Orange zest, orange juice, and Grand Marnier add tons of AMAZING orange flavor to this easy, no-mixer olive oil cake that's unique, refined, and INCREDIBLE!!
Preheat oven to 325F, add a circle of parchment paper to the base of a 9-inch springform pan, and spray the parchment paper and the sides of the pan very well with cooking spray; set aside. Do not make this cake in a regular 9-inch cake pan. Most are only about 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep and this cake rises to about 2 1/2 to 3 inches on the sides and nearly 4 inches in the center. It will overflow in a regular 9-inch pan.
To a large bowl, add the olive oil, eggs, and whisk well to emulsify and incorporate.
Add the milk, orange zest, orange juice (I was able to get sufficient zest and juice from one large orange), Grand Marnier, and whisk to incorporate.
Add the sugar and whisk to incorporate.
Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and whisk until just incorporated; don’t overmix. The batter in on the thin side; this is normal.
Turn batter out into prepared pan, place pan on a baking sheet as insurance against a leaky springform pan, and bake for about 70 to 75 minutes. Start checking after 60 minutes since all ovens vary. Cake will be golden browned and domed in the center when done, and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. **
Allow cake to cool in the springform pan for about 1 hour before releasing it and allowing the cake to finish cooling on a wire rack.
Dust with confectioners’ sugar prior to serving.
Notes
Cake will keep airtight at room temp for 1 week.
**This cake bakes in a fairly cool oven for a long duration, low and slow. Don’t be alarmed if a small circular patch on the top of the cake appears to be burning early on in the baking process. Ultimately it doesn’t darken much more and when the cake is done, the cake is approximately the same color as the initial dark patch. This may or may not happen to you and possibly is just what happens in my oven, but I am pointing it out as nothing to worry about.