Chocolate Orange Cake with Grand Marnier
A fresh, zesty and ultra-moist orange sponge made with a whole boiled orange, brushed with Grand Marnier and layered with silky dark chocolate ganache.
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 556kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 medium orange , ideally seedless
- ¼ cup (60ml) buttermilk
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups (330g) sugar
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour (= plain flour)
- ½ cup (60g) ground almonds or almond flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (= cornflour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda (= bicarbonate of soda)
- ⅓ tsp salt
- ⅞ cup (200g) unsalted butter cold, cubed
For the Ganache
- 1 ½ cups (375ml) heavy cream (= double cream)
- 2 cups (370g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup (100g) golden syrup
- ¼ cup (65g) unsalted butter
- 1 pinch sea salt
Assembly and Decoration
- ⅓ cup (80ml) Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
- 2 tbsp orange strips optional
Instructions
Make the Ganache
- Add the cream, golden syrup, chocolate chips and butter to a large mixing bowl. Microwave in short 30–40 second bursts until the cream is warm and the chocolate starts to melt. Rest for a few minutes.1 ½ cups (375ml) heavy cream, ⅓ cup (100g) golden syrup, 2 cups (370g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, ¼ cup (65g) unsalted butter, 1 pinch sea salt
- Use a long, narrow spatula to stir gently from the center outward, moving in very small circles, until the chocolate has melted and the ganache is glossy and smooth.
- For an even glossier, thicker ganache, blend it with an immersion blender, keeping the head fully immersed. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and leave to cool at room temperature for 4–5 hours or overnight. Do not refrigerate – this can make the ganache hard and dull its shine.
Boil the Orange
- Preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C). Mist three 8-inch round cake pans with cake release and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Place the orange in a pot of boiling water and simmer until it is completely soft all the way through, about 20 minutes. Let cool.1 medium orange
- Slice it open and remove any seeds. Transfer the pieces to a food processor and blend until you have a smooth paste. You will need scant 1 cup (200g) of the blended orange for the cake, so you may have some left over.
Prepare the Wet and Dry Ingredients
- In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs and blended orange paste. Set aside.¼ cup (60ml) buttermilk, 2 tbsp olive oil, 3 large eggs
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl), combine the flour, sugar, ground almonds, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir briefly on low speed to combine.2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour, 1 ¾ cups (330g) sugar, ½ cup (60g) ground almonds, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, ⅓ tsp salt
Mix and Bake
- Add the cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Beat on low speed until the mixture looks sandy and uniform, with no large chunks of butter remaining.⅞ cup (200g) unsalted butter
- Pour in the wet buttermilk mixture. Beat on low to medium speed until the batter is completely smooth, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula so everything is evenly mixed.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and level the tops. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes in their pans for 5–10 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack. Cover with plastic wrap while they cool to lock in the moisture.
Assemble and Decorate
- Warm the Grand Marnier in a small saucepan, then brush it over the cake layers so it soaks in.⅓ cup (80ml) Grand Marnier
- Place the bottom cake layer on a serving plate. Pipe or spread a generous layer of ganache over it.
- Top with the second cake layer, pressing down gently to secure, and repeat with the third. Cover the entire cake with a layer of ganache, smoothing the sides with a bench scraper.
- Swirl or pipe the remaining ganache over the top of the cake and decorate with the orange strips, if using. Keep the cake covered and store at room temperature for up to 4 days.2 tbsp orange strips
Notes
- Make ahead: The orange can be boiled and blended up to two days ahead. The ganache can be made up to a day ahead to allow plenty of time for it to cool and thicken.
- Alcohol-free: Swap the Grand Marnier for a quick orange syrup – simmer fresh orange juice with a spoonful of sugar for a few minutes and brush it over the sponges.
- Other liqueurs: Cointreau, triple sec or a splash of dark rum all work well.
- Milk chocolate ganache: For a sweeter, more kid-friendly cake, use milk chocolate and slightly less cream, as milk chocolate sets softer.
- Chocolate sponge: Prefer chocolate all the way through? Try my Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cake with a glossy chocolate orange glaze.
- No food processor: A stick blender does the job, or push the soft orange through a sieve.
Nutrition
Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 250mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 813IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 3mg
