Local single- and two-phase heat transfer distributions are measured under a confined impinging jet issuing from a cross-shaped orifice. Spatially resolved temperature maps and convection coefficients resulting from the impinging flow are obtained via infrared imaging of a thin-foil heat source. The cooling patterns in single- and two-phase operation are explained by an accompanying numerical investigation of the fluid flow issuing from the orifice; computed velocity magnitudes and turbulence intensities are presented. In single-phase operation, the coolest surface temperatures correspond to areas with high liquid velocities. High velocities and developing turbulence are also shown to increase convective heat transfer along the diagonal outflow directions from the impinging jet. During two-phase transport, boiling preferentially begins in regions of low velocity, providing enhanced heat transfer in the areas least affected by the impingement. The cross-shaped orifice achieves local heat transfer coefficients that exceed the stagnation-point value of a circular jet of equivalent open orifice area by up to 1.5 times, while resulting in an increased pressure drop only 1.1 times higher than that of the circular jet. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.