Plum Torte (New York Times version)

Sugar	237gm or 1 cup
Unsalted butter, softened	120gm or ½ cup
Unbleached flour, sifted	237gm or 1 cup
Baking powder	6gm or 1 teaspoon
Pinch of salt
Egg	2
Pitted purple plums	4, cut to half or cut to smaller wedges if the size is large
Sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon, for topping

Method

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.
3. Spoon the batter into a spring form 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.

• 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.)

Note:

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

cream the butter and sugar

whip until it is all mix

add flour, mix well, and add egg one by one. mix batter until smooth

remove pit from plum, cut to half or smaller wedges if the plum is large.

arrange plum wedges on top of the batter, sprinkle sugar and cinnamom on top.

bake for an hour in a pre-heated 350F or (177C) oven. serve with a good quality espresso