Plum Topped Torte

Out of the oven, this cake is turned upside down causing all of the sweet plum juice to seep into the almond scented cake. The color of the plum juice depends on what time of the summer (or early fall) this cake is made. I try to make this torte at the beginning of summer when I can find the dark purple plums with red flesh, like the Black Beauty variety. Come July I seem to only find dark plums with white flesh. I have also made this torte many times with Santa Rosa plums, which have a more reddish skin and flesh. However, I am just being picky; there are many varieties of plums (or even pluots) that taste wonderful in this cake. This rustic summer torte is perfect to serve to guests after dinner or with a cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon, since the almond scented cake is light and the plums are tart, yet subtly sweet.



Plum Topped Torte

Serves 8-10

Ingredients
- 10 medium semi-ripe plums, cut in half, pits removed
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted; plus 2 tablespoons
unsalted butter at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. To prepare a 9 inch round springform pan, combine the 1/4 cup sugar with the 2 tablespoons of butter, and spread evenly on the bottom of the pan. Arrange plum halves on top of the butter/sugar mixture flesh side down, as tightly as possible. If you have any extra plums, cut into smaller pieces and fill in any gaps.
To make the cake, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl fitter for an electric mixer beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale, about 8 minutes on high speed. Stir in the almond and vanilla extracts. Gently fold in the dry ingredients. When all the ingredients are fully incorporated, gently stir in the melted butter. Pour the cake mixture into the pan on top of the plums. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife along side the edge and release the sides. Invert the cake onto a large plate or cutting board. Careful; the plum juice may drip onto the plate/ board. Let the cake cool completely. Serve alone or with a dollop of crème fresh or vanilla ice cream. This cake can be made one day ahead of time and kept covered.

Below is a photo from last summer's Plum Torte, where I used a variety of plums, including some with amber flesh, giving the torte a slightly different look (and taste) from the torte in the photos above, which was solely made from plums with red flesh.