Marian Burros' Plum Torte
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Recipe type: Sweets
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8 servings
 
If you can't find Italian prune plums, try this with another plum variety, or any other stone fruit - Look for something on the softer side that will "melt" into the batter. This recipe is so good, I honestly think it would be very difficult to fail! One other thing to point out is that as with all recipes that have stood the test of time, a few of the measurements change along the way. A quick Google search will warrant variations with 1 teaspoon cinnamon versus 1 tablespoon. I went for 1½ tablespoons and found that to be perfect - but use however much or little as you like! The same holds true for the sugar which is listed as ¾ cup in certain recipes, and 1 cup in others.
Ingredients
  • ¾-1 cup sugar, depending on the sweetness of your plums (My plums were on the tart side, so I used 1 cup.) + 1-2 tablespoons for topping
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch of salt (optional)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 10-12 purple plums (Italian Prune Plums), halved and pitted
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Using an electric mixer, cream the sugar and butter together in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl, continuing to beat. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined.
  4. Place the batter in the pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Place the halved plums skin-side-up atop the batter, nearly covering it.
  5. Drizzle the lemon juice over the batter. Sprinkle the torte with the cinnamon and remaining sugar.
  6. Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the cake portion comes out clean.
  7. Remove from oven (And pan, if using a cake pan like I did!) and cool on a wire rack. It's definitely not necessary, but I had my first slice with a drizzle of honey on top of it, and it was delicious!
Notes
The original recipe calls for an 8, 9, or 10" spring form. I don't have one of those, so I used a 9" cake pan instead. To ensure that the torte would still come out, I lightly greased the bottom of the pan with cooking spray and then lined it with parchment, pin-tucking the paper, so it would lay as flat and evenly as possible. I actually love what happened as a result, because the tucks gave the torte some neat crinkles around the edges. It had an almost pull-apart effect!
Recipe by JJBegonia at https://jjbegonia.com/marian-burros-plum-torte/