Easy Summer Snacking Cake

I make the Original Plum Torte from Marion Burros, every summer. It’s so simple to whip up and incredibly satisfying to snack on, no wonder it has over 17,000 reviews. I like Italian plums but any stone fruit (see my apricot version) or even berry, would work well. I did make a few small adjustments to the recipe, including using a smaller size pan (9″ instead of 10″) so the cake has a bit more depth and macerating the fruit first before placing in the batter so they get a head start on developing flavor.

Original Plum Torte

Adapted from Marion Burros for NYT Cooking
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

12 Italian prune plums, pitted and halved
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more for topping
1 tablespoon juice from lemon, reserve the zest
1 cup (138g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for topping
2 large eggs (100g), room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of ground cinnamon, for topping

Directions

Toss the halved plums in the sugar and lemon juice. Let sit for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the cake.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lightly butter a 9″ springform pan or round cake pan lined with a parchment circle.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Cream the sugar, butter and lemon zest, in a bowl, 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and gently stir, just until incorporated.

Spoon the batter into the pan. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Spoon the leftover juice over the fruit. Sprinkle tablespoon of granulated sugar and pinch of cinnamon all over the cake.

Bake 25-35 minutes, or until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let and cool to lukewarm, before serving plain or with whipped cream.

Refrigerate or freeze if desired. To serve a torte that was frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300°F.

TIP
To freeze, double-wrap the torte in foil, place in a plastic bag and seal.