The New York Times Famous Plum Torte (Video!)

A blue plate with a piece of plum torte and a fork.

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The New York Times Famous Plum Torte (Video!)

The New York Times plum torte is an iconic recipe that's incredibly easy to make and is a perfect way to use up beautiful in season summer plums. It's dense, yet light, super moist, not too sweet and great with a cup of coffee or tea.

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 1

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 294kcal

Author: Nicole Gaffney

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick) softened
1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon divided*
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
6-12 plums depending size, pitted and halved**
Juice from ½ lemon
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter the inside of a 9-inch springform pan.
Cream together the butter and 1 cup of sugar in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. You can use an electric mixer, but I find a wooden spoon and a little elbow grease to the job just fine.
Add in the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated.
Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt until just combined.
Spread the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
Arrange the halved plums cut-side-down, then use your fingers to gently press them into the batter.
Squeeze the lemon juice over the fruit, then mix together the remaining tablespoon of sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the top.
Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes prior to cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature. The cake is also excellent served cold after chilling in the fridge overnight.

Notes

Depending on how sweet your plums are and how sweet you like your cake, the sugar can be cut down to ¾ cup.
You will use more or less plums depending on the variety and size, but also depending on your preference. I tend to use more plums for a jammier, fruitier cake, almost like a buckle, but you can always opt to use less.
If you're not using a springform pan, line your cake pan with parchment paper or foil so you can lift it out after baking to make slicing easier.
Try this torte with a different fruit altogether! It's a forgiving recipe and works well with just about everything, especially other stone fruit like peaches and nectarines.
You can replace half of the all purpose flour with almond flour for an even denser chewier crumb.
The beauty of this recipe is in the simplicity of its flavors. You might be tempted to add vanilla extract, almond extract, nuts or different spices, but I promise it's better as is.

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