The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Each growing season we experiment with different fruits and vegetables in the garden. While some happily flourish, others just seem to fizzle and disappoint. Through it all, the most reliable producer, year after year, has been our purple plum tree. Easy to take care of, and quick growing, the branches of this tree are always heavy with fruit by the start of fall. From pies, cakes, chutneys, and jams, this time of year is always marked by the flavor of sweet, backyard stone fruit. These dark purple plums, small and unassuming, turn a brilliant garnet red when baked. Recently, I came across a recipe for this effortless torte that is a gorgeous way to highlight the flavors of fresh fruit.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon ground ginger

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

12 purple plums, pitted and halved

Sugar and cinnamon for dusting

Fresh lemon juice

Fresh whipped cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 or 10-inch springform pan and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder, cardamom, ginger, salt, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until a thick, smooth batter is formed. Batter will be on the stiff side.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and use a rubber spatula to evenly spread smooth. Arrange the plum halves, skin side up, across the top. Lightly sprinkle some sugar and a little lemon juice to the top. Adjust the amount of sugar depending on how sweet the plums are. Then, sprinkle the top with about ½ to 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

Set pan on middle rack of oven and bake for about 1 hour. Check center with a toothpick for doneness. Remove and allow to cool in pan. Serve room temperature or slightly warm with whip cream.

Notes:

This is the kind of elegant yet easy to prepare dessert recipe that is great to keep on hand for memorable entertaining. You can experiment with other fresh stone fruits when they are at peak ripeness; peaches, cherries, or apricots would all be delightful in this recipe. You could also try it with sliced apples or pears, summer berries or even fresh cranberries. The key is to choose seasonal fruits that are perfectly ripe. While the dense lightly spiced batter rises and bakes, the fruit turn tender-sweet.

You can adjust the spices in the batter. Add nutmeg or clove for stronger spice notes. Or to brighten things, add some finely grated lemon or orange zest.

This week, we had a delightful visit from a group of friends and family. After a lovely meal centered around Linda's perfect pot roast, I served this torte with some fresh whipped cream. A perfect end to an excellent dinner party. Share this torte at your next gathering. Enjoy!