Plum Torte

I am known for making a lot of fruit desserts, so when I told my husband I was going to make another fruit-laden cake he sort of rolled his eyes. But after trying it, we both agreed that this plum torte was one of the best sweets we've had in awhile. Versions of this recipe popped up everywhere (like here and here) a few weeks ago, although the original was posted back in the 80's, and it's easy to see why it was still getting rave reviews. The moist, tender cake is studded with halved plums that bake into soft, jammy puddles. The whole top is sprinkled with cinnamon that adds a nice fall flavor. And it can be easily assembled without any fancy equipment (although I did make this in my turquoise Kitchen-Aid stand mixer that we received for our wedding). It's one of those cakes that you can feel ok about eating for breakfast or dress up with fresh whipped cream for company. Leftovers will keep for at least a few days since the cake is so moist.


Perfect Plum Torte:

• Whisk together 1 c. all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, and a large pinch of salt in a mixing bowl.
• In another bowl, cream together 8 tbsp. softened butter and 1 c. sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add in 2 eggs, one at a time, then slowly add in the dry ingredients.
• Mix until just combined, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Pour the cake batter into a greased 9" springform cake pan and smooth the top.
• Halve and pit 4-6 plums* and lightly press, skin-side up, into the cake batter.
• Sprinkle the top of the cake with 2 tbsp. lemon juice, then 1 tsp. cinnamon and 1-2 tbsp. of sugar.
• Bake the cake in a 350F oven for 45-55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean of batter when inserted into the middle of the cake.
• Let cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the pan and transfer to a baking rack to finish cooling.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves eight

*I used 4 large plums and ended up cutting them into quarters.