Grand Marnier Orange Bundt Cake

Moist, full of orange flavor, and texture from chopped walnuts and sliced almonds, this Grand Marnier Orange Bundt Cake is topped with a simple glaze made from Grand Marnier, fresh orange juice, and sugar.

I bring you some of my favorite things in the entire world. Bundt cakes, cookbooks, prizes, and booze (kidding). And not just any booze. Grand Marnier, which is quite possibly the best type of booze (particularly for baked goods or desserts) in existence!

But really, this Grand Marnier orange bundt cake is all about the booze. It has the simplest, most delectable of simple syrup glazes made with just three ingredients: Grand Marnier, fresh orange juice, and sugar.

Plus, this bundt cake has greek yogurt, walnuts, and orange zest in it, so that practically makes it a health food. That’s my logic and I’m sticking with it.

This bundt cake recipe is courtesy of the newly released cookbook, The Pollan Family Table by Corky, Lori, Dana, & Tracy Pollan.  As in, the women of the Pollan family. If you’re familiar with Michael Pollan’s work or writing, that name might ring a very familiar bell!

I have been a huge fan of Michael Pollan’s writing for years (The Omnivore’s Dilemna is one of my favorite books regarding the food industry), so I was incredibly excited and honored to have a chance to review this cookbook.

And, I can say, it did not disappoint. The book contains more than 100 of the Pollan’s family collection of recipes. They are fresh, healthy, and family-friendly dishes that are not only seasonal and approachable, but realistic.

Most of the recipes can be made in less than an hour, and almost all of the ingredients can be found at the most basic of grocery stores. Yet, they still have just enough of a twist to distinguish them from my ridiculously-over-the-top collection of cookbooks.

Dishes that include panfried tofu with chimichurri sauce, pan-roasted cod in spicy thai broth, creamless broccoli soup with roasted garlic and frizzled leeks (on my list of things to make!), parmesan-crusted chicken fontina, and the Pollan signature salad. The cookbook is a great balance of both classic and contemporary meals.

One of my absolute favorite things about this cookbook is that each recipe is accompanied with a “market” and “pantry” list, in which every ingredient in the recipe is listed and grouped according to how you will find them at the store or market.

It was hard to choose a dish to share with you, but I ended up coming back to this Grand Marnier orange bundt cake over an over again. It is actually their Grandma Mary’s interpretation of a traditional Jewish nut cake.

I was a huge fan of this cake! It is incredibly moist, full of fresh orange flavor, and has great texture from the addition of chopped walnuts and sliced almonds. Plus, it couldn’t be easier to throw together and makes a wonderful tea cake or all-occasion cake (that isn’t overly sweet) for the holiday season.

Grand Marnier Orange Bundt Cake

5 stars (2 ratings)

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Yield: 10 Servings (One 10-Inch Bundt Cake)

Prep: 20 minutes minutes

Cook: 40 minutes minutes

Total: 1 hour hour

Moist, full of fresh orange flavor, and texture from the addition of chopped walnuts and sliced almonds, this Grand Marnier Orange Bundt Cake is topped with a simple glaze made from Grand Marnier, fresh orange juice, and sugar. A wonderful tea or all-occasion cake for the holiday season!

Equipment

• KitchenAid 5 Qt. Artisan Stand Mixer
• Nordic Ware Bundt Cake Pan

Ingredients

• 1 cup (8 oz; 230 g) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing room temperature
• 3 tablespoons sliced blanched or raw sliced almonds
• 2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar divided
• 3 large eggs eggs and whites separated
• 1 cup whole fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 1 cup chopped raw walnuts
• ⅓ cup (80 mL) Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
• ¼ cup (60 mL) freshly squeezed orange juice roughly one juicy orange

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) with a rack in the center position. Generously butter a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan. Set aside.
• Spread the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until toasted and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool on the pan. Leave the oven preheated as you prepare the cake batter.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. In a stand mixer bowl, combine the butter and 1 cup (200 g) of granulated sugar. Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and beat until blended. Over low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with two additions of the yogurt, mixing just until smooth. Stir in the orange zest and walnuts, and transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl. Clean the stand mixer bowl very well, and dry it thoroughly.
• Using the stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until they are stiff but not dry, about 2 minutes. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter until incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the pan, smoothing the top. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 7 to 10 minutes while you prepare the simple syrup.
• Prepare the Simple Syrup: While the cake is cooling, combine the Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur) and orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining 1/2 cup (100 g) of granulated sugar and stir for 2 minutes, until well blended. Remove from the heat.
• Assemble: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (or wax paper) and place a wire cooling rack on top. Invert the cake onto the wire cooling rack and spoon half the glaze (*it should be the consistency of a slightly thicker simple syrup) over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top, then carefully spoon on the remaining glaze. Transfer the cake to a serving plate and spoon any glaze drippings that have pooled onto the paper back onto the cake. Allow to set slightly before serving.

Reprinted (with a few method adjustments) with permission from The Pollan Family Cookbook by Corky, Lori, Dana, & Tracy Pollan.

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 406kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 89mg, Sodium: 183mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 15g

Author: Laura / A Beautiful Plate

Course: Cakes and Cupcakes

Cuisine: American

I was provided a complimentary copy of this cookbook by Scribner Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. A review copy was provided to me, but all opinions are my own.