Description
This Plum Torte is a delightful almond and hazelnut cake topped with fresh plums, offering a perfect balance of nutty richness and fruity sweetness. Featuring a tender, moist crumb and a beautiful arrangement of plum slices, it’s an elegant dessert perfect for gatherings or a special treat at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit
- 1/2 – 3/4 lbs. fresh plums, pitted and sliced into eighths (large plums) or fourths (medium-small plums)
Nuts
- 3/4 cups whole almonds, toasted
- 3/4 cups whole hazelnuts, toasted
Batter
- 3/4 cups + 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
Topping
- 2–3 Tbsp. apricot preserves
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan to prevent the torte from sticking.
- Process Nuts: Using a food processor, grind the toasted almonds and hazelnuts until you achieve a fine crumb texture. Be careful not to over-process, as this may turn the nuts into nut butter.
- Make Batter: In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar on low speed until combined, scraping down the bowl sides as necessary. Add the eggs, flour, and baking powder, mixing well. Fold in the ground nuts using a wooden spoon or spatula to create a thick batter.
- Assemble Torte: Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared springform pan. Arrange the plum slices on top in a circular pattern without overlapping to ensure even baking and a beautiful presentation.
- Bake: Place the torte on the middle oven rack and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 300°F without removing the torte and continue baking for an additional 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Glaze and Serve: Warm the apricot preserves in the microwave for about 30 seconds until runny. Brush this glaze evenly over the warm baked torte to add shine and sweetness. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is at room temperature to create a smooth, creamy batter.
- To toast the nuts, spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for about 8-10 minutes, stirring once.
- The apricot preserve glaze adds a glossy finish and enhances the plum flavor but can be omitted if preferred.
- Use a springform pan for easy release of the delicate torte.
- Check doneness by inserting a toothpick; if it comes out clean, the torte is done.
