I made a plum torte using the classic recipe, which was first published in the New York Times in 1980s, and had since become legendary. The torte is incredibly quick and easy to make, and it’s delicious.
For the torte:
- Plums (medium size) – 7 or 8, depending on the size of your baking tray; mine is 21 cm in diameter)
- Butter (of room temperature) – 110 g
- Eggs – 2
- Sugar – 100 to 120 g
- Vanilla sugar – 10 g
- Salt – a sprinkle
- Flour – 120 g
- Baking powder – 1 tsp
For sprinkling (optional):
- Sugar – 1 to 2 tsp
- Ground cinnamon – 1 tsp
Method is explained and illustrated below. Enjoy!
Prepare the plums. Cut them into halves, take the stones out and keep the plums aside.
Put the butter (it should be soft and of room temperature) into the bowl for whisking…
… add a sprinkle of salt, sugar and vanilla sugar…
… and whisk until light and fluffy.
Add eggs – one at a time…
… and whisk until well combined. Then add a second egg and repeat the process.
You can also start pre-heating your oven to 180C at this stage.
Now, place the flour into a separate dish, add baking powder…
… and mix well together to combine.
Sift it into the egg and butter mixture…
… and whisk until well combined.
Prepare the baking tray. Grease it with some oil or butter…
… including the sides of the tray.
You can also dust the tray with some flour (optional).
Place the batter into the tray, spreading it evenly.
Now, place the halves of the plums onto the batter…
… leaving some distance between them and pressing them down slightly.
The next step is optional, but it makes the torte taste even better and give it a wonderful tang 🙂
Put a teaspoon of ground cinnamon into a small dish…
… add a teaspoon or two of sugar…
… mix together…
… and sprinkle onto the torte.
Bake at 180C for 30 to 40 minutes. To check whether the torte is ready, stick a wooden cocktail stick or a wooden toothpick into the middle of it. The stick should come out clean and dry.
When the torte is ready, take it out of the oven, leave to cool down slightly…
… then run a sharp knife around its’ edges and take it out of the tray.
Dust the torte with icing sugar (optional).
And enjoy! It’s absolutely delicious – fluffy and fruity, and cinnamon gives it a special tang 🙂
