I have been going crazy as ever at the greenmarket, hauling home loads of stone fruits and berries like they are going out of style; which they kind of are, considering that though it's hotter than blazes, summer is on it's way out the back door. As I've previously mentioned I tend to get drawn in by their vibrant colors and come hither shapeliness.
And so I found myself a couple weeks ago with a large basket of plums in my bag when I arrived home. I don't even like plums. I take that back. I like the sweet, fleshy inside but the tart skin makes my mouth pucker and ruins the whole experience. I've always marveled at this because the skin's deep ruby color is what draws me in but it is also the very thing that deters me from eating them by the handful. What to do with this basket of plums?
Where better to find a recipe for plums than my hefty New York Times Dessert Cookbook? Filled with recipes from famous chefs and infamous food critics, I knew I was on to something. I happened upon a recipe for Marion Burros' Original Plum Torte, which has been published in the NY Times food section every year since the 80's due to it's immense popularity (and as I later learned, it's deliciousness). A simple cake studded with fruit sounded like the perfect foil for my basket o' plums.
I've made this cake twice in the last month and have another basket of plums sitting on my counter waiting to make cake #3. I can't get enough. I ate it for breakfast, as an appetizer before dinner, and also as dessert (sometimes all in the same day). The sweetness of the cake is the perfect balance for the tart pockets of jammy fruit.
The first cake I made was a (delicious) disaster; I mistakenly read 1/2 c. as 1/2 # of butter, thus doubling it! But rather than turn sodden and inedible like my blueberry slump, somehow this cake managed to pull through and remain light and fluffy. I also made the addition of toasted hazelnut flour in place of some of the all purpose flour for a little twist. The crumb was too light and airy so it was hard to tell how the hazelnut flour would affect the cake with the appropriate amount of butter, but I find it hard to imagine it would be anything but divine.
The second cake I made was a smashing sucess. I used small, brilliant red sugar plums; in the first I used plain purple skinned/red fleshed plums, and in the third one I will be using italian prune plums. Such prune plums are what the original recipe intends, but I find each different plum equally delicious.
Along with my plum cakes I have also managed to make a summer fruit bavarian cake for my friend and boss Naomi's birthday as well as a lemon chiffon cake layered with lemon curd and caramel and draped in whipped cream for my former co-worker Lora's going away day. All I want to do is make (and eat!) cakes. I bake all day at work and what do I want to do when I get home? Bake some more!! Someone call the pastry police . . .
Marion Burros' Plum Torte
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened (not 1/2 # like I mistakenly used)
3/4 c sugar, plus more for topping
1 c all purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
12 Italian prune plums, halved and pitted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar in a bowl. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Add eggs and beat well.
Spoon the batter into an 8, 9, or 10 inch springform pan (I used a 9" regular cake pan, buttered the bottom only and lined it with a round of parchment paper and it came right out). Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, sprinkle with cinnamon to taste (I mixed about 1/2 tsp cinnamon with about 1 Tbsp of sugar and sprinkled that on).
Bake for 40-50 minutes. Remove and cool to lukewarm, remove the sides of pan, and serve. Or refrigerate or freeze if desired - first double-wrap in foil, then place in a plastic bag and seal. To serve a torte that has been frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.
Because I used a regular cake pan I let mine cool to room temp then ran a knife around the edge to loosen the cake. Then I placed a flat plate on top of the cake and flipped it over, pan and all to release it. To right the cake again, place a cooling rack on the bottom of the cake (which is facing upward at this point), flip the whole thing over again and remove the plate from the top of the cake. I ate my cake at room temp and also straight out of the fridge, which is where you will want to keep it if you plan on keeping it for several days so mold doesn't start to grow on the fruit. Also if you would like to add a nut flour such as almond or hazelnut, simply toast it in your oven for about 5-7 minutes, or until you start to smell it, then set aside to cool as you prepare the rest of the recipe. I substituted 1/3 c nut flour for 1/3 c all purpose flour.
I'm sure this could be made with other fruits such as peaches, apricots, nectarines, or even berries and it would be delicious!
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