I did it, I fell prey to the Costco disease. I mean how can you not? So many great deals! The only problem with this is that I currently do not have a Costco-size household. For example, while we were shopping my friend warned me that I didn’t need the bag of 15 plums, I didn’t listen…but she was correct. So many plums, too little time! I ate about 5 plums before the rest started to get overripe. I felt so bad wasting that much food but I wasn’t sure what I could make with 10 plums. I started my hunt for a great recipe and came across the New York Times Famous Plum Torte. This recipe was exactly what I was looking for, minimal ingredients (that I would already have at home), lots of plums, and looked DELICIOUS! So, as usual, I was in the mood for something sweet and decided to give it a shot.
This recipe did not disappoint! It was very easy to make, I didn’t have to rush out to buy any extra ingredients. The cake was moist and spongy without getting soggy from the fruit. It was the perfect balance of sweetness, enough to taste it without being overwhelmed by sugar. After making this I also really liked that this recipe can be changed to fit any season and will work with most stone fruits. I think it would be great using apples or pears for fall and peaches for summer! I have also been very impressed with how long the cake holds up, it has lasted several days without drying or becoming soggy-great the day of and for several days after. I’ll definitely be making this cake for all of my spring and summer get-togethers, and maybe one or two just for myself!
INGREDIENTS
- ¾ to 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt (optional)
- 2 eggs
- 24 halves pitted purple plums
- Sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon, for topping
DIRECTIONS
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.
- Spoon the batter into a springform pan of 8, 9 or 10 inches. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, depending on how much you like cinnamon.
- Bake 1 hour, approximately. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired. Or cool to lukewarm and serve plain or with whipped cream. (To serve a torte that was frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.)
What do you think?