neurosesgalore.com

I’ll admit this torte is no knoedel but it’s a damn good substitute if you, like me, can’t get your good for nothing friends and family to enjoy a nice plum dumpling with you. We ate almost half of it fresh out of the oven. I didn’t even bother to dig out my springform pan. I used a 2″ high 8″ round pan lined on the bottom with parchment and had no trouble getting it out. I didn’t bother to sift the flour either and the cake was still moist and light. I could eat this cake all day and all night, I’m swooning. Oh, and if you wash it down with ice water it negates all of the calories in the torte itself. This recipe was first printed in The New York Times in 1981.

Topping:

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cake:

12 (or more, depending on size) Italian prune plums
1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs

Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping and set aside. Halve and pit the plums. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

Cream the butter with 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and the flour mixture and beat to mix well. Spread the batter in an *ungreased 9 or 10-inch springform pan. Arrange the plums over the batter, skin sides down. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a rack. Cool completely in the pan. Run a knife blade around the edge of the pan before releasing the ring. The torte may be refrigerated or frozen at this point.

Serve at room temperature or, to serve warm, reheat in a 300°F oven, or microwave individual slices at full power for about 10 seconds. Serve plain or with vanilla ice cream.

Serves 8.