Plum Torte

Source: New York Times, originally printed on Sept. 21, 2005

Ingredients

• ¾ cups Sugar
• ½ cup Unsalted Butter
• 1 cup Unbleached Flour, Sifted
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• pinch Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 24 Pitted Purple Plums
• Sugar And Cinnamon For Topping

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Cream sugar and butter in a bowl. Add flour, baking powder, salt and eggs, and beat well.

3. Spoon the batter into a spring-form of 8, 9, or 10 inches. Place the plum halves, skin side up, on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 tsp of cinnamon, or to taste.

4. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired (but first, double-wrap the tortes in foil, place in a plastic bag, and seal). Or cool to lukewarm, and serve.

5. To serve a torte that has been frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes.