Original Plum Torte

By Marian Burros

Updated September 3, 2026

  • The original plum torte is cut into wedges on a ceramic plate on a dark blue tablecloth.
    Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Liza Jernow.
Media 1 of 3
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
5(23,383)
Comments
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The Times published Marian Burros’s recipe for Plum Torte every September from 1983 until 1989, when the editors determined that enough was enough. The recipe was to be printed for the last time that year. “To counter anticipated protests,” Ms. Burros wrote a few years later, “the recipe was printed in larger type than usual with a broken-line border around it to encourage clipping.” It didn’t help. The paper was flooded with angry letters. “The appearance of the recipe, like the torte itself, is bittersweet,” wrote a reader in Tarrytown, N.Y. “Summer is leaving, fall is coming. That's what your annual recipe is all about. Don't be grumpy about it.” We are not! And we pledge that every year, as summer gives way to fall, we will make sure that the recipe is easily available to one and all. The original 1983 recipe called for 1 cup sugar; the 1989 version reduced that to ¾ cup. We give both options below. Here are five ways to adapt the torte.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

  • ¾ to 1 cup sugar

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 cup unbleached flour, sifted

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • Pinch of salt (optional)

  • 2 eggs

  • 24 halves pitted purple plums

  • Sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon, for topping

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

61 grams carbs; 70 milligrams cholesterol; 366 calories; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 13 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 81 milligrams sodium; 5 grams protein; 45 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Step 2

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

  3. Step 3

    Spoon the batter into a springform pan of 8, 9 or 10 inches. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, depending on how much you like cinnamon.

  4. Step 4

    Bake 1 hour, 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.)

Tip

  • To freeze, double-wrap the torte in foil, place in a plastic bag and seal.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
23,383 user ratings
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Comments

Mary

Hi - I'd like clarification on the flour --- 1 C flour, sifted - is that one cup of flour and sift and add, or sift the flour to equal one cup of flour - makes a difference. Thank you.

Jan Wong

In 1988 my Toronto newspaper was about to post me to Beijing as a foreign correspondent. Alas, my house wasn't selling. I'd read that the fragrance of baking helps so I bought a frozen loaf of bread, and warmed it in the oven. No sale. Desperate, I baked this torte for an open house. Ta-dah! With the kitchen infused with the sweet perfume of Original Plum Torte, the house sold.

KLD

Sifted flour means sift then measure.
Flour, sifted means measure them sift.

Susan K

Made vegan, with Earth Balance margarine and Just Egg. I passed a sidewalk tree last week that had amazing plums, so this recipe was timely. I baked for 30 minutes and it could have been done. Since the recipe called for an hour, I gave it 10 more minutes and it came out dark on the edges. I’ll try it with cornmeal as another commenter suggested. It’s simple and surprisingly great.

KerenC

I made this for the first time this week, and my family loved it. So, I made it again for friends who were coming for dinner...also a big hit. I used 1/2 c almond flour and 1/2 c gluten-free flour, doubled the baking soda, and sprinkled the top with cinnamon sugar. My plums were frozen from earlier in the summer, and I laid them in the pan frozen without a problem. I followed the recipe otherwise. This will definitely be on repeat.

Laura

This is an easy make and I discovered some people really love plums. Who knew? My only tips are, it looks like a ton of fruit, but they shrunk a lot in the baking. And, your spring form cake pan may leak like mine does, so put a baking sheet on the shelf below. Thanks for a surprising recipe!

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