Allow the butter to soften to room temperature.
Place butter into a mixing bowl. Use a mixer set on medium to beat it until the butter is light and fluffy. You want the butter to look smooth and fluffy.
Add clear vanilla and a small amount of Wilton orange gel food coloring using a toothpick or knife. You can add additional gel food coloring until you get your desired color.
Slowly mix in approximately 2.5 cups of powdered sugar and use your mixer on low speed until the ingredients come together. Don't increase the speed of your mixer until the powder sugar is mixed in well. If not you will have powdered sugar all over the place.
Taste test the icing to determine if you need to add more powdered sugar. Once the ingredients have come together, slowly add in remaining powder sugar and beat using medium-high with your mixer.
If your icing is still too thin, add a small amount of powdered sugar and continue mixing. Is your icing too thick? Slowly add in a tsp of milk until you get the desired consistency.
Chill your buttercream icing in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. If you chill the icing overnight, you will need to slowly let it warm up until you can mix it with a spoon easily.
Add icing to the piping bag and pipe the icing on the cupcakes.
Enjoy!