Original plum torte from The New York Times Cooking by Marian Burros

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

  • olympia_mhnhwe on March 20, 2026

    Marian Burros's Plum Torte. A classic for a reason!

  • hashi on September 10, 2025

    Heck yeah! I’ll make this one again and again. Super easy and easy to use other fruit. I used Italian plums and it did not disappoint.

  • okmosa on September 17, 2021

    I finally made this famous/infamous torte. I can’t believe it calls for 12 plums, perhaps modern plums are larger now? I used five, quartered them, but next time I suppose I could shove 6–8 in there. In general, I see the allure and potential of the recipe, but I think the overall flavor is a little flat. Next time, and there will be a next time, I’ll try a little spice like cardamom, not cinnamon, maybe vanilla as someone else suggested. I like the tart plums so I may stick with the 3/4 cup sugar. Finally, I don’t think it needs the full hour to bake in a 9 inch spring form.

  • kgiven on October 21, 2019

    A big hit and easy to make

  • eliza on April 10, 2019

    Very nice cake. I used pears as well as plums and it turned out well. Baked 44 minutes at 350.

  • Aggie92 on September 24, 2016

    So simple and so good. Very similar in taste to my Oma's Zwetschgendatschi but a lot less work since you don't have to arrange the plums in pretty concentric circles. I can see why this is the most popular recipe ever on the NYT Cooking website. I doubled the recipe, used Italian plums, added a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the batter, and sprinkled the top with cinnamon sugar before baking in a 9x13 dish. High altitude adjustment (6200 ft.): reduced baking powder by 1/2 tsp.

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