The Marian Burros Plum Torte is a late summer NY Times classic. When the Italian prune plums hit the farmers market, it’s a sure sign summer is just about over. I’ve made it once or twice, and it’s a pretty simple single layer cake, dotted with plum halves. Trader Joe’s Plum Torte makes it even easier. You just pop it into the oven at 350F for 18-20 minutes.
I made it from frozen rather than thawing it ahead of time. And actually, if you want it to look perfect, you should probably thaw it. Because from frozen, you peel off the paper pan, and you end up with remnants of the sugared lemon sticking to the pan.
Ingredients-wise, I love that Trader Joe’s Plum Torte uses butter, and while Marian’s original didn’t include sugared lemon, it’s adds a nice tang. For me, this one is sweet enough that it didn’t need powdered sugar or whipped cream on top, it’s very good just as it is. And it’s 👩🏻🍳💋 with a cup of tea. Just out of the oven, the edge of the cake had a little bit of a crisp, but it chills out overnight, if you don’t eat the whole thing.
Would I buy it again? For sure. It looks fancy enough for company. And for $7.99 it’s totally worth it. Although, I’d say, if your farmers market has the prune plums, you should make it from scratch at least once. Maybe TJ’s version will get you to give it a try. (If you don’t subscribe to NYT Cooking, your library may be able to provide temporary 24 hour access to grab the recipe! King County Library System does!)
Check out some other We Tried’s from Trader Joe’s:
Mini Spicy Pumpkin Samosas
Salted Maple Ice Cream