Walter Mitty is best known for his wild imagination, profound character arc, and penchant for Papa Johns, Cinnabon, eHarmony, Air Greenland, and a host of other popular products. He, some eastern European sailors, and some warlords on horseback also share a soft spot for Walter's Mother's Clementine Cake. Follow along this week as, thanks to a sinus infection, we voicelessly recreate this bright, tart, quirky treat.

 

Ingredients

  • Clementines
  • 3 cups of sugar
  • 450g of cake flour
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • ¾ tsp of baking powder
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ cup of butter
  • 487.5g of sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 3 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup clementine juice
  • Zest of 4 clementines
  • 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
  • Nonstick spray
  • Parchment paper

Clementine Glaze

  • 150g sifted powdered sugar
  • 30-45 ml of clementine juice
  • Zest of 1 clementine

Method

  1. Start by slicing 3 clementines for candying. Make sure you slice them very thin.
  2. Poach the clementines in boiling water for 1 minute, and then shock them by transferring them to a bowl of ice water.
  3. Combine 3 cups of sugar and 1 ½ cups of water in a large saucepan. Add a little squeeze of clementine juice and bring to a sweet gentle simmer. Add clementines in a single layer and simmer for 90 minutes, flipping every 30 minutes.
  4. Once soft and translucent, cool on a wire rack and pour clementine syrup into a measuring cup for later. Set aside.
  5. Weigh out 450g of cake flour to which you’re going to add 1 ½ tsp of salt, ¾ tsp of baking powder, and ¾ tsp of baking soda. Whisk to combine.
  6. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix 1 ½ cups of butter until creamy
  7. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add 487.5g of sugar and mix that as well.
  8. Scrape down the sides again, and add 6 large eggs and 3 tsp of vanilla extract. Mix again.
  9. Add ¾ cup of clementine juice and the zest of 4 clementines and mix to combine.
  10. Finally add the dry ingredients and 1 ¼ cups of buttermilk and mix just enough to combine.
  11. Coat a cake pan with nonstick spray and parchment paper. Add the cake batter and cook at 350°F for 45 minutes.
  12. Use a cake tester or a knife to make sure the cake is completely done.
  13. Generously brush down the cake with clementine syrup.
  14. Pour glaze over the top and add candied clementines.
  15. Slice yourself a piece and enjoy.

Clementine Glaze

  1. Combine 150g of sifted powdered sugar, 30-45 ml of clementine juice, and the zest of one clementine. Whisk to combine. (You can use milk instead of juice to look more accurate to the movie, but the juice is better)