3/4 cup sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup unbleached or whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt (optional)
2 eggs
20 halves pitted purple plums
2 tbsp brown sugar
grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan.
Combine plums with brown sugar, lemon rind and juice, and cinnamon. Set aside.
Cream the sugar and butter. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.
Spoon the batter into a 9-inch springform pan. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Pour extra juice from plums over the top.
Bake 40 minutes, approximately. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired. Or cool to lukewarm and serve plain or with whipped cream. (To serve a torte that was frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.)
Note: this can be done with almost any fruit, and a variety of spices and flavorings. Almond extract with sliced almonds on top is nice. Raspberries! Cardamom!
2017