This recipe is adapted from The Splendid Table recipe by Marion Burros and Lois Levine. I almost didn't write about it because I was sure the original recipe had been published in the Food pages before, as according to Burros and Levine it has appeared in The New York Times many, many times since 1981.
One bite and you'll understand its popularity.
It is ridiculously simple and divinely delicious.
I know it's late in the season but, as they say, better late than never. And it is simply too good to save for next summer. We're at the very tail end of peach season, but some of the late varieties such as Indian Red and Autumn Prince may still be available at farmers markets and local orchards. But supermarket fruit works too.
I tweaked the recipe just a bit by using cake flour instead of all-purpose, swapping peaches in for plums and adding a splash of vanilla extract. It is the kind of cake you'll want to make again and again and it is just as good from the freezer as it was the day it was baked.
Peaches or plums are most common, but the cake can be made with almost any fruit. I think pears would be heavenly come autumn.
Fruit Torte
1/4 pound unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup PLUS 1 or 2 tablespoons sugar, divided use (see note)
1 cup cake or all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
Splash vanilla extract
Pinch salt
24 halves pitted Italian (prune) plums OR 4 cups thickly sliced peaches, nectarines, black plums or other fruit
1 teaspoon cinnamon or more, to taste
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, beat butter and the 3/4 cup of sugar until fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder, eggs, vanilla extract and salt and beat to mix well. Spoon and spread batter into an ungreased 9- or 10-inch springform pan. Cover the top with the plums, skin sides down. Mix the cinnamon with the remaining 1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar and sprinkle over the top.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool; serve warm or at room temperature, plain or topped with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Cake can be wrapped in plastic, then foil and frozen, if desired.
Makes 8 servings.
Note: Depending on the sweetness of the fruit, you may wish to reduce the sugar by a tablespoon or two.
Food on 08/29/2018