The Famous Plum Torte

Based off of Marian Burros' famous Plum Torte, I share how this wonderful seasonal dessert recipe can be adapted in a myriad of ways. It's an incredibly simple, adaptable, and foolproof cake made with seasonal fruit and a light and airy batter reminiscent of a Dutch baby. This recipe is part of 'A Clam Chowder Lunch with Friends,' shared here

Famous Plum Torte

Clam Chowder with Fresh Clams | Hosting Ideas

Prep time

10 minutes

Cook time

1 hour

Servings

6-8

Category

Desserts

Ingredients

  • ¾ to 1 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like your cake)

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature 

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (see Note)

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • Pinch of salt

  • 2 eggs, room temperature

  • 1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

  • 6 to 10 plums (see Note)

  • Sugar, lemon juice and/or cinnamon, for topping

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare springform pan with baking spray or butter.

Step 2

Cream sugar and butter in bowl. Add flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, and extract; beat well.

Step 3

Spoon batter into springform pan (I've used 8, 9, or 10-inch pans –– all work and create a different look and may slightly affect cooking time). Sprinkle lightly with lemon juice and sugar, amount dependent upon how sweet the fruit is. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.

Step 4

Bake 1 hour, until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove and allow to cool. Serve with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or plain. I love to serve this with a dessert cheese course as well.

Sarah's Notes: 


🍇 I love the original ideas to use plums but so many other fruits work beautifully. For this particular lunch, I used red pears and figs (I wouldn't recommend the figs as I did not care for their texture). You can use apples or grapes in the fall or berries or other stone fruit like peaches or cherries in the summer. 


🌾 For the flour, I often use sprouted spelt flour or whole wheat, or half wheat and half all-purpose. You can experiment and use what you like. I like the added tooth and flavor that wheat flours offer.

See the Clam Chowder Lunch here.