Welcome to our first Insta-Recipe Challenge! Here, we test viral online recipes to see if they actually work in a regular home kitchen. Today, we’re trying out a popular New York Times recipe for a plum torte, just in time for plum season.
About the Recipe
This plum torte combines juicy, slightly sour plums with a rich batter made of butter, sugar, and eggs. As it bakes, the fruit sinks into the batter, creating a deliciously dense dessert that balances sweet and sour flavors.
The Recipe Process
- Gather Ingredients
- Plums (halved)
- Butter (room temperature)
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Cinnamon
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Prepare the Batter
- Whip the butter until fluffy. Keep it cool, but not cold, for a lighter texture.
- Add sugar and eggs, then gradually mix in flour and baking powder.
- Add the Plums
- Place the plum halves on top of the batter.
- Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
- Bake
- Bake in the oven, but watch the time carefully. Overbaking can cause the cake to burn.
Challenges Faced
- Whipping the Butter: The recipe advises whipping the butter until it’s fluffy, which can be tricky if your mixer isn’t working well. Hand-whipping may be necessary.
- Sprinkling the Topping: Adding sugar and cinnamon before baking can lead to a burnt appearance if the cake bakes for too long.
The Results
Despite accidentally leaving the cake in the oven too long, the plum torte tasted wonderful. It had a perfect balance of rich, sweet, and tangy flavors. Some friends have even used the same batter with other tart fruits and achieved great results.
Rating
🥄🥄🥄 out of 5 spoons. The taste was great, but the burned top lowered the score.
What’s Next?
Let us know which online recipes you want us to try next!