The Famous Plum Cake (New York Times Inspired)
This cake is inspired by the famous New York Times Plum Torte, which became incredibly popular on social media a few years ago. Everyone seemed to be baking it, so I decided to give it a try too. Since then, it has become one of my favorite late-summer traditions. Every August and September, when sweet local plums are in season, I bake this cake at least once. It's soft, buttery, incredibly easy to make, and the juicy plums create the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness.
Recipe Ingredients
Cake
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 110 g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 small eggs
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 12 ripe plums, halved and pitted
Topping
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1–2 tsp lemon juice (optional)
First, make the batter
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Line a baking pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it with butter.
Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed just until a smooth batter forms.
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.
Then, add the plums
Arrange the plum halves, cut side down, over the batter.
Mix the cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle evenly over the plums.
If you'd like a little extra freshness, drizzle the plums with a small amount of lemon juice.
Finally, bake the cake
Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool slightly before serving.
NOTES
- Use ripe but still firm plums for the best texture.
- Italian prune plums work especially well, but any flavorful plum variety can be used.
- The original recipe uses about 150 g of sugar. I reduce it to 100 g, which I find perfectly sweet, especially when using ripe summer plums.
- This cake is delicious warm, but I actually think it tastes even better the next day.
