Plum Torte

This is a fairly moist, heavy, rich, sweet cake; it makes an excellent foil to tart plums. The batter will seem shockingly skimpy, and the plums will barely be sitting in it when the cake goes into the oven, but it will rise up and engulf them.

8 to 10 servings
1 hour 15 minutes - 20 minutes prep time


16 to 18 purple Italian or German plums
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 extra-large eggs
1 cup + 2 tablespoons soft whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Wash the plums, and cut them in half. Discard the pits.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9" springform pan with parchment paper, and butter the sides lightly.

Cream the butter and sugar until light. Mix in the salt and almond extract, and beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix the flour and baking powder together, then stir into the wet ingredients until well blended.

Using a spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and spread it out as evenly as you can. It will seem like barely enough to cover the bottom, but persevere. Then, take the plum halves and stick them in the batter standing up in circles, starting at the outside of the pan. Think stonehenge.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until firm on top and golden-brown all over.





Last year at this time I made Honey-Mint Glazed Carrots.