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A tall glass of Orange Creamsicle Shake topped with whipped cream and orange zest, served on a saucer with a spoon and a small bowl of sugar nearby.

Orange Creamsicle Shake

A thick, pale ivory milkshake blended from vanilla ice cream, fresh orange juice, heavy cream, and orange zest for a deep creamsicle flavor, topped with mounded whipped cream and decorative orange zest curls.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Calories: 385
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup vanilla ice cream Used straight from the freezer so the shake stays thick enough to hold a mound
  • 0.5 cup fresh orange juice (about 2 to 3 oranges) Strained through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and pulp
  • 0.25 cup heavy cream Adds richness and gives the shake its thick milkshake consistency
  • 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest, plus extra for garnish Essential for the deep creamsicle flavor that juice alone cannot produce
  • 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract Reinforces the vanilla cream element and balances the citrus
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar or preferred sweetener (optional) Adjust based on the sweetness of the oranges and ice cream used
  • whipped cream for topping Mounded generously above the rim of the glass as shown in the image
  • decorative orange peel curl strips Draped over the whipped cream and onto the saucer as shown in the image

Equipment

  • 1 Blender High-speed preferred for a completely smooth shake without ice cream chunks
  • 1 Fine microplane grater For zesting the orange finely for both the blender and the garnish
  • 1 Vegetable peeler For shaving decorative orange peel curl strips for the garnish
  • 1 Fine mesh sieve For straining fresh orange juice before adding to the blender
  • 2 Tall clear straight-sided glasses Chilled in the freezer for 5 minutes before filling as shown in the image
  • 2 Ceramic saucers and spoons For the full plated presentation shown in the image
  • 1 Piping bag with large star tip For the mounded whipped cream above the rim; a spoon works as an alternative

Method
 

  1. Place serving glasses in the freezer for 5 minutes so the outside stays cold and slightly frosted when it goes to the table, then zest and juice the oranges while the glasses chill.
  2. Use a vegetable peeler to shave 2 to 3 long orange peel strips then wrap them around a pencil and hold for 10 seconds so they hold a curl shape when released.
  3. Add vanilla ice cream, fresh orange juice, heavy cream, orange zest, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar if using to the blender and blend on high for 20 to 30 seconds until completely smooth and pale ivory throughout.
  4. Check consistency; the shake should be thick enough to hold a slight mound when poured. Add a tablespoon of orange juice if too thick or a small scoop of ice cream if too thin, then blend briefly.
  5. Remove chilled glasses from the freezer, set each on a ceramic saucer with a spoon alongside, and pour the shake to about 1 centimeter from the rim.
  6. Tap the glass gently on the counter once so any air bubbles rise and the liquid settles evenly before the whipped cream is added.
  7. Pipe or spoon whipped cream in a generous mounded pile above the rim of each glass starting from the center and working outward so the cream holds its shape as shown in the image.
  8. Scatter fine orange zest over the whipped cream surface, drape the decorative orange peel curls over the cream and onto the saucer, and serve immediately while the glass is still cold and the cream is fully mounded.

Notes

Always add orange zest to the blender for the deep creamsicle flavor that juice alone cannot produce. Use ice cream straight from the freezer so the shake stays thick enough to hold a mound when poured. Chill the glass for 5 minutes before serving and add the whipped cream only at the moment of serving.