purple plum torte
This may look like an ordinary piece of plum cake, but it is not. It is a famous plum cake, so renowned that I suspect half of you out there have already made it, and the rest of you will soon commit it to memory, because this cake is like that — it is worthwhile enough to become your late September/early October staple. First published in the New York Times by in 1983, the recipe had been given to her by Lois Levine, her co-author on the excellent ), the recipe was published every year during plum season between then and 1995, when the editor of the food section told readers they were cutting them off, and it was time to cut it out, laminate it and put it on the refrigerator door because they were on their own if they lost it. As if anyone would dare.
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
What these numbers assume — 8 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Plum | 1 medium (66g) | 30 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder (the aluminum-free kind, if you can find it)
- Large pinch of salt
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar plus 1 to 2 tablespoon (depending on sweetness of plums)
- 1/2 cup (115 grams or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 12 smallish purple Italian purple plums, halved and pitted
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon