Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a 10-inch bundt pan, making sure to thoroughly grease all the nooks and crannies. Place on a baking sheet and set aside.
In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and vanilla extract. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the orange zest and press it into the dry ingredients using clean hands, breaking up any clumps. Whisk the ingredients once again to distribute the zest.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high for approximately 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula.
Turn the mixer speed to low. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next. Don’t rush. Scrape down the bowl after the second and fourth egg.
Turn the mixer to medium-low. Alternate between adding the buttermilk and flour mixtures, starting and ending with the buttermilk. Scrape the bowl all the way to the bottom to ensure there are no patches of dry ingredients. Use a spatula to stir in the strawberries by hand.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, evening out the top with a spatula. Bake the cake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a cooling rack.
While the cake is baking (or cooling), prepare the topping. In a medium bowl, stir together the strawberries, sugar and liqueur, if using. Cover with plastic or a clean dish towel, and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, stirring periodically. Before serving, top the cake with the macerated strawberries. If using, sift some confectioners’ sugar over the cake.
Notes
Strawberries will vary in sweetness depending on a variety of factors (season, ripeness, etc). For the topping, use less sugar if the berries are very sweet.Other orange liquors such as Cointreau would work. So would spiced rum!