 5 drops in a finished drink |
The rates above are a starting point. Taste and adjust; every base is different.
Extract or flavor oil?
Use Culinary Aromatics extract for drinks, batters, frostings, ice cream and anything water based. Use Pure Infusions™ Valencia orange flavor oil for melted chocolate, candy, bark and fat rich fillings. The oil has an organic coconut derived MCT carrier, is alcohol free, and is made to blend into fat. Keep it out of drinks; flavor oils are not meant for beverages.
Our guide to flavoring chocolate and candy covers the chocolate side in more depth.
Orange and baking heat
Citrus aroma is bright but not shy. In batter and dough it carries through baking well at the 5 to 7 drop rate. For a stronger finish, add a few drops to the glaze or frosting as well, so the orange shows up on top and inside.
Bake something bright
Angel Bake extracts are No Sugar Added, Kosher Pareve, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free and vegan, and a 2 oz bottle flavors more than 300 cups. Explore Valencia Orange Extract, or pair it with vanilla and almond. For more cake and cookie ideas, see our guide to the best extracts for cakes, cookies and quick breads. Bakeries and cafés can ask about wholesale and samples.
