Original Fresh Fruit Torte

Submitted by cathyfood

"Adapted from a recipe by Marian Burros. This may seem plain, but the combination of tender vanilla cake and fresh, ripe fruit is unbeatable. The recipe originally called for the dark Italian prune plums, but I sometimes use 2 large or 3 medium fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced. I can't decide if I prefer the plums or the peaches! If you can get really fresh fruit from a farm market or orchard, this will be the best dessert you've ever had."

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 9
• Yields: 1 cake
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1⁄4 lb unsalted butter, softened
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 12 Italian plums, halved and pitted
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons sugar

directions

1. Arrange oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream butter and 3/4 cup sugar. Add flour, baking powder, eggs and salt, and beat to mix well.
3. Spoon the batter into a 9” or 10” springform pan.
4. Cover the top with the plums, skin side down, or the peach slices very close together.
5. Combine cinnamon with 2 tablespoons sugar. Sprinkle fruit with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
6. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool.
7. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm, plain or with vanilla ice cream.
8. Cake may be tightly wrapped with aluminum foil and frozen after it is cooled from the oven. Make extra cakes while fruit is at it’s peak and freeze, then warm wrapped cake in a 300 degree oven for serving.